树的希望

我是在阿尔伯塔省中部的一个农场长大的，那里的杨树、白杨树和桦树都栽在田地边上。虽然有一些大树，但它们的生长需要很长的时间，非本地树木必须精心照顾才能茁壮成长。

一年前的冬天，气温迅速降到零下35℃（华氏零下31度）以下，部份树木受损。然而，我的父母并没有在春天直接砍掉这些看似枯死的树木，而是希望这些树木能够恢复。而到了夏季中旬，许多受损的树木在树干底部周围果然长出了新的树苗。

当约伯处于最低谷的时候--在失去了家庭、家园和生活之后，他没有得到朋友的支持，他把树木看成是坚韧的标志。他感叹“人死亡而消灭”，但他说，“树木至少还有希望”。那时候，约伯无法摆脱悲伤。但一段时间后，他提出了一个明确的信仰声明：“我知道我的救赎主活着, 末了必站立在地上。”

接着，约伯呼应了树干死在土中，及至得了水气，还要长出枝条的想法，他说：“我这皮肉灭绝之后，我必在肉体之外得见神. . .我的心肠在我里面消灭了！”

我们的天父，请在我们内心深处埋下深深的盼望，有一天，即使我们的肉体已经衰残，但因着耶稣的复活，我们也会在肉体之外得见你。奉你的名祷告。阿们。

1“人为妇人所生，日子短少，多有患难。
2出来如花，又被割下，飞去如影，不能存留。
3这样的人，你岂睁眼看他吗？又叫我来受审吗？
4谁能使洁净之物出于污秽之中呢？无论谁也不能。
5人的日子既然限定，他的月数在你那里，你也派定他的界限，使他不能越过，
6便求你转眼不看他，使他得歇息，直等他像雇工人完毕他的日子。
7“树若被砍下，还可指望发芽，嫩枝生长不息。
8其根虽然衰老在地里，干也死在土中，
9及至得了水气，还要发芽，又长枝条，像新栽的树一样。
10但人死亡而消灭，他气绝，竟在何处呢？
11海中的水绝尽，江河消散干涸。
12人也是如此，躺下不再起来，等到天没有了，仍不得复醒，也不得从睡中唤醒。
25我知道我的救赎主活着，末了必站立在地上。
26我这皮肉灭绝之后，我必在肉体之外得见神。
27我自己要见他，亲眼要看他，并不像外人。我的心肠在我里面消灭了！

Hope For A Tree

"At least there is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail." - Job 14:7

英语音频 English Audio

I grew up on a farm in Central Alberta, where poplars, aspens, and birch trees grow along the edges of fields. While there are some big trees, it takes a long time for them to grow, and non-native trees have to be cared for meticulously in order to thrive.

A year ago last winter, temperatures quickly dropped below -35C (-31F) and damaged some of the trees. However, rather than simply cutting down what looked like dead trees in the spring, my parents were hopeful that the trees might recover. And by the middle of summer, many of the damaged trees had new saplings growing around the base of the trunk.

When Job was at his lowest point—after losing his family, his home, and his livelihood— and he wasn't receiving support from his friends, he looked to trees as a sign of resilience. He lamented that "a man dies and is laid low," but he noted, "At least there is hope for a tree." At that point, Job couldn't see past his sorrow. But awhile later he summoned up a clear statement of faith: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth."

Job then echoed the idea of a stump dying in the soil and yet putting out shoots at the scent of water as he said, "And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. . . . How my heart yearns within me!"

Prayer

God our Father, summon deep hope in us that one day, even after our flesh has failed, that because of Jesus' resurrection, we too, in our flesh, will see you. In your name we pray. Amen.