如果你曾观察过母鸡和她的小鸡，你可能会注意到每当母鸡感觉到附近有危险时，她会大声地咯咯叫。小鸡们听到她的警告，如果它们相信这样做对自己有好处，就会跑向她寻求庇护。母鸡此时会俯身展开翅膀为小鸡腾出空间，但如果它们不回应她的邀请，它们就会面临危险。
当这个比喻被用来描述神和祂的子民时，显明两件事：神是性情稳定的、引导保护的，但人的反应有时是不可预测的、愚蠢偏执的。避难所随时都在，但我们也需要去寻找它、投靠它。
我们当中有多少人因为没有向天父寻求庇护而受苦？因为我们不去求主，我们承受了哪些无谓的痛苦？如果我们四处奔波，试图解决问题，又担心受到攻击，为什么我们还要反覆去做这些？无论生死，我们唯一可靠的保护就是神我们的救主。
耶稣渴望用祂的爱来保护神的子民，但是他们却不理睬祂的邀请。尽管如此，为了拯救我们，耶稣仍然在十字架上承受了仇敌所有的攻击——藉着祂的死和复活，我们才得着永生！
主耶稣，感谢你救赎了我们，使我们能靠你而活。求你教导我们向你寻求庇护，每天忠心为你而活。阿们。
马太福音 23:37-39
37“耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊！你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多次愿意聚集你的儿女，好像母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下，只是你们不愿意。
38看哪，你们的家成为荒场留给你们！
39我告诉你们：从今以后，你们不得再见我，直等到你们说：‘奉主名来的是应当称颂的！’”
"How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." - Matthew 23:37
If you have ever watched a hen with her chicks, you might have noticed that the hen will cluck loudly when she senses danger nearby. The chicks hear her warning, and if they know what's good for them, they run to her for cover. The hen will droop and spread her wings to make room for the chicks, but if they don't respond to her invitation, they will be exposed to danger.
Two things become apparent when this imagery is used to describe God and his people: God's character is steady and protective, but human responses are sometimes unpredictable and foolish. Refuge is always available, but we need to seek and go to it as well.
How many of us suffer because we haven't run to the Father for cover? What needless pain do we bear because we don't go to the Lord? If we are scurrying around, trying to fix things and worrying about getting attacked, why are we trying to do this on our own? Our only sure protection in life and in death is God our Savior.
Jesus longed to cover God's people with his protective love, but they wouldn't listen to his invitation. Even so, on the cross Jesus took the full brunt of the enemy's attack in order to save us—and through his death and resurrection we can have eternal life!
Lord Jesus, thank you for saving us so that we can live with you. Teach us to seek refuge in you and to live faithfully each day. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
