“他就躺在罗腾树下，睡着了。” – 王上19:5
昨天，我修剪了我们生得过长的草坪、清理了我们塞满东西的车库、又清洁了屋子里一部份的玻璃窗。到了晚上我已筋疲力尽，一躺下便已呼呼大睡了。
在今天的经文中，极度疲倦的以利亚躺在旷野的罗腾树下，睡着了。以利亚疲倦不是因为忙于家务，他疲倦乃是因为他刚刚与巴力的先知作了戏剧性的对峙（参看列王纪上 18:16-46）；现在他正在亚哈王和王后耶洗别面前逃命。以利亚的体力、情绪、和心灵都完全崩溃了 – 他求神取他的性命。
然而神没有应允他的请求，衪反而藉着一个天使为以利亚提供支持他将要走的路的食粮。后来，在更多平静和恢愎体力的睡眠和天使带来的饮食后，以利亚便启程走他前面的路了。
这个不寻常的故事教导我们什么功课呢？它提醒我们，我们基本上需要睡眠和睡眠带来重新得力的益处。而更重要的，就是神体贴地看顾我们、喂养我们、和保护我们 – 即使是在我们最低沉和最黑暗的时刻。纵使我们自己的故事不像以利亚的那样戏剧性，然而神仍然会提供我们所需要的，好叫我们能够有力走前面的路。而事实上，神已经藉着衪的儿子耶稣来供应我们了，因为耶稣邀请我们到衪那里和在衪里面得安息（马太福音 11:28-30）。
祷告
主啊，唯有在你裏面，我們才有得到真正安息的盼望。當你向我伸出援助之手時，求你幫助我們到你那裏去。阿們。
列王纪上 19:1-9
1亚哈将以利亚一切所行的和他用刀杀众先知的事都告诉耶洗别。
2耶洗别就差遣人去见以利亚，告诉他说：“明日约在这时候，我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一样，愿神明重重地降罚于我！”
3以利亚见这光景就起来逃命，到了犹大的别是巴，将仆人留在那里。
4自己在旷野走了一日的路程，来到一棵罗腾树下，就坐在那里求死，说：“耶和华啊，罢了！求你取我的性命，因为我不胜于我的列祖。”
5他就躺在罗腾树下，睡着了。有一个天使拍他，说：“起来吃吧！”
6他观看，见头旁有一瓶水与炭火烧的饼，他就吃了喝了，仍然躺下。
7耶和华的使者第二次来拍他，说：“起来吃吧！因为你当走的路甚远。”
8他就起来吃了喝了，仗着这饮食的力，走了四十昼夜，到了神的山，就是何烈山。
9他在那里进了一个洞，就住在洞中。耶和华的话临到他说：“以利亚啊，你在这里做什么？”
Sleep Of Exhaustion
“He lay down under the bush and fell asleep.” – 1 Kings 19:5
Yesterday I mowed our overgrown lawn, cleaned our cluttered garage, and washed some of the filmy windows on our house. Physically exhausted at the end of the day, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
In our reading for today, Elijah is exhausted and falls asleep under a bush in the wilderness. But Elijah isn’t exhausted from doing chores. He has just had a dramatic confrontation with the priests of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:16-46), and now he is fleeing for his life from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Totally shattered—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—Elijah asks God to take his life.
Yet God doesn’t answer his plea. Instead, through an angel, God provides Elijah with sustenance for the road ahead. Then, after some more restful, restorative sleep and more food and drink from the angel, Elijah sets out on the journey ahead of him.
What can this extraordinary story teach us? We are reminded of our basic need for sleep and its restorative benefits. Even more importantly, we see that God tenderly cares for us, feeds us, and watches over us—even in our deepest, darkest moments. Though our own story may not be as dramatic as Elijah’s, God will provide what we need so that we too can take up the journey ahead of us. In fact, God has already provided for us through his Son, Jesus, who invites us to come and rest in him (Matthew 11:28-30).
Prayer
Lord, our only hope for true rest is in you. As you reach out to us, help us to come to you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
