[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 民數記 Numbers 11-13]
32 於是探子中有人向以色列人散佈有關所窺探之地的謠言，說：「我們所走過、所窺探之地是吞沒居民之地，並且我們在那裏所看見的百姓都身材高大。 33 我們在那裏看見巨人，就是巨人中的亞衲族人。我們在自己眼中像蚱蜢一樣，而在他們眼中，我們也確是這樣。」
民數記 numbers 13:32-33
32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
摩西派遣去窺探應許之地的十二名探子都觀察到了同一片土地，但返回的報告卻不同。十名探子看到了這片土地上的巨人，得出的結論是，相比之下，以色列人就像蚱蜢一樣。他們失去了信心，並決定甚至返回埃及會更好。但是迦勒認為這片土地是“極美之地。 耶和華若喜愛我們，就必領我們進入那地，把這流奶與蜜之地賜給我們。” （民數記 14：7-8）
所見即所得！”當我們專注於巨人時，我們會倒下，但是當我們專注於神時，我們面對的巨人會倒下！” (馬克斯·盧卡多 Max Lucado) 作為基督徒，我們目前看見什麼？當面對一系列壞消息——發生在世界和美國的地震、戰爭、通貨膨脹、犯罪和教育等問題——我們可能會變得灰心喪氣，甚至失去所有希望。 相反的，讓我們將目光轉向上帝，並像迦勒一樣想起祂的應許。 然後，我們就可以像迦勒一樣說：“我們立刻上去得那地吧！我們必能征服它[應許之地]”！ (民數記 13:30)
所見即所得，但作為基督徒，我們是通過信心的眼睛，而不僅僅是通過我們的肉眼來看世界。 （2 哥林多前書 5:7）是的，我們的視力很重要，因為它會讓我們成為一個打敗巨人的勇士或是一個小螞蚱。
禱告：親愛的天父，請讓我們通過祢的眼光而不是我們自己的眼光看我們周圍的環境，這樣我們才能有勇氣在我們身上實現祢的目的。 奉耶穌的名，阿們。
The twelve spies whom Moses sent to check out the Promised Land all observed the same land yet returned with different reports. Ten of the spies saw the giants in the land and concluded that the Israelites were like grasshoppers in comparison. They lost their confidence and decided it would be better if the people even returned to Egypt. But Caleb saw the land as “an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us.” (14:7-8) What you see is what you get!
As Max Lucado says, “If we focus on giants, we will fall; but if we focus on God, our giants will fall!” What are we as Christians currently focusing on? When faced with a series of bad news – earthquakes, war, inflation, crimes and education in the world and America – we might become discouraged and even lose all hope. Let us instead turn our eyes towards God and be reminded of His promises as Caleb was. Then, like Caleb, we will be able to say “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it [the Promised Land]”! (13:30)
What we see is what we get, so may we as Christians see through eyes of faith not only through our physical eyes. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Yes, our eyesight matters because it will make us either a giant defeater or a small grasshopper.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please let us see our surroundings through the lens of Your eyes, not ours, so we can have the courage to fulfill Your purposes in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
吹號者 