夜间
在我居住的地方，夏天的日落时间是很迟的。当孩子还小时，他们有时会在指定的睡眠时间说：“我们不能上床呢，天还未黑。”他们联想天黑才是睡眠的时候，使徒保罗也是这样联想。
保罗把日与夜作两个对此。首先，拒绝耶稣或不认识衪的人是活在黑暗中，他们不知道耶稣应许过再回来。而当衪真的回来时，他们便措手不及，“好像夜间的贼一样”。其次，可悲的是那些没有耶稣的人是“睡着”了，他们的生活是惆怅和无盼望的。然而基督徒却是在耶稣里清醒的，他们应该常常跟随“子（Son / sun）”的光而活。
保罗建议我们该怎样活在光明中？他劝告我们，要为每天要面对的挣扎作好准备和警醒。我们需要对耶稣有信心，才能对抗每天的试探和罪恶。若要信心得到成长，我们便应该用时间去阅读和反思神的话，让神的话渗透我们心灵深处。我们也要忠心祈祷，“不住地祷告”（帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:17）。
当我们的生命环绕耶稣为中心时，衪的爱便会从我们身上散发出来、照亮我们周围的人，尤其是那些还未相信耶稣的人。当我们服侍耶稣又热切期待衪再来时，我们渐渐增长的信心和爱心，便能加强我们的盼望了。
主啊，感谢你苏醒我们的心灵和让我们在你的光中为你而活。求你感动我们，去与未认识你的人分享你的光和生命。阿们。
帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:1-11
1弟兄们，论到时候、日期，不用写信给你们，
2因为你们自己明明晓得，主的日子来到好像夜间的贼一样。
3人正说平安稳妥的时候，灾祸忽然临到他们，如同产难临到怀胎的妇人一样，他们绝不能逃脱。
4弟兄们，你们却不在黑暗里，叫那日子临到你们像贼一样。
5你们都是光明之子，都是白昼之子。我们不是属黑夜的，也不是属幽暗的。
6所以，我们不要睡觉，像别人一样，总要警醒谨守。
7因为睡了的人是在夜间睡，醉了的人是在夜间醉。
8但我们既然属乎白昼，就应当谨守，把信和爱当做护心镜遮胸，把得救的盼望当做头盔戴上。
9因为神不是预定我们受刑，乃是预定我们藉着我们主耶稣基督得救。
10他替我们死，叫我们无论醒着、睡着，都与他同活。
11所以，你们该彼此劝慰，互相建立，正如你们素常所行的。
Night Time
"Let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober." - 1 Thessalonians 5:6
Where I live, the summer sun doesn't set until late in the evening. When our children were young, they would sometimes say at bedtime, "We can't go to bed yet. It's not dark out." They associated darkness with sleep. The apostle Paul does that too.
Paul contrasts day and night in two ways. First, people who reject Jesus or don't know him live in darkness. They are unaware of Jesus' promised second coming. And when he does return, Jesus will catch them off guard, "like a thief in the night." Second, and sadly, people who are without Jesus are "asleep," living in frustration and without hope. Christians, though, are awake in Jesus and should always walk by the light of the "Son."
How does Paul suggest we live in the light? He advises us to prepare for daily struggles and be alert. Our daily battles with temptation and sin require faith in Jesus, and for our faith to grow we should spend time reading and reflecting on God's Word, letting it permeate the deepest reaches of our hearts. We should also be faithful in prayer, "praying always" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
As our lives orbit around Jesus, his love in us will shine out to the people around us, especially to those without Jesus. Growing in faith and love will develop our hope as we serve Jesus and eagerly await his return.
Lord, thank you for awakening our hearts and letting us live for you in your light. Please move us to share your light and life with people who don't know you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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