第 36 天：求 你 指 教 我 们数 算自己的日子 [ 对 《 诗 篇》第 90 篇的默想 ] 有一位名叫英格 丽 ·褒曼（ Ingrid Bergman ）的女演 员 。 她 因出演《 丧钟为谁 而 鸣 》（ For Whom the Bell Tolls ）、《第八福音》（ The Eighth Gospel ）和《煤 气 灯下》（ Gaslight ）等影片而 声 名 鹊 起，其精湛的演技 备 受 赞誉 。 她 原籍瑞典，在 欧 洲影 坛 已 独 占 鳌头 ， 随 后 怀 揣着追求更大名望的宏大抱 负进军 好 莱 坞 。在那里， 她 出演了多部 电 影 并两 度 荣 获奥 斯卡金像 奖 。或 许 很少有演 员 能 与 她 比肩。然而，就在事 业 如日中天之 时 ， 这 位 伟 大的女演 员 却感 叹 道：“ 噢 ，好 莱 坞 ！ 噢 ， 银 幕……是何等荒凉，何等 虚 空……” 她 曾抛夫弃女，嫁 给 一位著名 电 影 导 演， 结 果不久便以离婚收 场 。此后， 她 又 经历 了 数 次婚姻。后 来 ， 发 生了一起 惨 剧 ： 她 的女 儿 杀 死了 继 父。 她 曾有目 标 ，也 实现 了那 个 目 标 ；然而， 她 却缺乏人生的 终极 目的。最 终 ， 她 在癌症的折磨下凄凉离世。 这 就是一 种 有目 标 却无目的的人生。 许 多人 拥 有目 标 ，却缺乏目的。目 标关 乎方向，而目的 则关 乎意 义 。“我 们为 何而活？” 这 一 问题关 乎目的，而“我 们该 往何 处 去？” 则关 乎目 标 。 许 多人混淆了目 标与 目的， 将 二者 视为 一 谈 ，在迷茫中 虚 度光 阴 ，最 终 毁掉了自己那 宝 贵 且 独 一无二的生命（洪正吉 语 ）。 正如 实现 了目 标 却感到空 虚 的女演 员 英格 丽 ·褒曼，如今又有多少人正感受着同 样 的空 虚 呢？ 圣 经 中一 个 典型的例子便是所 罗门 王——那位智慧的《 传 道 书 》作者。他 亲 身体 验 了人生的 彻 底 虚 空。 这 一点在《 传 道 书 》 1 章 2 节 中体 现 得淋漓 尽 致：“ 虚 空的 虚 空， 虚 空的 虚 空，凡事都是 虚 空。” 简 而言之， 这 本 书教导 我 们 ，若 没 有...
Good news of love
"But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you" (1 Thessalonians 3:6).
Apostle Paul constantly thanked God because the Thessalonian church saints received the word of God, which Paul preached, not as man's words but what it really was, the word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). He also constantly thanked God because the word of God was working in them who believed (v. 13). In the midst of giving thanks to God constantly Paul has serious concern. And that serious concern was that when the Thessalonian church saints were suffering they might be tempted by the tempter and his and his co-workers’ labor would be in vain (3:5). So since Paul could endure it no longer (vv. 1, 5), he sent Timothy to them. And Timothy returned to Paul with good news about their faith and love (v. 6). Here, we can think of two things regarding the good news of faith and love which Paul heard. The two are "good news of faith" and "good news of love".
The good news of the faith that Paul heard was that the Thessalonian church saints were standing firm in the Lord in the midst of suffering (v. 8). Also he heard that they were living a life that pleased God (4:1). How did they live the life that pleased God? They did so by living their holy life with was the will of God (v. 3). Paul, who heard this good news of their faith, not only was comforted (3:7) but also rejoiced with all the joy (v. 9). So Paul wanted to thank God in return and confessed that ‘Now I really live’ (vv. 8, 9). And when he heard this good news, Paul wanted to see them more so night and day he prayed most earnestly (v. 10). The reason was because he wanted to see their faces and to supply what was lacking in their faith (v. 10).
Then what was the good news of love that Apostle Paul heard from Timothy? It was the news that the Thessalonian church saints always had pleasant memories of Paul and his co-workers and that they longed to see Paul and his co-workers , just as Paul and his co-workers longed to see them (v. 6). That was why Paul constantly thanked God. He also thanked God because the Thessalonian church saints were loving one another as they were taught by God (4:9). They loved one another even for all the brethren who are in all Macedonia (v. 10). Furthermore, the Thessalonian church saints, like Paul and his coworkers, worked and labored hard (2:9) and suffered (v. 14). In other words, they participated in suffering for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul, who heard this good news of love through Timothy, gave thanks to God continually. Do we have this kind of thanksgiving?
I hope and pray that they are more good news of love. Also, I hope and pray that there are more good news of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and of participating in His suffering. In other words, I hope and pray that we can hear the good news of love that all of us are living the worthy of His gospel. I hope and pray that we may hear the good news of love that all of us love each other as we have been taught by God to do so that we may please our God.
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