Day 8: Stepping Out of Secrecy走出秘密
Like no other time in human history, through our digital devices, we have the perceived ability to live with secrets. In fact, two of pornography’s most persuasive lies are:
· You’re not hurting anyone.
· No one will ever know.
But what if we began to believe that no matter what, no matter where we are, we are seen? What might your daily choices look like if you knew that God truly saw you?
在人类历史上，从未有过像现在这样，通过我们的数字设备，我们似乎有了保守秘密的能力。实际上，色情行业最具有欺骗性的两个谎言是：
· 你不会伤害任何人。
· 没有人会知道。
但倘若我们开始相信，无论何时何地，我们都在被注视着，那会怎样？倘若你知道上帝真的在注视着你，你的日常选择又会是怎样的呢？
A God Who Truly Sees Us上帝真实的看着我们
In Genesis 16, we find the story of Abraham and the slave Hagar. It’s a complex and messy chapter. It features slavery, extra-marital relations, and the exploitation of a woman and her unborn child.
For background, Abraham and Sarah are married and old. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation back in Genesis 12, but now decades later, and married to a barren, elderly woman, the prospect of birthing a great nation looked very unlikely, so Sarah offers Abraham her slave Hagar to provide them with a child.
When it worked and Hagar got pregnant, Hagar flaunted it and Sarah got angry and abused her until Hagar ran away. Eventually the angel of the Lord came to her:
Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
在《创世纪》第 16 章中，我们读到了亚伯拉罕和女奴夏甲的故事。这是一个复杂且混乱的章节。其中涉及奴隶制、婚外情以及对一名女子及其未出生孩子的剥削。
背景是，亚伯拉罕和撒拉结为夫妻，且年事已高。早在《创世纪》第 12 章，上帝就曾应许亚伯拉罕，他将成为一个伟大民族的始祖，然而数十年过去了，撒拉年老且不能生育，生出一个伟大民族的希望变得十分渺茫，于是撒拉便将自己的女奴夏甲给了亚伯拉罕，以求能有个孩子。
当夏甲怀了孕，她便趾高气扬起来，撒拉对此大为恼火，虐待她，直到夏甲逃走。后来，上帝的天使找到了她：
天使对她说：“回到你女主人那里去，顺服她。”天使又说：“我要使你的后裔极其繁多，多到不可胜数。”
The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.”
耶和华的使者又对她说：
“你现在怀孕要生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫以实玛利，因为耶和华听见了你的苦情。他必像野驴，用手攻击人，人也必与他为仇；他必住在众弟兄的东边。”
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:9-13).
Hagar called God EL ROI–the God who sees me.
God never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another, and never misses a millisecond of what happens on earth. He is always available, and never surprised.
她将这个称呼赐予了那位与她交谈的上帝：“你是那能看见我的神。”因为她说：“我现在已经看见了那个能看见我的神”（《创世纪》第 16 章第 9 - 13 节）。
哈加尔称上帝为“埃尔·罗伊”——即“能看见我的神”。
上帝从不沉睡，不会在我们朝另一个方向前行时只关注他自己的世界，而且他从不会错过地球上发生的一毫一瞬。他总是随时在，而且从不感到惊讶。
The realization that we worship a God who always sees us likely elicits a wide range of emotions. For those hurting and desperate like Hagar, it’s the awesome realization that there is no pit too deep or situation too desperate that our God will not jump in and join us. Psalm 46:1 tells us that God is “an ever-present help” when we are in trouble.
For those who have secrets, it’s the awful realization that there are no secrets and that every breath of our lives is seen by the One who sees us. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
当我们意识到我们所敬拜的那位神总是能洞察我们的内心时，这很可能会引发各种各样的情感反应。对于像哈加尔这样遭受痛苦和绝望的人来说，这是一次令人敬畏的领悟：无论困境多么深重，情况多么绝望，我们的神都会挺身而出与我们同在。《诗篇》第 46 章第 1 节告诉我们，在我们遭遇困境时，神是“永远的帮助者”。
而对于那些心怀秘密的人来说，这则是一次令人痛苦的领悟：其实没有任何秘密能逃过神的洞察，我们生命的每一次呼吸都在那位能洞察我们的人的眼中一览无余。《希伯来书》第 4 章第 13 节说：“在全宇宙中，没有任何事物是隐藏在神的视线之外的。一切都在他面前被揭露和暴露，我们要向他交代我们生命的每一步。”
God’s response to Hagar’s situation speaks to both compassion and conviction.
上帝对哈加尔所处困境的回应既体现了怜悯之心，也彰显了坚定信念。
God Offers Me Peace上帝给我平和
When my circumstances offer me heartache and suffering, the God who sees me offers me peace.
If God sees Hagar, then he also sees you. Like Hagar and Ishmael, do you feel rejected? Do you feel mistreated? Have you run to the false gods of substances, pornography, or wrong relationships as a salve to your hurting soul?
None of us are immune from life’s circumstances. Jesus told his followers to expect trouble. Not just to expect trouble, but to expect outright pain and suffering.
当我的处境给我带来痛苦和折磨时，那位洞察我的上帝却会赐予我安宁。
如果上帝看到了哈加尔，那他也一定看到了你。就像哈加尔和以实玛利一样，你是否觉得自己被遗弃了？你是否觉得自己受到了不公正的对待？你是否像其他人一样，为了抚慰受伤的灵魂而转向了物质、色情或错误的关系这些虚假的神明？
我们没有人能免受生活境遇的影响。耶稣告诉他的追随者要预料到麻烦。不只是预料到麻烦，还要预料到彻头彻尾的痛苦和折磨。
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Writer Ann Spangler said, “If you are feeling weak in the face of life’s challenges, the best way to grow strong is to strengthen your commitment to Christ. Decide to obey fully, to follow completely, to keep your eyes fastened on him. Let El Roi take pleasure as he watches over you, and you will soon find your heart stronger and your confidence deeper without quite knowing how it happened.”
《腓立比书》4:4-7 说道：“要常常喜乐地仰望主。我要再说一遍：要喜乐！要让你们的温柔展现在众人面前。主就在身边。不要为任何事情感到焦虑，但在任何情况下，都要通过祈祷和祈求，带着感恩之心向主表达你们的请求。这样，超越一切理解的上帝的平安就会守护你们的心灵和思想，在基督耶稣里。”
作家安·斯潘格勒说：“如果你在面对生活中的挑战时感到力不从心，增强力量的最佳方法就是加强对基督的忠诚。决定完全遵从、完全追随、紧紧注视着他。让耶和华感到喜悦，因为他会守护着你，你很快就会发现自己的心变得更坚强，信心更深，而这一切你可能都不太清楚是怎么发生的。”
God Offers Me Blessing上帝给我祝福
When I consistently choose faithfulness, the God who sees me offers us blessing.
There’s a danger in knowing that God is “the One who sees me.” You can be deceived into thinking that a God Who Sees Me waits in anticipation for your mistakes so that He can punish you. But, in reality, a God Who Sees Me waits with patience for your faithfulness so that He can bless you.
Holy Scripture assures us God is on the lookout for men and women who are totally committed to him. Why? Because He wants to strengthen their hearts as they serve Him.
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9
当我始终坚守忠诚之时，那位洞察一切的上帝便会赐予我们祝福。然而，若一味地认为“上帝‘就是那个洞察我的人’”，则可能会陷入一种误区，即误以为那位洞察我的上帝在期待着你的过错出现，以便对其进行惩罚。但实际上，那位洞察我的上帝是怀着耐心等待着你的忠诚，以便赐福于你。《圣经》向我们保证，上帝一直在寻找那些全心全意追随他的男女信徒。为什么？因为祂希望在他们侍奉祂之时，能坚固他们的信心。“因为耶和华的双眼遍及全地，要扶持那些全心归向祂的人。”《历代志下》第 16 章第 9 节Guardrails Strengthen Our Commitment护栏强化我们的承诺
In The Disciple Making Pastor, Bill Hull writes, “To believe you can make disciples or develop true maturity in others without some form of accountability is like believing that you can raise children without discipline, run a company without rules, or lead an army without authority. Accountability is to the Great Commission what tracks are to trains.”
EL ROI–the God Who Sees Me. Not keeping track of my wrongs, but patiently waiting for me to choose right. He’s on the lookout for men and women, teens and tweens, who are totally committed to Him. Why? Because He wants to strengthen your heart, and build you up, and in a world of fear and chaos, turn you into a fearless man of strength. A warrior princess with courage. That’s the God who sees me. That’s the God who sees you.
在《培养门徒的牧师》一书中，比尔·赫尔写道：“如果认为无需任何形式的监督就能培养出门徒或使他人达到真正的成熟状态，那就如同认为无需管教就能养育孩子、无需规则就能管理公司、无需权威就能指挥军队一样荒谬。责任担当对于‘大使命’而言，就如同火车轨道对于火车一样重要。”
EL ROI——那位洞察我的神。他不会记录我的过错，而是耐心地等待我做出正确的选择。他一直在寻找那些全身心投入于他的人——无论是男性还是女性，青少年还是儿童。为什么？因为他想要增强你的勇气，鼓舞你的精神，在充满恐惧与混乱的世界里，将你塑造成为一位无所畏惧、坚不可摧的强者。一位拥有勇气的女战士。这就是那位注视着我的神。这就是那位注视着你的神。
Today’s Reflections:
· Do you feel more of God’s compassion or conviction? How would your behavior change if you felt more of the other aspect?
· Take some time today to write out what it means to you that God sees you. How can you take comfort in it?
今日感悟：
·你是否更能感受到上帝的慈悲还是他的警醒？如果能更多地感受到另一方面的特质，你的行为会有什么变化？
·今天花些时间写下对于上帝视你为他的一部分，对你而言意味着什么。你又能从中获得怎样的慰藉？ |
浙公网安备 33018302001512号
发表于 
