我写这篇文章的时候，正好听到一排白杨树在微风中哗哗作响。据说，一些原住民称这些树为 “吵闹的树”，因为它们的叶子在风中拍打的声音很大。
大卫学会了做一个有智慧的战士，因为他依靠主的指引，多次为神的百姓战胜仇敌。在今天的经文中，我们看到大卫表现出对神带领的完全信任。在参与战斗之前，大卫有两次问神他应该如何进行。在第一种情况下，神批准了大卫的请求。但在下一个情况下，神告诉大卫，要绕到敌人后头，然后等他听到“桑树梢上有脚步的声音”——那时他应该迅速行动，因为这意味着耶和华已经在前头攻打敌人。树上的声音很可能使敌人无法听到大卫和他的部下在后面绕行和前进。
今天我们也可以在神呼召我们做的一切事上祈求祂的指引。而在某些方面，像大卫一样，我们也需要寻找和聆听主作工的迹象。今天，有主的灵住在我们心中，我们可以相信祂正在引导我们活出他子民的形像，分享祂在基督里的救恩和赐下新生命的好消息。我们是否在寻找和聆听，好使我们能够跟随神的带领呢？
神的灵啊，我们需要你向我们显明，今天你在哪里作工。帮助我们专心顺服，相信你会一直带领我们。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
撒母耳记下 5:17-25
17非利士人听见人膏大卫做以色列王，非利士众人就上来寻索大卫。大卫听见，就下到保障。
18非利士人来了，布散在利乏音谷。
19大卫求问耶和华说：“我可以上去攻打非利士人吗？你将他们交在我手里吗？”耶和华说：“你可以上去，我必将非利士人交在你手里。”
20大卫来到巴力毗拉心，在那里击杀非利士人，说：“耶和华在我面前冲破敌人，如同水冲去一般。”因此称那地方为巴力毗拉心。
21非利士人将偶像撇在那里，大卫和跟随他的人拿去了。
22非利士人又上来，布散在利乏音谷。
23大卫求问耶和华，耶和华说：“不要一直地上去，要转到他们后头，从桑林对面攻打他们。
24你听见桑树梢上有脚步的声音，就要急速前去，因为那时耶和华已经在你前头去攻打非利士人的军队。”
25大卫就遵着耶和华所吩咐的去行，攻打非利士人，从迦巴直到基色。
"As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you. . . ." - 2 Samuel 5:23
As I write this, I hear a stand of quaking aspens clattering in the breeze. According to legend, some First Nations people referred to these as the "noisy trees" because of their leaves' loud fluttering in the wind.
David had learned to be a wise warrior because he relied on the Lord to guide him to many victories over the enemies of God's people. In our reading for today, we see that David shows complete trust in God to lead him. On two occasions before engaging in battle, David asks God how he should proceed. In the first situation, God gives David the go-ahead. But in the next situation, God tells David to circle around the enemy and then wait until he hears "the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees"—and then he should move quickly because that will mean the Lord has gone ahead to defeat the enemy. The sound in the trees may well have prevented the enemy from hearing David and his men circling around and advancing behind them.
Today too we can ask God for guidance in all that he calls us to do. And in some ways like David, we will need to look and listen for signs of the Lord's working. Today, with the Lord's Spirit living in our hearts, we can trust that he is guiding us to live as his people and to share his good news of salvation and new life in Christ. Are we looking and listening so that we can follow God's lead?
Spirit of God, we need you to show us where you are working today. Help us to be attentive and obedient, trusting that you will lead us always. In Jesus, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
