我们教会的一位姐妹正在苦苦挣扎。她的父亲刚刚过世了。紧接着，葬礼两天后，她的母亲中风被送去医院。这位姐妹含着眼泪对我们说：“我很难过，也很生气。这太不公平了。”她对神生气，因为她感觉神太不公平了。在她看来，神似乎并不在意她。
生活中的许多事都会让我们感到沮丧，有时我们会对神愤怒。有些时候，神似乎对爱祂敬拜祂的人不够关心。而且，令人奇怪的是，神似乎更关心那些不想和祂有任何关系的人。有时候他们甚至嘲笑基督徒说：“你们的神在哪里呢？”而说这话的人可能更富有，也更成功。
为什么数以百万计的人生活在贫困中，而有些人却有用不完的钱？为什么有些人受逼迫，另一些人却很自由？
这些问题并没有一个简单的答案。同时诗人提醒我们要“仰望神”。神藉着先知以赛亚温柔地说，祂的意念高过我们的意念，祂的道路高过我们的道路（赛 55:8）。在这段时间，神也让我们的眼光转向伯利恒的婴孩，确信无论处境如何，主是顾念我们的。
主，我们的神，有许多事我们不明白为何发生。请帮助我们相信，你的旨意和道路总是好的。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
诗篇 42
1神啊，我的心切慕你，如鹿切慕溪水。
2我的心渴想神，就是永生神，我几时得朝见神呢？
3我昼夜以眼泪当饮食，人不住地对我说：“你的神在哪里呢？”
4我从前与众人同往，用欢呼称赞的声音，领他们到神的殿里，大家守节。我追想这些事，我的心极其悲伤。
5我的心哪，你为何忧闷？为何在我里面烦躁？应当仰望神，因他笑脸帮助我，我还要称赞他。
6我的神啊，我的心在我里面忧闷，所以我从约旦地，从黑门岭，从米萨山，记念你。
7你的瀑布发声，深渊就与深渊响应，你的波浪洪涛漫过我身。
8白昼，耶和华必向我施慈爱；黑夜，我要歌颂、祷告赐我生命的神。
9我要对神我的磐石说：“你为何忘记我呢？我为何因仇敌的欺压时常哀痛呢？”
10我的敌人辱骂我，好像打碎我的骨头，不住地对我说：“你的神在哪里呢？”
11我的心哪，你为何忧闷？为何在我里面烦躁？应当仰望神，因我还要称赞他，他是我脸上的光荣，是我的神。
"I say to God my Rock, 'Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning . . . ?'" - Psalm 42:9
A woman in our church community was struggling. Her father had died. And then, just two days after the funeral, her mother had a stroke and was taken to the hospital. With tears in her eyes, the woman said to us, “I am sad, and I am angry. It’s so unfair.” She was angry with God because she felt he was unfair. It seemed to her that God didn’t care.
So many things in life can make us frustrated and sometimes angry with God. At times it can seem that God doesn’t care enough for his people who love and worship him. And then, oddly, it can also seem that God cares more for people who don’t want anything to do with him. Sometimes they even mock believers and say, “Where is your God?”—and yet they might enjoy great wealth and prosperity.
Why is it that millions of people live in poverty, while others have more money than they can use? Why is there persecution for some and freedom for others?
There are no easy answers to these questions. Meanwhile, the psalmist reminds us to “put [our] hope in God.” And through the prophet Isaiah God gently says that his thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). In this season, God also asks us to turn to the child born in Bethlehem to be assured that the Lord cares for us, no matter what.
Lord, our God, so many things happen that we do not understand. Help us to trust that your will and your way are always good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
