天梯
雅各到达伯特利的时候，他是个疲惫的年轻人。虽说他从父亲那里继承了立约的祝福：神必与他同在，使他的名为大，万国也因他而得福（参创 12:1-3；28:3-4）。但那天晚上入睡前，他孤身一人，毫无名誉——几乎不能祝福任何人，更不用说全地的人了。
然而那天晚上，雅各在梦中惊奇地遇见了神，神为他预备的远超过他所理解的。经文告诉我们，这发生在“一个地方”，所以这不是想像或梦中的地方。在地球上这个普通的地方，雅各看见一个从地上到天上的梯子，一条通向神的通道。神向雅各保证，祂所有立约的应许都会实现。
神是否在一个普通的，意想不到的地方遇见过你？有时我们也像雅各一样，以为我们需要拚命工作，感觉自己更圣洁，或冲进天堂去抓住神的应许。我们会像雅各一样，发现自己的努力只会带来破碎和孤独。
但神提醒我们，我们无需建造去天堂的梯子。在耶稣里，祂已经为破碎的人搭建了一条路回转向祂（参约 1:51）。今天，你愿意让神以恩典使你惊奇吗？
天上的神，你赐给我们何等的应许！今天，帮助我们看见你给罪人，包括给我们的恩典。领我们到基督里，惟有祂为我们开启了天堂之门。阿们。
创世记 28:10-22
10雅各出了别是巴，向哈兰走去。
11到了一个地方，因为太阳落了，就在那里住宿，便拾起那地方的一块石头枕在头下，在那里躺卧睡了。
12梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上上去下来。
13耶和华站在梯子以上，说：“我是耶和华你祖亚伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神，我要将你现在所躺卧之地赐给你和你的后裔。
14你的后裔必像地上的尘沙那样多，必向东西南北开展。地上万族必因你和你的后裔得福。
15我也与你同在，你无论往哪里去，我必保佑你，领你归回这地，总不离弃你，直到我成全了向你所应许的。”
16雅各睡醒了，说：“耶和华真在这里，我竟不知道！”
17就惧怕，说：“这地方何等可畏！这不是别的，乃是神的殿，也是天的门。”
18雅各清早起来，把所枕的石头立做柱子，浇油在上面。
19他就给那地方起名叫伯特利，但那地方起先名叫路斯。
20雅各许愿说：“神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃、衣服穿，
21使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神，
22我所立为柱子的石头也必做神的殿。凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你。”
A Stairway To Heaven
"Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." - Genesis 28:16
When Jacob arrives at Bethel, he is a broken young man. Supposedly he has inherited the covenant blessings from his father: the promise that God will be with him, give him a great name, and make him a blessing to all nations (see Genesis 12:1-3; 28:3-4). But as he goes to sleep that night, he is alone and discredited—hardly a candidate to bless anyone, much less all peoples on earth.
But that night, in his dreams, Jacob catches a surprising glimpse of the God who has far more in store for him than he has ever understood. The text points out that this occurred in "a certain place," so this was not some imaginary or dreamed-up location. And here, in this ordinary place on the earth, Jacob sees a stairway reaching from earth to heaven, an open passageway to God. And God assures Jacob that all of his covenant promises will be fulfilled.
Has God ever met you in an ordinary, unexpected place? Sometimes we, like Jacob, imagine that we need to work harder, feel more holy, or storm heaven to seize God's promises. And, like Jacob, we find that our efforts leave us broken and alone.
But God reminds us that we don't need to build a stairway to get to heaven. In Jesus, he has constructed a way for broken people to return to him (see John 1:51). Will you let God surprise you with his grace today?
God of heaven, what a great promise you give us! Help us today to see your grace to sinners, including us. Bring us to Jesus, who alone opens the gates of heaven to us. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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