双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：9月28日 超越的爱

9月28日

超越的爱

使基督因你们的信，住在你们心里，叫你们的爱心，有根有基，……并知道这爱是过于人所能测度的，便叫神一切所充满的，充满了你们。

以弗所书3:17-19

神爱的背后蕴含着祂的全知，就是祂“知道并了解一切”的能力，全知是神独有的特性。神有无限的知识和独特的意识。在任何时候，即使在任何苦难中，我都能意识到祂知道、祂爱、祂关注了解，更重要的是，祂有个目的。

我小时候在南方长大，对海洋的认识如此有限，以至于第一次看到大西洋时，我无法了解有哪一个湖竟会如此巨大！海洋的浩瀚只有亲眼看到才能理解，神的爱也是如此，它超越知识，除非你真正体验到，否则没人能描述它的奇妙。

有个很好的例子，是我妻子讲给我听的一个故事：有个中国小男孩见到一个人在卖樱桃；当他看到这种水果时，眼里充满了渴望，但他没钱买樱桃。

好心的卖家问男孩：“你想要樱桃吗？”小男孩说是的。

卖家说：“把你的手伸出来。”但小男孩没伸手。卖家又说：“伸过你的手来！”小男孩还是没伸手。好心的卖家弯腰拉过孩子的手，捧了两把樱桃给他。

后来，小男孩的奶奶听说了这件事，问道：“他让你伸出手的时候，你为什么不呢？”小男孩回答说：“他的手比我的大！”

上帝的双手也比我们的大！

今日祷告：

天父，求祢帮助我们认识祢大爱的广阔和荣耀，用这样的爱去爱别人，也以那样的爱去爱祢；奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

September 28

THE LOVE THAT PASSES KNOWLEDGE

…That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;that you,being rooted and grounded in love,may…know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.Ephesians 3:17-19,RSV

Behind the love of God lies His omniscience-His ability to“know and understand all.”Omniscience is that quality of God which is His alone.God possesses infinite knowledge and an awareness which is uniquely His.At all times,even in the midst of any type of suffering,I can realize that He knows,loves,watches,understands,and more than that,He has a purpose.

As a boy I grew up in the South.My idea of the ocean was so small that the first time I saw the Atlantic I couldn’t comprehend that any little lake could be so big!The vastness of the ocean cannot be understood until it is seen.This is the same with God’s love.It passes knowledge.Until you actually experience it,no one can describe its wonders to you.

A good illustration of this is a story my wife told me about a little boy in China who saw a man selling cherries;and when he saw the fruit,his eyes filled with longing.But he had no money with which to buy cherries.

The kindly seller asked the boy,“Do you want some cherries?”And the little boy said that he did.

The seller said,“Hold out your hands.”But the little boy didn’t hold out his hands.The seller said again,“Hold out your hands,”but again the little boy would not.The kind seller reached down,took the child’s hands,and filled them with two handfuls of cherries.

Later,the boy’s grandmother heard of the incident and asked,“Why didn’t you hold out your hands when he asked you to?”And the little boy answered,“His hands are bigger than mine!”

God’s hands,also,are bigger than ours!

Pray for the Day:

Father,help us to realize the vastness and the glory of Your great love,and to love others with such a love,and to love You with that love;in Jesus’Name,Amen.