双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：12月12日 悔改的心

12月12日

悔改的心

我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。

约翰一书1:9

有一个广为人知的故事，讲的是一些苏格兰人一整天都在钓鱼。那天晚上，他们在一家小旅馆里喝茶。就在其中一位渔夫伸出双手，以一个特有的手势来描述那条逃脱之鱼的大小时，个子娇小的女服务员正准备给他上茶，那个渔夫挥动的手正好撞到茶杯，茶水一下溅到了白色的墙上。立刻，墙上出现了难看的棕色污渍。那渔夫非常尴尬，连连道歉；但另一位客人跳了起来说：“没关系。”他从口袋里掏出一支笔，开始在难看的棕色污渍周围构画。很快地，一幅华丽的雄鹿展角的画跃然墙上。这位画家就是埃德温·兰西尔爵士，英国最著名的动物画家。

这故事总是向我完美地诠释了这样一个事实：如果我们向上帝承认的不是我们的罪，而是我们的错，祂就能从这些错误中叫我们得益处，并使祂得荣耀。不知为什么，向神承认我们的错误和愚昧比向神承认我们的罪更难。错误和愚昧看起来如此愚蠢，而罪似乎或多或少是我们人性的显露。但罗马书8:28告诉我们，如果他们把这些事情交托上帝，祂就会创造条件“叫爱神的人得益处，就是按祂旨意被召的人”。

当你烤蛋糕时，要放入面粉、发酵粉、苏打、苦巧克力、起酥油等，这些食物本身没一样好吃，但把它们揉在一起就能做出美味的蛋糕来。同样，我们的罪和错本身并不好，但我们若以诚实、单纯的信心把它们交托主，祂就会照自己的方式、照自己的时间，使它们互相效力，叫我们得益处，并荣耀祂。

今日祷告：

天父，我犯罪得罪了祢，求祢饶恕我；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

December 12

CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

If we confess our sins,he is faithful and just,and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9,RSV

There is a well-known story of some men in Scotland who had spent the day fishing.That evening they were having tea in a little inn.One of the fishermen,in a characteristic gesture to describe the size of the fish that got away,flung out his hands just as the little waitress was getting ready to set the cup of tea at his place.The hand and the teacup collided,dashing the tea against the white-washed walls.Immediately an ugly brown stain began to spread over the wall.The man who did it was very embarrassed and apologized profusely,but one of the other guests jumped up and said,“Never mind.”Pulling a pen from his pocket,he began to sketch around the ugly brown stain.Soon there emerged a picture of a magnificent royal stag with his antlers spread.That artist was Sir Edwin Landseer,England’s foremost painter of animals.

This story has always beautifully illustrated to me the fact that if we confess not our sins but our mistakes to God,He can make out of them something for our good and for His glory.Somehow it’s harder to commit our mistakes and stupidities to God than it is our sins.Mistakes and stupidities seem so dumb,whereas sin seems more or less to be an outcropping of our human nature.But Romans 8:28 tells us that if they are committed to God He can make circumstances work“for good with these who love Him,who are called according to His purpose.

When you bake a cake,you put in raw flour,baking powder,soda,bitter chocolate,shortening,etc.,none of which taste very good by themselves,but which work together to make a delicious cake.And so with our sins and our mistakes-although they are not good by themselves,if we commit them in honest,simple faith to the Lord,He will work them out His own way and in His own time make something of them for our good and His glory.

Pray for the Day:

Father,I have sinned against You.Forgive me,in Jesus’Name,Amen.