2015年11月27日
向外求助 Help from the Outside
读经: 耶利米書17章7-13節
Reading: Jeremiah 17:7-13
上帝比我們的心大，一切事沒有不知道的。-約翰一書3章20節
God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. - 1 John 3:20
全年读经: 以西結書30-32章;彼得前書4章
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 30–32; 1 Peter 4
外子在一次出差時，才剛入住旅館房間，隨即聽到一個不尋常的聲音。他沿著走廊去查看究竟，聽到從另一房間傳來的呼叫聲。他找旅館職員幫忙，才發現原來一名房客被困在浴室裡。這名房客因為門鎖故障而被反鎖在內，一時驚惶失措，他覺得自己快要窒息了，急忙高聲求救。
現實生活中，我們有時候也會感到被困，心急如焚卻求救無門，無法掙脫；就像受困浴室的這名房客一樣，我們需要向外求助。
要求助外來力量，我們就必須承認憑藉一己之力是不夠的。然而，我們卻費盡心思想靠自己來解決問題，可惜我們的心是靠不住的，正如聖經說：「人心比萬物都詭詐」（耶利米書17章9節） 。事實上，我們自己本身往往就是生活中各個問題的根源。
感謝主，「上帝比我們的心大，一切事沒有不知道的」（約翰一書3章20節） 。因此，祂知道該如何幫助我們。唯有上帝能夠完全改變人心，徹底解決問題。信靠祂並活出合祂心意的生活樣式，我們就能茁壯成長，獲得真正的自由。
天父，我謙卑地來到祢面前，
我無法憑靠己力解決問題，
求祢幫助我倚靠祢，用祢的眼光去看待問題。
承認自己的無助，就可以得著上帝的幫助。
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On a business trip, my husband had just settled into his hotel room when he heard an unusual noise. He stepped into the hall to investigate and heard someone yelling from a nearby room. With the help of a hotel worker, he discovered that a man had become trapped in the bathroom. The lock on the bathroom door had malfunctioned and the man trapped inside started to panic. He felt like he couldn't breathe and began yelling for help.
Sometimes in life we feel trapped. We are banging on the door, pulling on the handle, but we can't get free. We need help from the outside, just like the man in the hotel.
To get that outside assistance, we have to admit that we are helpless on our own. Sometimes we look inward for the answers to our problems, yet the Bible says "the heart is deceitful" (Jer. 17:9). In truth, we are often the source of our problems in life.
Thankfully, "God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything" (1 John 3:20). Because of this, He knows exactly how to help us. Lasting heart-level change and real progress with our problems originate with God. Trusting Him and living to please Him means we can flourish and be truly free.
Heavenly Father, I humble myself before You. I can't solve my problems on my own. Please help me to seek Your help and perspective.
God helps those who know they are helpless.