Sunday, 6 September 2020
Title: How to live a satisfied life?
By Elder Yu Chin Shie

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Some years ago, Oprah Winfrey appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and they exchanged favorite bible verses. Oprah chose Psalm 37:4 : “ Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

It is no surprise many would have chosen Psalm 37:4 as their favorite bible verse. Who wouldn’t like to have the Lord grant them the desires of their heart?

Oprah’s interpretation of Psalm 37:4 was not in line with scripture which prompted one person from the audience to seek the true meaning of the verse from John Piper, the well known pastor, author, speaker and founder of desiringGod.org.

I am not here to share how John Piper expounded on this verse but rather my experience and thought on this verse.

Surprisingly, Psalm 37:4 is not one of my favorite bible verses. However, the Lord has used this verse to minister to me in a deep and profound way more than 40 years ago when I had just graduated from Melbourne University with a Commerce degree and had wanted to stay back to work for a couple of years before I return home. I had presumed God would surely grant my desire as I could serve in the leadership of OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship) Melbourne and at the same time gain some work experience before I eventually return home for good. At that time graduates were allowed 3 months after graduation to get a job, failing which they have to return home. With one month left to go and without a job, I was desperate and resorted to enrolling for a short post graduate course in another university so as to provide me more time to get a job. Shortly after my enrollment, I was told I couldn’t remain in the country unless I have a job at hand. To my shame, I realised I was not prepared to be where the Lord wanted me, such as going home when I was least prepared.

It was at that time when I was having my quiet time that God spoke to me from Psalm 37:4. It was like a thunderbolt and I felt so ashamed of myself. I asked for God’s forgiveness. I then totally surrendered my life to Him and resolved to go home within the next 3 weeks should I not able to secure a job. After I made that decision, I felt so relieved, like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I experienced the peace and joy which had eluded me earlier.

To cut the story short, God did something amazing after my full surrender to His will for my life. Within the next two weeks, a head hunter with whom I found favour arranged 3 interviews for me. I got a job with a multinational company just before the time was up.

My last two years in Melbourne spent working was like God granting the desires of my heart. I had often looked back and thanked the Lord for the precious experiences. I became the Chairman of Melbourne OCF and was actively involved in evangelism and disciple making. I had grown in the Lord and seen lives being transformed. Glory be to our Lord! One of the students in my discipleship group is Calvin Ma from Hong Kong, who graduated as a doctor. He served God as a pastor in Swanston Street Church of Christ, Melbourne before serving in OMF (Overseas Mission Fellowship ) as Australia National Director and later as International Regional Director.

What have I learned from Psalm 37:4?

To delight in the Lord means to trust Him completely and to desire what He desires, to love what He loves and to do what He has purposed for my life. It also requires us to submit to His will in whatever situation we are in, acknowledging He is sovereign and He works out everything for good to those who love Him.

To quote John Piper,
“I think delighting yourself in the Lord is what shapes the desires of your heart so that it will be good for you for God to grant them. When we enjoy God, not just the gifts, but God Himself, then the desires of our heart are shaped, are defined and created, in accord with our delight in Him. “

Prayer:

O God our Heavenly Father, we confess that often we do not delight in you but rather on things of the world. Please forgive us and cleanse our hearts so that our desires are aligned to your perfect will for us. Help us to submit our ways to you and take delight in You who alone give us the desires of our heart.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期日，2020年9月6日
标题：如何过满意的生活？
作者：余清熹长老 
翻译：杨惠光弟兄

诗篇37：4 又要以耶和华为乐，他就将你心里所求的赐给你。

几年前，奥普拉·温弗瑞（Oprah Winfrey）到《史斯蒂芬·科尔伯特晚间秀》做客，他们俩互相交换喜欢的圣经经文。奥普拉选择了诗篇37：4：“又要以耶和华为乐，他就将你心里所求的赐给你。”

难怪许多人会选择诗篇37：4作为他们最喜欢的圣经经文。谁不想让主赐予他们内心的渴望？

奥普拉对诗篇37：4的解释与经文不一致，这促使听众中的一个人向约翰·派珀（John Piper）寻求诗篇的真实含义，约翰·派珀是desiringGod.org的著名牧师、作家、演讲者和创始人。

我不是在这里分享约翰·派珀如何解释这节经文，而是表达我的经验和对这节经文的思考。

令人惊讶的是，诗篇37：4并不是我最喜欢的圣经经文之一。但是，四十多年前，当我刚从墨尔本大学获得商学学位，并且想在我回国前留下来工作几年，上帝就用这节经文深刻地教导我。我以为上帝可以应允我的愿望，因为我可以担任OCF（海外基督徒团契）墨尔本的领导，并在我最终永久归国之前获得一些工作经验。当时，毕业生被允许在毕业后三个月内找到工作，否则必须返回家园。剩下一个月的时间，又没有工作，我感到绝望，不得不求助于另一所大学的短期研究生课程，以便为我提供更多的时间来获得工作。入学后不久，有人告诉我除非手头有工作，否则我不能留在该国。令我感到羞耻的是，我意识到自己并没有准备好居住在主想要我在的地方，例如在我措不及防的时候回国。

就是在我安静的时候，上帝从诗篇37：4对我说话。这就像一道雷电，我为自己感到羞耻。我请求上帝的宽恕。然后，我将自己的生命完全交给了他，并决定如果我还是无法找到工作，就在接下来的三周内回家。做出这个决定之后，我感到很放松，就像放下肩头重担。我经历了早些时候因逃避所忽略的和平与喜悦。

为了简明扼要地讲故事，当我将一生降服在上帝旨意里，他做了一些了不起的事情。在接下来的两周内，很受青睐的猎头公司为我安排了3次面试。在我必须回家之前，我在一家国际公司找到了工作。

我在墨尔本最后两年的工作就如上帝赐予我内心的渴望。我经常回头，感谢主的宝贵经验。我成为墨尔本OCF的主席，并积极参与传福音和门训。我在主里成长，看到生活正改变。荣耀归于我们的主！我的门训小组中的一名学生是来自香港的马弟兄（Calvin Ma），他是一名医生。他在墨尔本的Swanston Street基督教堂担任牧师，然后在OMF（海外宣教团契）任职澳大利亚的主任，后来又担任国际区域主任。

我从诗篇37：4中学到了什么？
喜悦主意味着完全信任他，渴望得到他想要的事物，爱他所爱的事物，并做他为我的人生所打算的事情。这也要求我们在任何情况下都服从他的旨意，承认他是主，他赐那些爱他的人一切益处。

引用约翰·派珀的话：
“我认为以耶和华为乐是决定您内心渴望的因素，好使上帝应允它们时，对您有好处。当我们享受神时，不仅享受恩赐，还享受神本身，那么我们内心的渴望就被塑造，定义和创造出来，与我们以神为乐的心愿一致。

祷告：上帝，我们的天父，我们承认，我们常常不以你为乐，而是喜悦世界。请原谅我们，洁净我们的心，使我们的内心的渴望与你对我们的完美旨意保持一致。帮助我们将自己的事交托给你，并使你欢心，因为唯有你能给我们内心的渴望。我们奉耶稣的名祷告。阿门。