“他说:‘没有人指教我,怎能明白呢?’” – 徒 8:31
我不知道腓利是否预见到了这一刻。然而神的灵确实知道。
几年前,我们家住在一个联排别墅社区。我们知道,我们住在那里不仅仅是为了抚养两个年幼的儿子,更重要的原因在于,我们蒙呼召为周围的人树立耶稣的榜样。
我们为周围的家庭代祷。我们希望了解神正在谁的身上动工。然而,有一天,住在那排房子另一边的邻居拦住了我妻子,问道:“我能问你一些关于教会和信仰的问题吗?”
我们没想到事情会是这样!我们不曾为她祈祷。但这并不意味着神没有眷顾她。
事实上,神每时每刻都在各种各样的人身上工作。祂甚至可能正在一个你最意想不到的人身上动工。所以,当那个让你讨厌的同事坐在午餐桌旁询问你为何与众不同,或者当一个表现得很好的同学请你为他祈祷时,你不必感到惊讶。他们知道你和上帝之间有关联。
如果我们每天一开始就认识到神已经在我们周围的人身上动工,有些人我们可能会在当天与他们有信仰相关的交谈,又会怎样呢?这会怎样改变你的生活方式呢?
祷告
神啊,你行事奥秘。求你开通我们的眼睛和耳朵,赐给我们合适的言语,使我们每天都能在各处作你的见证。阿们。
使徒行传 8:26-31
26有主的一个使者对腓利说:“起来,向南走,往那从耶路撒冷下加沙的路上去!”那路是旷野。
27腓利就起身去了。不料,有一个埃塞俄比亚人,是个有大权的太监,在埃塞俄比亚女王干大基的手下总管银库。他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了,
28现在回来,在车上坐着,念先知以赛亚的书。
29圣灵对腓利说:“你去,贴近那车走!”
30腓利就跑到太监那里,听见他念先知以赛亚的书,便问他说:“你所念的你明白吗?”
31他说:“没有人指教我,怎能明白呢?”于是请腓利上车与他同坐。
When You Least Expect It
“‘How can I [understand],’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’” – Acts 8:31
I wonder if Philip saw that moment coming. The Spirit of God surely did.
Some years ago our family lived in a community of townhouses. We knew we were there for a greater reason than simply to raise our two young sons. We were called to be an example to the people around us of what Jesus was like.
We prayed for various families around us. We hoped to gain a sense of whom God was working on. One day, though, a neighbor from a ways down the row of houses stopped my wife and asked, “Can I ask you some questions about church and faith?”
We didn’t see that coming! We hadn’t prayed for her. But that didn’t mean God wasn’t working on her.
In fact, God is working on all kinds of people all of the time. He may even be working on a person you least expect. So don’t be surprised when that coworker who annoys you sits down at the lunch table to ask what’s different about you. Or when a classmate who acts like they have it all together asks you to pray for them. Somehow they know you have a connection with God.
What would happen if we began every day knowing that God has already been at work in the people around us, some of whom we might talk with that day? How could that change the way you go about your day?
Prayer
God, you work in mysterious ways. Give us eyes and ears and the right words to say so that we can be your witnesses everywhere each day. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳