QT 30/07/2024 Tue. 2Cor 7. Do not give up pursuing God. 不要放弃追求上帝。
QT 30/07/2024 Tue. 2Cor 7. Do not give up pursuing God.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/2cor7
The fear of God spurs our pursuit of holiness and purity (2Cor 7:1). What is the motivating factor for what you do today? Do you fear God?
(1) We do not want to keep our interviewers waiting in our job interviews. But do we keep God waiting for us when we worship Him? He was there in the worship service. But were you late or even absent?
(2) Some of us might blame God for not answering our prayers immediately. But do we keep God waiting in our delay to do His clear and revealed will?
(3) Others blame Him for not giving us the best of this or that. But do we leave the scrap of whatever is left of our resources, the part that nobody wants, and "dedicate" it to God?
Paul had the Corinthians in his heart as comrades, even in death (2Cor 7:3). But they rejected Paul. That, in a nutshell, was how God's people had treated God's representative throughout history, be it Moses or Jesus.
All is not lost. As Paul wrote this part of the epistle, Titus arrives with good news (2Cor 7:6, 13). The Corinthians have received the instruction obediently, receiving Titus "with fear and trembling" (2Cor 7:15).
APPLICATION: Do not give up on any of God's children, however hopeless the situation might have become. Be hopeful that the child of God that is alive would be transformed one day, to fear God and worship Him together one day.
星期二 2024年7月30日 今日读经:哥林多后书7章. 不要放弃追求上帝。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/2Co/7/
敬畏神的心促使我们达到成圣的地步(林后7:1)。今天的你所做的一切,动力来自何处呢?你敬畏神吗?
(1) 我们不想在应征工作时一直让面试官等着我们。可是我们在敬拜神的时候,是否也一直让祂等我们?祂早已在聚会中。但你却迟到了甚至是没到!
(2) 我们有些人或许会怪神没有马上应允我们的祷告。但我们在行祂那清楚揭示给我们的旨意时,是否一再拖延让神久等呢?
(3) 其他人怪祂不给我们最好的这个或那个。但我们是否把用剩的资源、那无人问津的那份,“奉献”给神呢?
保罗的心里把哥林多人当作同志、甚至可以同生共死。但是他们拒绝了保罗。总的来说,从历史上来看,那就是神的子民如何对待神的使者,无论是摩西或是耶稣。
但还没到绝望的地步。当保罗写下信的这部分时,提多带来了好消息(林后7:6,13)。哥林多人服从所接到的指示,“恐惧战兢”地接待他。(林后7:15)
应用:不要放弃神的任何儿女,无论情况有多绝望。希望那些活着的“神的孩子”有一天会改变,有一天会敬畏神,一起敬拜神。