双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：2月20日 喜乐为力

2月20日

喜乐为力

你们不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。」”

尼希米记8:10

上帝的力量和我们人所认为的力量正好相反。主对使徒保罗说：「我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。」保罗学习了这个功课，于是他可以说：“我为基督的缘故，就以软弱、凌辱、急难、逼迫、困苦为可喜乐的；因我什么时候软弱，什么时候就刚强了。”（哥林多后书12:9-10）

的确，上帝的力量在人的软弱上得以完全。否则，那就不是上帝的力量，也不是祂的荣耀。这就是为什么在整个旧约中，上帝总是要以色列领袖减少军队的规模。或者祂提前告诉他们征战的时间和地点，哪一方会赢。上帝要人信靠祂，而不是靠军备或者人自己的力量。在我们的生命中，上帝要我们在灵里破碎，如此，祂就使我们在破碎之处更加刚强。

人类喜欢把安全的希望寄托在导弹和军队上，但是现在世界上的核武器和拥有武器的人比历史上任何时候都多。所有这些武器和军队给人类带来了更多安全吗？没有。相反的，它们带给人更少的安全感，因为人依然不相信上帝。

先知以赛亚说，“但那等候耶和华的必从新得力。他们必如鹰展翅上腾；他们奔跑却不困倦，行走却不疲乏。”（以赛亚书40:31）这就是上帝要给我们的力量，只要我们求告祂。你有没有这种力量？只要向他祈求，你就可以拥有。

今日祷告：

天父，求你给我这种力量，让我无论在怎样的试炼和环境中，都愿意顺服祢。我祈求让你的喜乐成为我的力量。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

February 20

STRENGTH AND WEAKENESS

…The joy of the Lord is your strength.Nehemiah 8:10 RSV

God’s idea of strength and man’s idea of strength are opposite one another.

The Lord told Paul,“My strength is made perfect in weakness”(2 Corinthians 12:9).Having learned this lesson,Paul can then say,“When I am weak,then am I strong”(2 Corinthians 12:10)

It is true that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.Otherwise,it would not be God’s strength,nor would He get the glory.That is why throughout the Old Testament God ordered the leaders of Israel to reduce the size of their armies or He announced in advance the time and place of conflict and which side was going to win.God wanted the faith of man to be placed in Him and not in human armaments or physical strength.In our own lives,God wants us to be broken in spirit so that He can make us strong at the broken places.

Man likes to place his security in missiles and armies,but the world now has more nuclear weapons and more men under arms than ever before in history.Have all of these weapons,all of these armies brought more security to humanity?On the contrary,they have brought less security because man will still not trust in God.

Isaiah said,“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount up with wings as eagles;they shall run,and not be weary;and they shall walk,and not faint”(40:31).This is the kind of strength God is prepared to give us if we will only ask Him for it.

Do you have this strength?You can have it.Just ask!

Pray for the Day:

Father,I ask You,give me this strength.Give me the strength to obey You in the face of any trial,any situation.I pray that the joy of You will be my strength;in Jesus’Name,Amen.