你有没有试过，看到某些东西近在咫尺、但却拿不到手呢？可能是一个在邮局等着你领取、但你却不能到耶里去接收的包裹；又或许是某些正被水冲走、而你却伸手不及的东西。真可算是咫尺天涯了。
你与神的关系，会不会有时也令你有一样的感受呢？你是相信和倚靠祂的，可是，当衪似乎没有回应你的祷告时，你可能会觉得神忘记了你。
每当你有这样的感受，最好的做法就是记着，耶稣是我们最伟大的大祭司。因着世人的罪和罪带来的创伤，我们和神中间产生了一道极大的鸿沟；然而，耶稣做了我们的祭司和中保，衪成为天和地之间的桥梁，祂使我们与神和好，又邀请我们接受救赎的恩典和永远与神同在的新生命。
在圣经中我们看到一个美妙的确据，就是神也同样呼召我们作祭司。旧约中的祭司看顾神的子民，他们为神的子民祷告和求神接近他们。到了今天，因着耶稣的缘故，我们也能够以祭司的身份靠近神。
在今天的主日崇拜中，我盼望你能够有以上的经历。在崇拜中，当你祷告和听到别人的祷告时，你便是在靠近神了。
圣经说，我们是君尊的祭司，我们为别人祷告和代求，这是一个特别的呼召。
主啊，感谢你，因耶稣的缘故，你呼召我们作祭司。求你引领我们忠心祷告、寻求你的旨意、和为别人代求。阿们。
彼得前书 2:9-10
9 唯有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗、入奇妙光明者的美德。
10 你们从前算不得子民，现在却做了神的子民；从前未曾蒙怜恤，现在却蒙了怜恤。
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . ." — 1 Peter 2:9
Have you ever been close to something but not able to retrieve it? Maybe a package is waiting for you at the post office, but you can’t get there to pick it up. Or maybe something is drifting away in the water, and you can’t reach it. So close—and yet so far.
Is that how you sometimes feel in relation to God? You believe and trust him, but when prayers seem to go unanswered, it can feel as if God has forgotten you.
When we feel that way, it is good to remember that Jesus is our great High Priest. Because of human sin and all the brokenness that comes with it, there is a huge divide between us and God. But Jesus stands as our priest, our mediator who bridges the gap between heaven and earth. He reconciles us with God and invites us to receive the gift of salvation and new life with God forever.
The beautiful assurance we have in Scripture is that God calls us to be priests as well. Priests in the Old Testament cared for God’s people by praying on their behalf and bringing God near to them. And now, because of Jesus, we can draw near to God as priests also.
I hope you experience this in worship today. As you pray and as you hear prayers in worship, you are drawing near to God.
The Bible says we are a royal priesthood. It’s a special calling as we pray and intercede for others.
Thank you, Lord, for calling us to be priests, for Jesus’ sake. Lead us to be faithful in prayer, seeking your will and interceding for others. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
