我们行走生命之路时,走得快慢并不重要,重要的是我们要走向何方。我们的目标是跟随呼召和带领我们的主,其焦点就是按着神的旨意过生活、把我们的未来交托给衪,而不是按着我们自己的人生规划拼搏进取,渡过人生每一天。
神呼召亚伯拉罕踏上一条信心之旅,他走过千百里路,花费人生百年的时间。亚伯拉罕在175岁时离世,他和妻子撒拉都葬在同一个墓地。在这条生命路上,尽管亚伯拉罕并不总是凭信心行事,然而神一直信实地带领看顾着他。亚伯拉罕最终明白,他可以把他的一生完全交托给神。凭着信,他越来越笃定地相信神必定会持守衪的应许。
在接近生命尾声,回顾过去时,很多人都会感到懊悔和遗憾,而不是满有成就感和喜乐,这两种感受都可以在亚伯拉罕身上找到。当他回顾他过去的漫长年日时,因着神的缘故,他最终都能够感恩、快乐、满足。亚伯拉罕成为一个深信神的人,他明白了他可以全然靠主;他已经见到不可思议的拯救和应许的实现;他发现真正令人兴奋的生命就是跟从神呼召前行的生命。
惟愿我们也跟从神的呼召去完成这场信心的赛跑,并且最终能够见到神的应许实现的日子。
主啊,在这条信心之旅上,求你永远作我们的领导者。惟愿我们自己来信靠你,又与我们周围的人分享我们对你的信心历程。阿们。
创世记 25:1-11
1亚伯拉罕又娶了一妻,名叫基土拉。
2基土拉给他生了心兰、约珊、米但、米甸、伊施巴和书亚。
3约珊生了示巴和底但,底但的子孙是亚书利族、利都是族和利乌米族。
4米甸的儿子是以法、以弗、哈诺、亚比大和以勒大。这都是基土拉的子孙。
5亚伯拉罕将一切所有的都给了以撒。
6亚伯拉罕把财物分给他庶出的众子,趁着自己还在世的时候,打发他们离开他的儿子以撒往东方去。
7亚伯拉罕一生的年日是一百七十五岁。
8亚伯拉罕寿高年迈,气绝而死,归到他列祖那里。
9他两个儿子以撒、以实玛利把他埋葬在麦比拉洞里。这洞在幔利前,赫人琐辖的儿子以弗仑的田中,
10就是亚伯拉罕向赫人买的那块田。亚伯拉罕和他妻子撒拉都葬在那里。
11亚伯拉罕死了以后,神赐福给他的儿子以撒。以撒靠近庇耳拉海莱居住。
"Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people." - Genesis 25:8
It's not how fast we run the journey of life that counts, but how we run it. The object is to follow the Lord, who calls and leads us. The point is to live God's way, trusting him with our destiny rather than charging ahead and doing life our own way.
God called Abraham on a journey of faith that took him many hundreds of miles and lasted throughout his many years. Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried with his wife Sarah. Though Abraham hadn't always acted faithfully on this journey, God was always his faithful guide. Abraham eventually learned that he could trust God with everything in his life. In faith, he grew to trust that he could always depend on God to keep his promises.
Many people come to the end of their life and look back with regret and remorse rather than fulfillment and joy. Abraham had his share of both. Ultimately, because of God, he could look back over his many years and be grateful, joyful, and satisfied. Abraham had become a believer in God. He had learned that God can be trusted fully. He had seen promises fulfilled and amazing deliverances. He had discovered that the real adventure of life is in following God's call.
May we, too, run the race of faith as God calls us and, in the end, enjoy the fulfillment of God's promises.
Lord, be our ever-true guide on this journey of faith. May we trust in you and find ways to share this faith with the people around us. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳