我最喜欢的一位牧师曾经警告说：“永远不要祈求耐心；你不会喜欢神教导你的方式。”大多数人都不太擅长等待，无论是等待食物上桌，等交通灯，还是等待测试结果出来。在我们这个快节奏的世界，等待通常是一种令人恼火的不方便。
当我还是小孩子的时候，我会热切盼望圣诞节的到来。十几岁时，我就盼着毕业，离开家。成人后，我经历过最漫长的几周，是等待被接受作为一个为期三年的临床试验对象，来治疗我的第二轮癌症时。我的命就指望它了。
当诗人写道“我的灵魂等候”（标准译本）时，或许你和我一样，能体会那种感受。他的内心和灵魂渴望从神那里得到一个讯号，一束在黑暗深处闪烁的亮光。他不断地呼求神，提醒自己神的良善和信实。
当有坏消息的可能性时，恐惧就会潜入我们的等待中——这会使情况变得令人无法忍受。我们要像诗篇的作者一样，定睛看神，祂是我们今生和永生的盼望。没有什么结果是神不能帮我们处理的。
亲爱的主，当我们处理那些恼人的小事，或改变人生的大事时，我们谨慎地向你祈求耐心。感谢你无限的仁慈。求你用你的话为我们注入不可动摇的盼望。阿们。
诗篇 130
1耶和华啊，我从深处向你求告。
2主啊，求你听我的声音！愿你侧耳听我恳求的声音！
3主耶和华啊，你若究察罪孽，谁能站得住呢？
4但在你有赦免之恩，要叫人敬畏你。
5我等候耶和华，我的心等候，我也仰望他的话。
6我的心等候主，胜于守夜的等候天亮，胜于守夜的等候天亮。
7以色列啊，你当仰望耶和华，因他有慈爱，有丰盛的救恩。
8他必救赎以色列脱离一切的罪孽。
"I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope." — Psalm 130:5
One of my favorite pastors used to warn, “Never pray for patience; you will not like how God teaches you.” Most people are not very good at waiting, whether it’s for food to be served, a traffic light to change, or test results to arrive. In our fast-paced world, waiting is usually an irritating inconvenience.
As a child, I eagerly anticipated Christmas. As a teen, I counted down to graduation and leaving the nest. As an adult, the longest weeks I ever experienced were those leading up to the announcement that I was accepted into a three-year clinical trial for treatment of my second bout with cancer. My life depended on it.
When the psalmist writes that his “whole being waits,” perhaps you—like me—can relate to that feeling. His heart and soul long for a sign from God, a flicker of light while hanging out in the depths of darkness. He wanders back and forth between calling out to God and reminding himself of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Fear creeps into our waiting when there’s a possibility of bad news—and that can make the situation feel unbearable. Like the psalmist, we must keep our eyes fixed on God, the source of hope for this life and forever. There is no outcome that God will not help us handle.
Dear Lord, we cautiously pray for patience as we deal with irritating little things and major, life-altering, fearful things. Thank you for your infinite mercy. Infuse us with unshakable hope in your Word. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
