睡不着觉

“那夜王睡不着觉，就吩咐人取历史来，念给他听。” - 斯 6:1

和许多人一样，有时我会睡不着觉。当我睡不着时，我往往会用中文由1,000开始倒数，希望在还没有数到yi（即中文“1”）时，我便睡着了。这样做通常有效，但如果行不通，我便索性起来，到冰箱找点东西吃。

某天晚上，波斯王亚哈随鲁睡不着觉，他就吩咐仆人把他作王期间的历史记录念给他听。王发现了有一个被放逐到他统治之地的犹大人末底改，这人曾救了王的性命但却没有得到任何奖赏。王于是下令举国尊荣末底改。当继续读这个故事时，我们发现王那个睡不着的晚上，其实在拯救犹大人脱离灭族的事上扮演了重要的角色（以斯帖记 2:19-8:14）。在这里，我们可以看到神在幕后作工，来保护衪的子民。邪恶的势力列阵对抗犹大人，然而神却使用衪被掳的卑微仆人，来打动王的心和拯救衪的子民不致被消灭。神使用亚哈随鲁、末底改、和以斯帖，以“现今的机会”（4:14）来履行衪的应许。

就是在我们睡不着的时刻，我们仍然可以确信神必定会作工，来履行衪的应许的。我们仍然可以确信衪对我们的慈爱和看顾。

當我們睡不著時，主啊，求你幫助我們轉向你、信靠你確實和永遠不變的慈愛，並且在裏面安息。阿們。

1那夜王睡不着觉，就吩咐人取历史来念给他听。
2正遇见书上写着说：王的太监中有两个守门的辟探和提列想要下手害亚哈随鲁王，末底改将这事告诉王后。
3王说：“末底改行了这事，赐他什么尊荣爵位没有？”伺候王的臣仆回答说：“没有赐他什么。”
4王说：“谁在院子里？”那时哈曼正进王宫的外院，要求王将末底改挂在他所预备的木架上。
5臣仆说：“哈曼站在院内。”王说：“叫他进来。”
6哈曼就进去。王问他说：“王所喜悦尊荣的人，当如何待他呢？”哈曼心里说：“王所喜悦尊荣的，不是我是谁呢？”
7哈曼就回答说：“王所喜悦尊荣的人，
8当将王常穿的朝服和戴冠的御马，
9都交给王极尊贵的一个大臣，命他将衣服给王所喜悦尊荣的人穿上，使他骑上马，走遍城里的街市，在他面前宣告说：‘王所喜悦尊荣的人，就如此待他。’”
10王对哈曼说：“你速速将这衣服和马，照你所说的，向坐在朝门的犹大人末底改去行。凡你所说的一样不可缺。”
11于是哈曼将朝服给末底改穿上，使他骑上马，走遍城里的街市，在他面前宣告说：“王所喜悦尊荣的人，就如此待他。”

Trouble Falling Asleep

"That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him." - Esther 6:1

英语音频 English Audio

Like many people, I occasionally have trouble falling asleep. When that happens, I often start counting backwards in Chinese from a thousand, hoping to fall asleep before reaching yi ("one"). That usually works, but if it doesn't, I eventually get up and rummage through the fridge for something to eat.

King Xerxes of Persia had insomnia one night, so he called to his servants to read to him from the record of his reign. The king discovered that Mordecai, an exiled Jew living under his rule, had saved the king's life without being rewarded. So the king ordered that Mordecai be honored throughout his kingdom. As we read more of this story, we discover that the king's sleepless night plays a key role in the deliverance of the Jews from being annihilated (Esther 2:19-8:14).

Here we can see God working behind the scenes to protect his people. Evil forces were arrayed against the Jews, but God used his captive, humble servants to touch the king's heart and turn destruction away from his people. God uses Xerxes, Mordecai, and Esther to keep his promises "for such a time as this" (4:14).

Even in our moments of sleeplessness we can be assured that God is always working to keep his promises. We can always be assured of his love and care.

Prayer

In our times of sleeplessness, Lord, help us to turn to you, trusting and resting in your sure and unfailing love. Amen.