“我要把这地赐给你的后裔。” – 创 12:7
对许多人来说,拥有自己的房子是一个很大的梦想,也是一种莫大的幸福。拥有房屋可以让人们积累资产,获得经济保障。它还为人们提供了一个属于自己的地方——拥有私人生活空间和院子。
圣经让我们看到了人类寻找家园的过程。但我们很快就会发现,我们梦想的家园其实并不是我们为自己建造的家园。亚伯兰在哈兰似乎过着还不错的生活,他的大家庭就住在那里。他拥有财产和仆人。他生活富裕,事业有成。
但哈兰不可能是他的家。“离开……”上帝说,“往我所要指示你的地”。上帝带领亚伯兰来到迦南地 并说他的后裔将得到这片土地。有一天这里会成为他们的家园。但亚伯兰住在帐篷里,没有永久的住所。他必须学习等待上帝来建造他所渴望的家园。
我们许多人都渴望有一个属于自己的地方。我们从圣经中得知,我们真正渴望的是一个与神同在的家:在这里,神与我们同在,并且我们可以敬拜神、倚靠神的恩典。只是我们不能靠自己的努力来建造这家,而只能仰望神在基督里的工作。
祷告
信实的上帝,我们想要一个属于自己的家,在这里可以依靠你的恩典来满足我们一切需要。求你引导我们信靠耶稣,让我们重新回到与你同在的家园。阿们。
创世记 12:1-8
1耶和华对亚伯兰说:“你要离开本地、本族、父家,往我所要指示你的地去。
2我必叫你成为大国,我必赐福给你,叫你的名为大,你也要叫别人得福。
3为你祝福的,我必赐福于他;那咒诅你的,我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。”
4亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了,罗得也和他同去。亚伯兰出哈兰的时候年七十五岁。
5亚伯兰将他妻子撒莱和侄儿罗得,连他们在哈兰所积蓄的财物、所得的人口,都带往迦南地去。他们就到了迦南地。
6亚伯兰经过那地,到了示剑地方,摩利橡树那里。那时,迦南人住在那地。
7耶和华向亚伯兰显现,说:“我要把这地赐给你的后裔。”亚伯兰就在那里为向他显现的耶和华筑了一座坛。
8从那里他又迁到伯特利东边的山,支搭帐篷。西边是伯特利,东边是艾。他在那里又为耶和华筑了一座坛,求告耶和华的名。
A Future Home
“To your offspring I will give this land.” – Genesis 12:7
For many people, owning their own home is a great dream and a great blessing. Home ownership allows people to build equity and gain financial security. It also gives them a place to call their own—with private living space and a yard.
The Bible gives us glimpses of humanity’s search for a home. But one thing we soon discover is that our dream home cannot really be the one we build for ourselves. Abram, it seems, had a good life in Harran, where his extended family was living. He had possessions and household servants. He was prosperous and successful.
But Harran could not be his home. “Go . . .” God said, “to the land I will show you.” God led Abram to the land of Canaan and said that his descendants would receive this land. So this would one day be their home. But Abram lived in tents, without a permanent dwelling. He had to learn to wait for God to build the home that he longed for.
Many of us are longing for a place of our own. We learn from the Bible that what we really long for is a place with God: a place where God is present with us, a place where we can worship God and lean on his grace. We cannot build that home with our own efforts, but only by waiting on the work of God in Christ.
Prayer
Faithful God, we want a place to belong, a place where we can lean on your grace for all we need. Guide us to trust in Jesus, and restore us to our home with you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳