不久前，一所公立大学的牧师听到一位管理人员说：“我无意冒犯您，但我认为每个相信上帝的人都有精神健康问题。上帝在像大学这样的科学机构里是没有位置的。”
那位管理人员不是个例外。一家教会杂志的文章曾报导，在德国大学的一群神学生相信，“上帝和教会在当代都无关紧要”。尽管他们是路德改革宗教会的受洗成员，但他们已经感觉上帝无关紧要了。
我认识的一些人有着同样的困惑：即使上帝存在，但祂离我们太远了，已经不再重要。
大约在2700年前，在耶路撒冷和犹大属神的百姓也有过同样的感受。他们许多人被放逐，似乎主已经弃绝他们。但神透过祂的先知以赛亚提醒他们，神每一步都与他们同在。无论别人怎么想，神都在这里，祂也仍在我们现今这个世界工作。
以赛亚先知之后大约700年，神藉着祂儿子，主耶稣的降生，证实了祂的同在。信息本圣经这样说，祂“成了我们的邻居”（约1:14，信息本圣经）。任何一刻也不要以神为无关紧要。神此刻就在这里！
天父啊，感谢你藉着主耶稣的到来显明你的同在。求你开启我们的心，接受祂作为我们的救主。阿们。
以赛亚书 40:1-11
1你们的神说：“你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓！
2要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向她宣告说，她争战的日子已满了，她的罪孽赦免了，她为自己的一切罪从耶和华手中加倍受罚。”
3有人声喊着说：“在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道！
4一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平，高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。
5耶和华的荣耀必然显现，凡有血气的必一同看见，因为这是耶和华亲口说的。”
6有人声说：“你喊叫吧！”有一个说：“我喊叫什么呢？”说：“凡有血气的尽都如草，他的美容都像野地的花。
7草必枯干，花必凋残，因为耶和华的气吹在其上——百姓诚然是草！
8草必枯干，花必凋残，唯有我们神的话必永远立定。”
9报好信息给锡安的啊，你要登高山！报好信息给耶路撒冷的啊，你要极力扬声！扬声不要惧怕，对犹大的城邑说：“看哪，你们的神！”
10主耶和华必像大能者临到，他的膀臂必为他掌权。他的赏赐在他那里，他的报应在他面前。
11他必像牧人牧养自己的羊群，用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在怀中，慢慢引导那乳养小羊的。
"Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'" - Isaiah 40:9
Some time ago a chaplain at a public university heard one of the administrators saying, “No offense, but I think anyone who believes in God has a mental health problem. God has no place in a scientific institution such as a university.”
That administrator is not alone. An article in a church magazine reported that a group of students who were studying theology at a German university were convinced that “neither God nor the church were of much relevance today.” Even though they were baptized members of Lutheran and Reformed churches, they felt that God had become irrelevant.
Some of the people I know have come to the same conclusion: If there is a God, he is far away and no longer matters.
About 2,700 years ago God’s people in Jerusalem and Judah felt the same way. Many of their people had been taken into exile, and it seemed that the Lord had abandoned them. But God told his prophet Isaiah to remind them that he was with them every step of the way. Regardless of what anyone might think, God is here, and he is at work in our world still today.
Some 700 years after Isaiah spoke, God proved his presence through the birth of his Son, the Lord Jesus. He “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). Don’t think for a moment that God has become irrelevant. Our God is here!
Father in heaven, thank you for showing your presence through the coming of our Lord Jesus. Open our hearts to receive him as our Savior. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
