我们在绝望中，因上帝而欢欣！

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18

然而，我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的上帝喜乐。-哈巴谷书3章18节

With a tendency toward pessimism, I quickly jump to negative conclusions about how situations in my life will play out. If I’m thwarted in my efforts on a work project, I’m easily convinced none of my other projects will be successful either, and—even though utterly unrelated—I will probably never be able to touch my toes comfortably. And, woe is me, I’m an awful mother who can’t do anything right. Defeat in one area unnecessarily affects my feelings in many.

我的个性偏向悲观，对于生活中的种种情况总想着负面的结果。若有一项工作计划受挫，就会认为其他的计划，甚至完全无关的计划也同样会失败，觉得自己什么都做不好。我为自己感到悲哀，我觉得自己是个糟糕的母亲，没有一件事做得好。我若在某一方面受挫，就会造成我在许多方面感到挫败。

It’s easy for me to imagine how the prophet Habakkuk might have reacted to what God showed him. He had great cause for despair after having seen the coming troubles for God’s people; long and arduous years lay ahead.Things really did look dismal: no fruit, no meat, and no creature comforts. His words lure me into a pessimistic bed of hopelessness until he jars me awake again with a small three-letter word: yet. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord”(Habakkuk 3:18). Despite all the hardships he anticipated, Habakkuk found cause for rejoicing simply because of who God is.

这让我很容易想像，当上帝向先知哈巴谷显明祂的心意时，哈巴谷会有什么反应。看见上帝的子民将遭大难，未来将面对漫长又艰辛的岁月，这足以令哈巴谷感到绝望忧伤。整个情势令人忧心忡忡：没有水果，没有肉，缺衣少食。哈巴谷的话语使我落入绝望的悲观境地，直到他用“然而”这两个字才将我唤醒。他说：“然而，我要因耶和华欢欣”（哈巴谷书3章18节）。不管前路有多艰辛，哈巴谷因耶和华而找到欢欣快乐的理由。

While we might be prone to exaggerate our problems, Habakkuk truly faced some extreme hardships. If he could summon praise for God in those moments, perhaps we can too. When we’re bogged down in the depths of despair, we can look to God who lifts us up.

有时候，我们或许会夸大自己的困难，但那时哈巴谷确实面临极其艰困的景况。若他在这样的景况中仍能赞美上帝，或许我们也能！当我们落入绝望的深渊中，也能仰望上帝让我们离开深渊。

Dear heavenly Father, 

You are the reason for all of our joy. 

Help us to fix our eyes on You when our circumstances are painful and hard.

亲爱的天父，

祢是我们的喜乐之源。

当我们处于既痛苦又艰困的境况时，
求祢让我们能够定睛仰望祢。

Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV

3 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattlein the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

哈巴谷书 3:17-19 

3 虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛，18 然而我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。19 主耶和华是我的力量，他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄，又使我稳行在高处。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

We don’t know much about the prophet Habakkuk. Not even his father, tribe, or hometown is provided. Yet he is believed to be a temple musician-prophet because he had his own stringed instruments (see Habakkuk3:19). He was likely a contemporary of the prophets Nahum, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah. He prophesied in a period of violence and political chaos that began in the context of Assyria’s upheaval, continued during the Babylonian victory over Jerusalem (597 ),and ended in Babylon’s fall to the Persians (539 ).

我们对先知哈巴谷的背景所知不多，圣经并无记载他的父亲、支派或家乡。但一般认为，他是在圣殿参与音乐事奉的一位先知，因为他自己有丝弦的乐器（参阅哈巴谷书3章19节）。他可能与先知那鸿、西番雅和耶利米是同时代的人。在他担任先知的时代，正值强暴横行、政治混乱。这时代始于亚述的剧变，历经巴比伦攻克耶路撒冷（公元前597年），结束于巴比伦被波斯人打败（公元前539年）。

He would have felt the impact of the death of good King Josiah,who had brought Judah back to God for a short time. Before and after Josiah’s reign, Judah had turned away from God and been characterized by moral and spiritual decay that included the worship of other gods. No wonder Habakkuk was in despair! In his little book he questions (complains to) God out of his burdened heart, and God answers. In the end, the prophet has a deeper understanding of God’s justice.

哈巴谷应当能感受到，行事正直的王约西亚之死所带来的影响。这位王曾带领犹大回归上帝，只可惜为期不长。在约西亚治理犹大国之前和之后，犹大都远离上帝，道德败坏、灵性堕落，甚至还敬拜其他的神祇。难怪哈巴谷会陷入绝望！在哈巴谷篇幅不长的书卷中，他内心无比沉重地向上帝发出质疑（抱怨），上帝也回答了他。最后，先知哈巴谷对上帝的公义有了更深的理解。

When has God given you joy in the midst of pain?

你曾在痛苦中经历到上帝所赐的喜乐吗？

整理：于姊妹