基甸——微小而大能的勇士
神的百姓受到米甸人的威胁，他们从山上冲下来四处掠夺，毁坏粮食和村庄。神决定兴起一位领袖来击败他们。当使者称呼他“大能的勇士”时，基甸以为他在开玩笑。他是家中最微不足道的成员，他的家族又是支派中最弱小的。他只是个农夫，对打仗一窍不通。
但当神训练完基甸准备打仗时，他要带领300人对抗12万大军。这是个“不可能完成的”任务，然而就是用基甸这支小队伍，神最终使米甸人抱头鼠窜逃跑了（士师记 7）。
就像基甸一样，我们常常抗拒神摆在我们面前的挑战，因为我们觉得自己不够好，或不够强壮，或不够有能力来面对它们，但神不会让我们去做我们做不到的事。
使徒保罗一生中经受许多试炼。但在腓立比书 4:13他写道：“我靠着那加给我力量的，凡事都能作。”
耶稣为我们立下了榜样，不管面对怎样的挑战，凡事都倚靠天父。感谢神，因着耶稣已胜过罪恶和死亡，“靠着爱我们的主，在这一切的事上，已经得胜有余了。”（罗马书 8:37）
耶稣，感谢祢胜过了罪恶和死亡。求帮助我们，在祢要我们面对试炼和维护祢名时，成为祢大能的勇士。奉祢的名祷告，阿们。
士师记 6:11-24
11耶和华的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸正在酒醡那里打麦子，为要防备米甸人。
12耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！
13基甸说：主啊，耶和华若与我们同在，我们何至遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖不是向我们说耶和华领我们从埃及上来么？他那样奇妙的作为在哪里呢？现在他却丢弃我们，将我们交在米甸人手里。
14耶和华观看基甸，说：你靠着你这能力去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的么？
15基甸说：主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的。我在我父家是至微小的。
16耶和华对他说：我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。
17基甸说：我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个证据，使我知道与我说话的就是主。
18求你不要离开这里，等我归回将礼物带来供在你面前。主说：我必等你回来。
19基甸去预备了一只山羊羔，用一伊法细面做了无酵饼，将肉放在筐内，把汤盛在壶中，带到橡树下，献在使者面前。
20神的使者吩咐基甸说：将肉和无酵饼放在这磐石上，把汤倒出来。他就这样行了。
21耶和华的使者伸出手内的杖，杖头挨了肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼。耶和华的使者也就不见了。
22基甸见他是耶和华的使者，就说：哀哉！主耶和华啊，我不好了，因为我觌面看见耶和华的使者。
23耶和华对他说：你放心，不要惧怕，你必不至死。
24于是基甸在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，起名叫耶和华沙龙（就是耶和华赐平安的意思）。（这坛在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉直到如今。）
Mighty Warrior Gideon
"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'" — Judges 6:12
God's people were being threatened by the Midianites, marauders who swooped down out of the hills to ruin crops and villages. God decided to raise up a leader who would defeat them. When the angel called him a "mighty warrior," Gideon thought the angel was joking. He was the least promising member of his family, which was the weakest clan in his tribe. He was only a farmer and didn't know anything about battling enemies.
But by the time God finished training Gideon for battle, he was leading three hundred men against 120,000 troops. It was an "impossible" mission, but with Gideon's small army God sent the Midianites running (Judges 7).
Like Gideon, we often resist the challenges God sets in front of us because we don't think we are good enough or strong enough or skilled enough to meet them. But God doesn't ask us to do anything we cannot do.
The apostle Paul went through many trials in his life. But in Philippians 4:13 he wrote, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Jesus showed by example how to depend on the Father for everything, regardless of what challenges we face. Thanks be to God that because of Jesus' victory over sin and death, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Jesus, thank you for conquering sin and death. Help us to be your mighty warriors when you ask us to face trials and defend your name. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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