2016年3月1日
轉向光明 Leaning into the Light
读经: 彼得前書2章4-10節
Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10
[祂]召你們出黑暗、入奇妙光明。-彼得前書2章9節
[He] called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.- 1 Peter 2:9
全年读经: 民數記23-25章;馬可福音7章14-37節
Bible in a Year: Numbers 22–25; Mark 7:14-37
有一天，我收到了一束粉紅色鬱金香，盛開的花朵都筆直挺立、生氣盎然。我把它們插在花瓶裡，擺放在廚房餐桌的中央。隔天，我卻發現這些花朵都轉向廚房的窗戶，朝著那灑入室內的陽光綻放。
從某種程度來說，我們受造也像那些花朵一樣會趨向光明，上帝呼召我們轉向祂愛的光輝，正如彼得描述我們被召「出黑暗、入奇妙光明」（彼得前書2章9節）。在認識上帝之前，我們活在罪惡和死亡的陰影中，也因此與上帝隔絕（以弗所書2章1-7節） 。然而，上帝因著祂的憐憫和慈愛，藉著祂愛子的受死和復活，為我們開了一條道路，讓我們得以脫離黑暗的權勢（歌羅西書1章13-14節） 。
耶穌就是世界的光，凡是相信祂的赦罪大能，並接受祂為救主的人都可以得到永生。唯有當我們轉向耶穌這位世界的光，我們才會越來越反映出祂的良善、公義、誠實（以弗所書5章8-9節） 。
願我們永不忘記轉向這世界的光。
快樂，快樂，我們崇拜，
榮耀慈愛大主宰；
心靈開啟在主面前，
如同花朵向日開。
從罪中得拯救，就是脫離黑暗權勢，進入上帝的光明。
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One day I received a bouquet of pink tulips. Their heads bobbed on thick stems as I settled them into a vase, which I placed at the center of our kitchen table. The next day, I noticed that the flowers were facing a different direction. The blossoms that once faced upward were now leaning to the side, opening and reaching toward sunlight that streamed in through a nearby window.
In one sense, we all were made to be like those flowers. God has called us to turn to the light of His love. Peter writes of the wonder of being called "out of darkness into [God's] wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). Before we come to know God, we live in the shadows of sin and death, which keep us separated from Him (Eph. 2:1-7). However, because of God's mercy and love, He made a way for us to escape spiritual darkness through the death and resurrection of His Son (Col. 1:13-14).
Jesus is the Light of the world, and everyone who trusts Him for the forgiveness of sin will receive eternal life. Only as we turn to Him will we increasingly reflect His goodness and truth (Eph. 5:8-9).
May we never forget to lean into the Light.
Joyful, joyful we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before You, opening to the sun above. Henry Van Dyke
Salvation from sin means moving from spiritual darkness to God's light.