神的应许（记号：星）
在我们居住的地方，云层遮住天空，城市的灯光也使一切变暗，只能看到零星的几颗星星。但我记得有一次在沙漠里，夜空完全地清澈、黑暗，布满了繁星无数。
神正是让亚伯兰仰望这样的天空，数算众星，祂当然知道这是不可能的。那么神究竟是什么意思呢？
神应许了一件此刻的亚伯兰觉得不可能的事：他这个老人要成为一个大国的祖先（创 12:2）。但亚伯兰知道，从人来说，他连生一个孩子都不可能，更何况是一个国！然而神指指星星，就好像说：“造了这些星星的神当然能使你成为一个父亲。”
后来神将亚伯兰的名字改为亚伯拉罕，意思是“多国的父”（创 17:5）。而藉着亚伯拉罕的那一个后裔，就是基督，现在神的应许覆盖了世上每个国家和部落（罗 4；启 5）。
是什么预示着基督的降生？正是一颗星星（太 2:1-12）！
无论在你居住的地方能看到多少星星，你都要抬头仰望，因它的美丽而喜悦。然后记得，神的这些应许已经成就了：亚伯拉罕的众星，还有伯利恒上空那颗耶稣的星。
神啊，诸天诉说祢的荣耀，众星都是祢的杰作！我们感谢祢赐给亚伯拉罕的应许，藉着耶稣，这应许延伸到我们所有人。请帮助我们向世界彰显祢的荣耀。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
创世记 15:1-6
1 这事以后，耶和华在异象中有话对亚伯兰说：“亚伯兰，你不要惧怕！我是你的盾牌，必大大地赏赐你。”
2 亚伯兰说：“主耶和华啊，我既无子，你还赐我什么呢？并且要承受我家业的是大马士革人以利以谢。”
3 亚伯兰又说：“你没有给我儿子，那生在我家中的人就是我的后嗣。”
4 耶和华又有话对他说：“这人必不成为你的后嗣，你本身所生的才成为你的后嗣。”
5 于是领他走到外边，说：“你向天观看，数算众星，能数得过来吗？”又对他说：“你的后裔将要如此。”
6 亚伯兰信耶和华，耶和华就以此为他的义。
The Promise (Symbol: Stars)
“Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. . . . So shall your offspring be." — Genesis 15:5
Where we live, cloud cover and urban light obscure all but a few stars at night. But I remember being in a desert once where the night sky was totally clear, dark, and filled with stars beyond number.
God tells Abram to look up at such a sky and count the stars, knowing of course that it’s impossible. What is God’s point?
God has promised to do what Abram now believes is impossible: to make him, an old man, the father of a great nation (Genesis 12:2). But Abram knows it’s humanly impossible for him to father one child, let alone a nation! Yet God points to the stars as if to say, “The maker of those can certainly make you into a father.”
Later God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5). And through Christ, a descendant of Abraham, God’s promise now includes people from every tribe and nation (Romans 4; Revelation 5).
And what heralds the birth of Christ? A star (Matthew 2:1-12).
No matter how many stars you can see where you live, look up and rejoice at their beauty. Then remember these signs of God’s promises fulfilled: the stars of Abraham, and the star of Jesus over Bethlehem.
The heavens declare your glory, O God, and the stars, your handiwork! We give you thanks for your promise to Abraham that, through Jesus, extends to us all. Help us to radiate your glory to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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