午夜的求助

大部分人一生中，总会有那么一个时刻，需要一个朋友来说说话或来靠一靠。有时我们会经历人生的巅峰，而在需要帮助时我们会转向信赖的人，希望多少能找点安慰。

“……你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。” - 路 11:9

　　有一天晚上午夜刚过，有一个十几岁的女子站在我们家门前，按响了门铃。她十分无助，原来她刚结婚不久，孩子即将出生，而此时她的丈夫威胁说要离开她。她不知道该去哪里寻求帮助，于是找到了我们。她就是一位在午夜时需要朋友的人。

　　大部分人一生中，总会有那么一个时刻，需要一个朋友来说说话或来靠一靠。有时我们会经历人生的巅峰，而在需要帮助时我们会转向信赖的人，希望多少能找点安慰。

　　但有时候，朋友会令我们失望。有时我们转向的人并不理解我们——或者更糟，他们根本就不在乎我们。有时我们看错人，以为某人可以信得过，然而他们却辜负我们的信任。还有一些朋友，像比喻中的这个人，只是因为无法避免，才施予帮助。

　　但有个朋友绝不会令我们失望：那就是主耶稣。祂是永不离开的朋友，祂不会让我们等待，也绝不会弃绝我们。尽管祂不总是把我们想要的、或我们认为需要的给我们，但祂总会赐给我们一样宝贵的礼物：圣灵。

　　耶稣说：“你们......尚且知道拿好东西给儿女；何况天父，岂不更将圣灵给求他的人吗？”祂是我们一生不可或缺的朋友。

祷告

天父啊，求祢以圣灵充满我们，好使我们懂得怎样一生尊崇和事奉祢。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。

路加福音 11:5-13

5耶稣又说：“你们中间谁有一个朋友半夜到他那里去，说：‘朋友！请借给我三个饼；
6因为我有一个朋友行路，来到我这里，我没有什么给他摆上。’
7那人在里面回答说：‘不要搅扰我，门已经关闭，孩子们也同我在床上了，我不能起来给你。’
8我告诉你们，虽不因他是朋友起来给他，但因他情词迫切地直求，就必起来照他所需用的给他。
9我又告诉你们，你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。
10因为，凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。
11你们中间作父亲的，谁有儿子求饼，反给他石头呢？求鱼，反拿蛇当鱼给他呢？
12求鸡蛋，反给他蝎子呢？
13你们虽然不好，尚且知道拿好东西给儿女；何况天父，岂不更将圣灵给求他的人吗？”

A Friend At Midnight

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." — Luke 11:9

英语音频 English Audio

One evening, shortly after midnight, a teenage woman was standing on our doorstep, ringing the doorbell. She was desperate. She was newly married, expecting a child, and now her husband threatened to leave her. She did not know where to turn, so she came to us. She needed a friend at midnight.

Many of us, at one time or another, need a friend to talk to or lean on. Sometimes life gets the best of us, and in our need we turn to someone we can trust, and we hope that somehow we'll find some relief.

But sometimes friends let us down. Sometimes the people we turn to don't understand— or, worse, don't really care. Sometimes we misread the people we confide in— and they betray our trust. And some friends, like the one in the parable, help only because they can't get out of helping.

But there is one Friend who never lets us down: the Lord Jesus. He is the Friend who's always there, who never puts us on hold, and who never turns us away. And even though he doesn't always give us what we want, or what we think we need, there is one gift he always gives: the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says, "If you then . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" He is the one Friend we can't do without.

Prayer

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳