Daily Devotion - Apr 22 - ¥q¥?‾u‥C?eAF-×(c]) Evening by Evening

司布真每日靈修(夜) Evening by Evening 四月二十二日 經文: 你必不怕黑夜的驚駭。（詩篇九十一：5） 這驚駭是甚麼？可能是火警的呼叫、竊賊的聲音、或是突然死亡的號哭。我們活在死亡與憂傷的世界中，因此，無論是夜半或黃昏，我們都可預期會有困境來臨。但沒有一事能令我們驚慌，因為上帝允許凡相信祂的人必不致害怕。上帝，我們的父就在此地，且要在這些孤獨的時刻中一直留守此地。祂是全能的守望者，不眠的保護者，忠實的朋友。黑暗於祂並不是黑暗。祂允許在祂的百姓周圍有一道火牆，誰能攻破這樣的障礙呢？不認識上帝的人才會害怕，因為在他們之上有一位會發怒的上帝，在他們之內是犯罪的良心，在他們之下是張口的地獄。但是我們藉祂豐盛的恩典，已從這些景況中被救出來了，可以在耶穌之內得享安息。我們若仍然愚蠢地害怕，就是羞辱了我們所信的，也導致他人懷疑上帝的真實。我們應該對自己會害怕而害怕，因為我們愚蠢的不信任會讓聖靈擔憂。放下憂鬱的預感和無根據的掛慮，上帝不會忘記祂的恩典，或停止祂溫柔的憐憫。心靈可能處於黑夜，卻不可存懼怕，因為上帝的愛永不改變。光明的兒女可能行走在黑暗中，但是他們沒有被上帝棄絕。藉著對天上父上帝的信靠，他們當證明自己是蒙上帝接納的。 Evening, April 22 Scripture: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night."(Psalm 91:5) What is this terror? It may be the cry of fire, or the noise of thieves, or fancied appearances, or the shriek of sudden sickness or death. We live in the world of death and sorrow, we may therefore look for ills as well in the night-watches as beneath the glare of the broiling sun. Nor should this alarm us, for be the terror what it may, the promise is that the believer shall not be afraid. Why should he? Let us put it more closely, why should we? God our Father is here, and will be here all through the lonely hours; he is an almighty Watcher, a sleepless Guardian, a faithful Friend. Nothing can happen without his direction, for even hell itself is under his control. Darkness is not dark to him. He has promised to be a wall of fire around his people—and who can break through such a barrier? Worldlings may well be afraid, for they have an angry God above them, a guilty conscience within them, and a yawning hell beneath them; but we who rest in Jesus are saved from all these through rich mercy. If we give way to foolish fear we shall dishonour our profession, and lead others to doubt the reality of godliness. We ought to be afraid of being afraid, lest we should vex the Holy Spirit by foolish distrust. Down, then, ye dismal forebodings and groundless apprehensions, God has not forgotten to be gracious, nor shut up his tender mercies; it may be night in the soul, but there need be no terror, for the God of love changes not. Children of light may walk in darkness, but they are not therefore cast away, nay, they are now enabled to prove their adoption by trusting in their heavenly Father as hypocrites cannot do. "Though the night be dark and dreary, Darkness cannot hide from thee; Thou art he, who, never weary, Watchest where thy people be." www.glorypress.com