Month of Thanksgiving - Day 23

詩篇118：1-14

¹ 你們要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善，他的慈愛永遠長存！
² 願以色列說：「他的慈愛永遠長存！」
³ 願亞倫的家說：「他的慈愛永遠長存！」
⁴ 願敬畏耶和華的說：「他的慈愛永遠長存！」
⁵ 我在急難中求告耶和華，他就應允我，把我安置在寬闊之地。
⁶ 有耶和華幫助我，我必不懼怕，人能把我怎麼樣呢？
⁷ 在那幫助我的人中，有耶和華幫助我，所以我要看見那恨我的人遭報。
⁸ 投靠耶和華，強似倚賴人。
⁹ 投靠耶和華，強似倚賴王子。
¹⁰ 萬民圍繞我，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。
¹¹ 他們環繞我，圍困我，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。
¹² 他們如同蜂子圍繞我，好像燒荊棘的火必被熄滅，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。
¹³ 你推我，要叫我跌倒，但耶和華幫助了我。
¹⁴ 耶和華是我的力量，是我的詩歌，他也成了我的拯救。

Psalm 118：1-14

¹ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

² Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

⁵ I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
⁶ The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
⁷ The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
⁸ It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.
⁹ It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰ All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
¹¹ They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
¹² They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
¹³ You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.^[a]

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"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes" (v8-9). Sequentially, this verse is exactly in the middle of the whole Bible. And it is reminding us a very important teaching in Scripture - we should trust in the Lord and put confidence in Him. As Christians, we live in, and can easily be affected by a world that is wholly under the control of the evil one. We can hardly defeat Satan's attack without relying on God. The key to the battle victory, according to the author of this psalm, is to fight "in the name of the Lord" - because He and He only is the almighty, faithful, everlasting, and dependable God. Knowing that, the author couldn't help but giving thanks to the Lord, "for He is good! For his mercy endures forever". Psalm 118 starts and ends (v29) with the same verse "For His mercy endures forever", and asks the people of God 3 times from verse 2-4 to praise that "His mercy endures forever". Obviously, praising the Lord for His mercy is quite crucial and all who are called by Him should feel honored to open our mouth and offer our praises. Our worship to Him will never stop and endures forever in Heaven, yet let's grab all opportunities on earth to start our praises!

“投靠耶和华，强似倚赖人。投靠耶和华，强似倚赖王子。”（v8-9）有人统计过全部圣经的节数，本节刚好就是全都圣经的中心。似乎也在提醒我們全部圣经中主要的教训，就是要人投靠神，倚赖他。全世界都卧在那恶者的手下，信徒处世不免要受世界的影響，撒旦的攻擊，若不倚靠神就无法得胜。诗人找着了得胜的秘诀就是“靠耶和华的名”，因為神是全能、信实、永存、可靠的神。難怪诗人说： “你们要称谢耶和华，因他本为善；他的慈爱永远长存。”本篇以同样的话开始并结束，在開頭連續3個這樣的願（v2-v4）。是要我們知道称颂神的慈爱是何等的重要而且是一切蒙召的人都当做的事。称颂神乃是天堂永存美好的事工，讓我們在地上抓緊時間操練吧。

Month of Thanksgiving - Day 22

116：12-19

¹² 我拿什麼報答耶和華向我所賜的一切厚恩？
¹³ 我要舉起救恩的杯，稱揚耶和華的名。
¹⁴ 我要在他眾民面前向耶和華還我的願。
¹⁵ 在耶和華眼中，看聖民之死極為寶貴。
¹⁶ 耶和華啊，我真是你的僕人；我是你的僕人，是你婢女的兒子，你已經解開我的綁索。
¹⁷ 我要以感謝為祭獻給你，又要求告耶和華的名。
¹⁸ 我要在他眾民面前，在耶和華殿的院內，在耶路撒冷當中，向耶和華還我的願。你們要讚美耶和華！

116：12-19

¹² What shall I render to the LordFor all His benefits toward me?
¹³ I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.

¹⁶ O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.¹⁷ I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁸ I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people,¹⁹ In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

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What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?(V.12) in psalm 116 is a connection link between the previous verses and the following. The thanksgiving verses we read yesterday (v1-v11) described God's rich benefits toward us, and v13-v19 is the response of the author accordingly. Are you grateful and willing to give back to God for His benefits toward you? If so, what will you offer to Him? Dedicating your money? Sacrificing your time? Participating in fellowship? Sharing the gospel?

We'll be awed by the beauty of psalm 116 if we deeply meditate it. It gives us a glimpse of God's grace and man's response - beautiful as is, even the New Testament can hardly surpass what's written here. "What shall I render to the Lord......?" The gratitude of the author is a renewing of the mind (I will take up the cup of salvation), a surrender of the will (I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people), and a purification of the emotion (I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving). Everything we possess should be offered to God because it is from Him that we receive everything. So strictly speaking, anything we offer is far from a real "favor returned": it is like a son gives his dad one candy from the candy bag he gets from his dad - the son is not returning the favor.

At the same time, once we stop paying attention to our "self" and turn our eyes upon God, His spirit will be fully in charge of us. With the Spirit working within us, His life will reign in us, and as a result, we will be restored to who He first created us to be. Isn't this what is to truly return the favor? "My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways". (Prov 23:26)

我拿什麼報答耶和華向我所賜的一切厚恩？（V.12）在詩篇116篇有著承上啟下的作用。昨天1-11節，描述了神向我們所賜的一切厚恩，而13-19節是一個回應的舉動。如果換做是你，你有顆知恩圖報的心嗎？如果有，那麼你會拿什麼報答耶和華所賜的一切厚恩呢？多奉獻金錢，多奉獻時間，多參加聚會，多傳福音...？

當我們反復仔細的閱讀詩篇116篇，你會發現真是太美了。因為它讓我們一窥神的恩典与人的回应；这样美好的陳述，连新约也难出其右。 “我怎样才能报答耶和华……？詩人在這裡提到的報恩是一種心思的更新（我要舉起救恩的杯），意志的降服（我要在眾民面前向耶和華還我的願），情感的煉凈（我要以感謝為祭獻給你）。我們所擁有的一切物質都是神給的，拿來給神，實屬理所當然，嚴格來說稱不上報恩（就好像一個孩子拿著父親給的一袋糖，給父親一顆，這不叫報恩）。

但是當我們願意不再專注于我們的“己”，而是神的時候，让神的灵在我們身上得到完全的权柄,让神的生命在我們里面毫无拦阻地作主，作王。重新恢復祂創造我們的目的和價值。這是對神的厚恩真正的報恩，不是嗎？ “我兒，要將你的心歸我，你的眼目也要喜悅我的道路”（箴23:26）。

Month of Thanksgiving - Day 21

詩篇116：1-11

¹ 我愛耶和華，因為他聽了我的聲音和我的懇求。
² 他既向我側耳，我一生要求告他。
³ 死亡的繩索纏繞我，陰間的痛苦抓住我，我遭遇患難愁苦。
⁴ 那時我便求告耶和華的名說：「耶和華啊，求你救我的靈魂！」
⁵ 耶和華有恩惠，有公義，我們的神以憐憫為懷。
⁶ 耶和華保護愚人，我落到卑微的地步，他救了我。
⁷ 我的心哪，你要仍歸安樂，因為耶和華用厚恩待你。
⁸ 主啊，你救我的命免了死亡，救我的眼免了流淚，救我的腳免了跌倒。
⁹ 我要在耶和華面前行活人之路。
¹⁰ 我因信，所以如此說話：「我受了極大的困苦。」
¹¹ 我曾急促地說：「人都是說謊的。」

Psalm 116：1-11

¹ I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.² Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

³ The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.⁴ Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

⁵ Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.⁶ The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.⁷ Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
⁹ I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.¹⁰ I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”¹¹ I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”

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Brothers and sisters, the author of this psalm was greatly afflicted and therefore said in his haste that "all men are liars". Have you ever had similar experience? Often time we find our joy and faith based on people or circumstances that in the end will bring us disappointment and make us complain. As other psalm suggests, we many times are fool and forget the love and promises of the Lord. In this psalm, the author turned back to the Lord in faith and called upon His name. Our merciful Lord then inclined His ear to the simple supplications, delivering the author from death. For us, the situation may not change immediately after our supplications, but He will surely bring our soul to return to the rest.

"Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share", as is said in Hymn 364, "not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, but is blest if we trust and obey". Do you trust in Him? Do you obey Him? It is hard to be full of faith in difficulties, but let's still call upon the Lord with "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Let's offer our deepest thanks to the Lord, for He is the one who supplies us with sufficient faith. And let's all praise the Lord as the author did - "I love the Lord".

弟兄姐妹，當詩人在極大的難處的裡面，他急促的說：“人都是說謊的”。你有過類似的經歷嗎？我們常把喜樂，信心建立在人或者環境上，但換回來的卻總是失望，甚至埋怨。詩篇說我們像愚妄人一樣，忘記了神的愛和應許。但詩人憑著信心回轉向神，求告他的主。就是這麼一個簡單的呼求，我們的神居然側耳而聽，安慰搭救我們，雖然環境可能沒有馬上改變，但祂卻要使我們重歸安樂。

沒有一個重擔祂不能背負，沒有一個憂患祂不能了解。聖徒詩歌H364提到："只要信而順從，這一切的傷心損失，所有的厭棄羞恥都要變成祝福"。你信嗎？你順從嗎？難處的裡面還要充滿信心，太難了。但我們要向神求：“我信，但我信不足，求主幫助。”因為連信心都是祂給的。為著從神而來的信心獻上最深的感恩，與詩人同讚：“我愛耶和華”。

Month of Thanksgiving - Day 20

詩107:17-22

¹⁷ 愚妄人因自己的過犯和自己的罪孽，便受苦楚。

¹⁸ 他們心裡厭惡各樣的食物，就臨近死門。
¹⁹ 於是他們在苦難中哀求耶和華，他從他們的禍患中拯救他們。
²⁰ 他發命醫治他們，救他們脫離死亡。
²¹ 但願人因耶和華的慈愛和他向人所行的奇事都稱讚他！
²² 願他們以感謝為祭獻給他，歡呼述說他的作為！

Psalm 107：17-22

¹⁷ Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
¹⁸ Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
²⁰ He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
²¹ Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
²² Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.

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Among all the blessings you give thanks to God for, are you ever grateful for His word (the Bible)? Psalm 107 teaches us that we should definitely praise the Lord for His word, because "He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them form their destructions."(v.20)

Often time we find ourselves fools, rebelling against God's words, and as a result afflicted in difficult situations because of our transgressions and sin. Fool as we are, God has loved us with an everlasting love. He always heals us with His word, delivering us from the afflicting circumstances. His words comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. His word exposes us, directs us, and compels us.

How I wish we can all sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, for the Bible He gives us and the word He has placed in us, right from this moment.

在你的感恩事項里，神的話（聖經）是其中一項嗎？這段詩篇告訴我們，神的話也應該是我們感恩的原因。20節：“他發命醫治他們，救他們脫離死亡。”英文版本非常清楚的翻譯 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

我們時常因著天然人的愚昧而犯錯，甚至犯罪；不渴慕神的話，甚至厭惡神的命令。這些都會導致我們愁苦加增，落在各樣的難處里。然而，我們縱然愚妄，神的愛和眷顧總不改變。當我們回轉求告祂的時候，祂要用祂的話來醫治我們，幫助我們脫離目前的光景。祂的話讓不安的人得著安慰，讓安逸的人感到不安 - 祂的話提醒我們，引導我們，也激勵我們。

巴不得我們今天就來操練，為著祂所賜給我們的聖經，為著祂放在我們心裡的話，獻上我們感恩的祭。

Month of Thanksgiving - Day 19

詩篇92:1-8 安息日的詩歌。

¹ 稱謝耶和華，歌頌你至高者的名，
² 用十弦的樂器和瑟，用琴彈幽雅的聲音，早晨傳揚你的慈愛，每夜傳揚你的信實，這本為美事。
⁴ 因你耶和華藉著你的作為叫我高興，我要因你手的工作歡呼。
⁵ 耶和華啊，你的工作何其大！你的心思極其深！
⁶ 畜類人不曉得，愚頑人也不明白：
⁷ 惡人茂盛如草，一切作孽之人發旺的時候，正是他們要滅亡，直到永遠。
⁸ 唯你耶和華是至高，直到永遠。

Psalm92:1-8 A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

¹ It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
² To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
³ On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
⁴ For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

⁵ O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
⁶ A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
⁷ When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

⁸ But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.

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Unconsciously we often tell ourselves that "I have given enough thanks", or "it is enough to be grateful quietly in heart". But Psalm 92, the song for the Sabbath day tells us clearly that Sabbath is not only for us to take a rest, but to praise the Lord in congregation ("sacred assembly" in Lev 23:3). As 2 Chron 5:13 says, the trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord!

It is necessary to praise the Lord with gratitude, yet furthermore, as is said in this psalm, it is beautiful ("good") to praise the Lord. Similarly, Jesus saw it a beautiful thing when Mary anointed Himself before He went to the cross. On one hand, it is beautiful because our praises is precious to the Lord. He loves our praises and thanksgivings, and is satisfied when we do so. Brothers and sisters, thanksgiving is more precious than solicitation because thanksgiving is entirely focused on the joy and glory of the Lord rather than asking for self-interest. On the other hand, we ourselves will be set free through thanksgiving - whenever we turn our eyes upon Jesus instead of temporary things on earth, we will be enabled to go through the many difficult situations.

我們常會自我暗示：“我已經感謝的夠多的了”或“心裏默默感恩就夠了”。但這篇安息日的詩歌足可让我们看见：舊約的每一個安息日不僅是用來休息，更是用來聚會稱謝神的（“聖會”利二十三3），而且有吹號的，歌唱的，都一齊發聲，贊美感謝耶和華（代下5:13）。

頌贊、感恩誠然是應當的，但這裏卻更進一步稱之為“美事”。就如同新約的馬利亞在耶穌上十字架以先用膏膏主，耶穌稱之為“美事”。“美”，一方面表達出了這是神所喜愛，所寶貴的，神在其中得到了滿足。弟兄姐妹，感謝比祈求更美，因其中沒有任何利己的成分，完全是求神的喜悅和榮耀。另一方面，我們自己藉著感恩也能得著釋放與自由，眼目调转至永恒的神，而非短暂人事物，就能經過了許多人所不能經過的環境。