Psalm 107:1-9
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. 8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
For most of us the words desert, exile, and even covenant are abstract, distant words. Yet for God’s people they are more than metaphors but physical and spiritual reality which are foundational to our history and relationship with the living God. Having experienced anew God’s mercies in the homecoming from Babylonian exile (vv.2-3), Israel is led to give thanks together by celebrating God’s unfailing covenant faithfulness and goodness toward those who have cried out to him in the desert of their lives.
As we apply this, know that the desert of the ancient Middle East was not just unpleasantly dry but brimming with danger and death. It was full of enemies, void of basics for flourishing life, and a symbol of the wasteland we dwell in apart from God. The promise of a city restored (God’s promise of Jer. 33:10-11 coming true) is not primarily great for its safety and comfort. Much more than that - God has delivered his people, made straight the way to the city, and established them there so that the Lord Himself can dwell with them. Dwelling with His people at the center of their daily lives God satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. And it is for this that the psalmist leads Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Through this week’s ups and downs, let’s not be like those Psalm 106:13 says soon forgot what he had done but practice daily thanks to our Lord who hears our cries, is faithful to save us, and restores us from desolate wastelands to life abundant in right relationship. Though our lives once ebbed away as our souls fainted within us, Christ Jesus showed us God’s steadfast love in delivering us from our greatest distress - a life apart from God. The Lord has brought us home so that He might fully restore and satisfy the deepest longings of His children!
Oh, that I would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Oh, that my family would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Oh, that our church would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Oh, that my family would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
Oh, that our church would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.
第15天
詩 107:1-9
1 你們要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存。
2 願耶和華的贖民說這話，就是他從敵人手中所救贖的，
3 從各地，從東從西，從南從北，所招聚來的。
4 他們在曠野荒地漂流，尋不見可住的城邑；
5 又飢又渴，心裡發昏。
6 於是，他們在苦難中哀求耶和華，他從他們的禍患中搭救他們。
7 又領他們行走直路，使他們往可居住的城邑。
8 但願人因耶和華的慈愛和他向人所行的奇事，都稱讚他。
9 因他使心裡渴慕的人，得以知足；使心裡飢餓的人，得飽美物。
對我們大部分人來說，“曠野”、“漂流”，甚至“約”都是一些抽象而且離我們的生活很遙遠的詞彙。然而，對於神的百姓，這些詞不只是一種隱喻，而且是在他們在歷史中以及他們在與 神的關係上的實際狀況。以色列百姓從巴比倫被擄之地被 神帶回故土，他們再一次經歷了 神的憐憫。他們聚集在一起向 神獻上感恩，他們一起慶祝記念 神與他們所立的約、紀念 神的信實以及祂向在曠野中呼求祂的人所施的慈愛。
當我們引用這段經文時，我們應該了解古代中東的曠野不僅極其乾旱，而且那裡還充滿了危險和死亡、到處都是敵人、缺少使人生命豐盛的必需品。它象徵著遠離 神的荒地。神在《耶利米書》33章10-11節中所應允的猶大城邑的重建就要實現了。神應允重建城邑的首要原因並不是出於安全和舒適的考慮，而是出於一個更美好的目的：神差遣祂的百姓回去重新建造猶大城邑，在這個新建造的城邑中祂可以和祂的百姓同住。神與祂的百姓同住、使心裡渴慕的人，得以知足；使心裡飢餓的人，得飽美物。正是因為這個原因，詩人才在這裡發出呼喊：“你們要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存”。
當我們這週經歷生活中的起起伏伏的時候，讓我們不要像詩篇106篇13節中所描述的以色列人那樣，“等不多時，他們就忘了他的作為”。讓我們每天向 神獻上感恩，因為祂垂聽我們的呼求，祂以祂的信實搭救我們，而且祂恢復我們，使我們從荒涼無人之地回歸到生命豐盛之地，並且使我們和祂有一個對的關係。雖然我們的生命曾經衰退，我們的心裡也曾經發昏，但是耶穌基督向我們顯示出 神不變的愛，而且將我們從與 神分離的極大的痛苦中拯救出來。我們的主帶領我們歸回，藉此祂可以完全恢復並滿足祂的兒女心裡最深的渴求。
哦，我要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存！
哦，我的家要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存！
哦，我們整個教會都要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存！
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