双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：10月23日 我们的父

10月23日

我们的父

但愿我们主耶稣基督，和那爱我们，开恩将永远的安慰，并美好的盼望，赐给我们的父神，安慰你们的心，并且在一切善行善言上，坚固你们。

帖撒罗尼迦后书2:16-17

当我们成为基督徒时，我们可以呼叫“我们的父”，因为凡接受基督的人就得到权柄做神的儿女（约翰福音1:12）。这样我们就可以把上帝看作我们的父。我们要信靠祂，并且在父与子的亲密陪伴中认识祂。我们可以亲身感受到祂对我们的爱和关心，因祂关心我们就像父亲关心他的孩子一样。

正如彼得·马歇尔曾经说过的：“上帝不会允许任何困难临到我们身上，除非祂有一个特别的计划，通过这个计划，我们可以在困难中得到巨大的祝福。”

正是经历了人生的苦难、考验和试炼，我们才能亲近上帝。A.B.辛普森曾经听到有个人说了一句令他终身难忘的话：“当上帝试炼你的时候，这对你来说是个好机会，可以证实祂的应许得到应验，并向祂索取你在试炼中的一切所需。”

应对试炼有两种方式。一种是试图摆脱试炼，当试炼过后心存感恩。另一种是将试炼视为来自上帝的挑战，叫我们得到比以往更大的祝福。

今日祷告：

父啊，无论我的境况如何，都以祢为乐。教导我们这些跟随祢的人心存感恩。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

October 23

OUR FATHER

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.2 Thessalonians 2:16-17,NIV

When we become Christians we can say,“Our Father,”for those who receive Christ have the right to become children of God(John 1:12).So then we can look to God as our Father.We are to put our trust in Him and come to know Him in the close,intimate companionship of father and child.We can have a personal sense of His love for us and His interest in us,for He is concerned about us as father is concerned for his children.

As Peter Marshall once put it,“God will not permit any troubles to come upon us,unless he has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.”

It is through the suffering,the tests and trials of life,that we can draw near to God.A.B.Simpson once heard a man say something he never forgot:“When God tests you,it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof,and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary.”

There are two ways of getting out of a trial.One is to simply try to get rid of the trial,and be thankful when it is over.The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had.

Pray for the Day:

Father,regardless of my circumstances,I rejoice in You.Teach us as Your followers to be thankful,in Jesus’Name,Amen.