Tuesday, 6 July 2021
Title: Do Not Worry
By: Stephen Wong
Text: Philippians 4:6-7

Like some, I am one who grew up under less-than-ideal circumstances. To put it another way, my parents were financially poor and had to provide for the needs of 12 children in the family. I was ranked 9th in the family and did not have dreams of going much further after my Form 5 studies, other than to be a civil servant i.e. a teacher or a clerk. Many nights in my early teens, I lay down in bed looking at the wall and wondered about the purpose of my existence. Occasionally, my despairing eyes would chance upon the silhouette of my lizard friends on the wall, which caused me to cringe with fear on many cold breezy nights.

Fast forward 10 years later; I was in my second year of studies at University Malaya soaking up the Bible (RSV) purchased by my friend Daniel Chua. I was reading the gospel of Matthew and found many interesting truths that touched my heart. I chanced upon Matthew 6:33 that said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things would be yours as well.” I must admit I did not have a full understanding of what the words really meant, but I knew I wanted to know the true and righteous God who could impart His righteousness to me. I knew the seriousness of my sins, and I needed a Saviour in my life. I heard from my Christian friends that I needed to receive Christ in my life before I could become a member of God’s family. I looked afresh at my fellow Christian friends and saw they led good lives. One day, I decided to say a prayer to Jesus to call Him to come and be my God. I closed the prayer with a happy “Amen”. Only God was my witness when I called upon Him to accept me into His family.

I learned an important truth of being a Christian; that is to be able to trust God fully in His word and remain obedient to Him. There were many occasions when I thought I could live life without God after my initial conversion experience. And so, I took some hard lessons from God, learning to trust Him fully and navigate through life with Him, when the storms hit. God led me through all of them by His gentle hand. During raging storms, I found that praising God and thanking Him in adversities had the power to take the sting out of worries that I shouldered. Each time I praised and thanked Him, the burdens got easier and after a while, the burdens left me completely. My prayers were all answered, to the glory of God. Praising God daily with a thankful heart works miracles for me, and I am sure it can work for you as well, to ease your emotional burdens.

Today the world has gotten more complicated than what it was before; but God who stopped the storms on the sea of Galilee 2,000 years ago, can repeat the same miracle today. God is Lord over this current global pandemic and the plagues to come. So, my dear fellow family, let God work through your burdens and challenges in life. You can trust His love and promises that He would not abandon us, no matter what afflicts us. Praising and thanking Him during your trials and tears may not seem normal to the world, but God welcomes your praises and thanksgiving and He will safeguard your faith and walk with Him. He will surely answer your prayers in due time with many blessings. Would you not cast your worries unto God today, by praising and thanking Him daily for all that has taken place in your life?

Prayer

Dear Lord God, thank you for Your love and faithfulness. You know our sins but You chose to save us by sending Christ to die on the cross while we were still sinners. All of us are undergoing a powerful storm caused by this global Covid19 pandemic. Some of us are suffering badly because we have lost jobs and income and even our health. We ask Your comfort and help be given to Your people as we walk in faith, and trust in You. Help us to be Your instruments, touching lives in our church and neighbourhoods, with the comfort You have given us. May the nations look up to You and worship You together with us one day, because they saw us as a people of faith, trust, praise and thanksgiving in God. To God be the glory. In the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期二，2021年7月6日
标题：不要忧虑
作者：黄德根弟兄
翻译：陈晓佩姐妹
经文：腓立比书4:6-7

像一些人一样，我是在一个不太理想的环境下长大的人。换言之，我的父母经济拮据，且得供养家里12个孩子的需要。我在家排行第九，在中五毕业后，除了当一名公务员，也就是一位教师或文员外，我并不抱有更进一步的梦想。在我十多岁的许多夜晚，我躺在床上看着墙壁，思考我存在的目的。偶尔，我绝望的目光会瞥见墙上蜥蜴朋友的身影，这让我在许多寒风习习的夜晚畏缩着。

快进到10年后，我在马来亚大学读大二的时候，我沉浸在朋友Daniel Chua买给我的修订标准版圣经(RSV)。我阅读着马太福音，发现了许多有趣的真理，触动了我心。我偶然发现马太福音6:33说：“你们要先求他的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。” 我必须承认，我并不充分理解这句话的真正意思，但我知道我要认识能将祂的义赐给我的那位真实而公义的上帝。我知道我罪孽的严重性，我的生命需要一位救主。我听我的基督徒朋友说，我在成为上帝家庭的成员之前，需要先接受基督在我的生命里。我重新审视了我的基督教朋友们，看到他们过着美好的生活。一天，我决定向耶稣祷告，祈求祂来做我的上帝。我以一句快乐的 “阿们” 结束了祈祷。当我祈求祂接纳我进入祂的家庭时，只有上帝是我的见证人。

我学到了作为基督徒的一个重要真理，那就是必须完全相信上帝的话语，并持续地顺服祂。在我初信主之后的经历中，有许多时候我以为我可以过一个没有上帝的生活。因此，我从上帝那里得到了一些痛苦的教训，学会了完全信靠祂，并在暴风雨来袭时与祂一起度过人生。上帝以祂温柔的手引导我走过每一段的时刻。在狂风暴雨中，我发现在逆境中赞美上帝和感谢祂，让我有力量摆脱那肩负的忧虑。每当我赞美和感谢祂时，负担就会减轻，过一些时候，那重担就完全远离我了。为了上帝的荣耀，我所有的祷告都获得应允。每天以感恩的心赞美上帝，在我身上发生了奇效；我相信这对您也是有效的，缓解您情绪的负担。

今天，世界变得比以前更加复杂了；但是，2000年前平息了在加利利海风浪的上帝，今天可以重演同样的神迹。上帝是当前全球疫情和将来的瘟疫的主宰。所以，我亲爱的家人，让上帝来帮助您们解决生活中的重担和挑战吧。您可以信靠祂的慈爱和应许，无论我们遭受什么，祂都不会撇弃我们。在您的试炼和泪水中赞美和感谢祂，在世人看来可能并不正常，但上帝喜悦您的赞美和感恩，祂会保守您的信心，与祂同行。祂必定会在合宜的时间并且带着许多的祝福来回应您的祷告。今天，您会不会通过每天赞美和感谢祂，为您生命中所发生的一切，向上帝卸下您的忧虑呢？

祷告

亲爱的主上帝，谢谢祢的慈爱和信实。祢知道我们的罪孽，当我们还是罪人的时候，祢选择差派基督来并死在十字架上拯救我们。我们都因着全球新冠疫情正在经历着强大的风暴。我们当中一些人痛苦不堪，因为失去了工作、收入，甚至失去了健康。我们祈求，当我们凭信心而行和信靠祢时，凡是属于祢的人都得到祢的安慰和帮助。帮助我们成为祢的器皿，藉着祢赐予我们的安慰去触摸教会和邻里的生命。愿有一天万民都仰望祢，与我们一同敬拜祢，因为他们见证到我们在上帝里是信靠祢、仰望祢、赞美祢和感谢祢的百姓。愿荣耀归于上帝。奉我们的主和救主耶稣基督独一无二的名祷告。阿们。