Our lives are better off in God’s hands than in our own.

让我们把生活中的每个时刻，都交由上帝来掌管。

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the  establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

人心筹算自己的道路，惟耶和华指引他的脚步。-箴言16章9节

Not long ago I was working on a construction project at my son’s home three hours away. The job took days longer than expected, and each morning I prayed we would finish by sunset. But every evening there was more to be done.

儿子的住所离我家约三小时的车程。不久前，我到他那里进行房子整修。工程的进度迟缓，远超乎预期。每天早上我都祷告在日落前能完工，但到傍晚还是有很多事没完成。

I wondered why. Could there be a reason for the delay? An answer came the next morning. I was picking up a tool when my phone rang and a stranger’s voice spoke urgently: “Your daughter was injured in an accident. You need to come immediately.”

我百思不解。难道工程延迟有其他原因？第二天早上，我获得了答案。我正拿起工具时，电话响起，那头传来陌生人急切的声音说：“你女儿意外受伤了，请你立即赶过来。”

She lived near my son, so it took just fourteen minutes to reach her. If I had been home, I would have been three hours away. I followed the ambulance to the hospital and comforted her before surgery. As I sat holding her hand I realized if my project hadn’t been delayed, I wouldn’t have been there.

女儿就住在儿子的附近，所以我只需14分钟就到她身边。若那时我住在家里，就必须花3小时才能赶来。我随救护车陪她前往医院，并在手术前安抚她。当我握着她的手时，我心想，若非工程延误我就不能及时在这里了。

Our moments belong to God. This was the experience of a woman whose son God had resurrected through the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18–37). She left the country because of famine and returned years later to beg the king for her land. At precisely that moment the king was conversing with the prophet’s servant Gehazi. “Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored” her son, the woman walked in (8:5). Her request was granted.

我们生命的每个时刻都在上帝手中。这正是一名妇女的经历，上帝曾透过先知以利沙使她的儿子复活（列王纪下4章18-37节）。她后来因饥荒而离乡，多年后才回归故里。当她为了取回自己的房屋田地觐见国王时，国王正好与先知的仆人基哈西谈话。就在基哈西告诉王，以利沙如何救活一个妇人的儿子时，恰巧那妇人就来到王面前（8章5节），她的请求便顺利得到王的应允。

We don’t know what even the next second brings, but God is graciously able to use any situation for good. May God give us grace to walk with Him expectantly into His appointments for us today.

我们不晓得下一秒会发生什么事，但上帝能用各种情况叫我们得益处。愿上帝赐给我们恩典，使我们今天与祂一同行在祂的计划中。

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of my life. Help us to be Your faithful servant and follow you closely today.

感谢主赐我生命，求祢帮助我成为祢忠心的仆人,并且今天紧紧地跟随你。

2 Kings 8:1-6    NIV

8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”

列王纪下 8:1-6 

8 以利沙曾对所救活之子的那妇人说：“你和你的全家要起身往你可住的地方去住，因为耶和华命饥荒降在这地七年。” 2 妇人就起身，照神人的话，带着全家往非利士地去，住了七年。 3 七年完了，那妇人从非利士地回来，就出去为自己的房屋、田地哀告王。 4 那时王正与神人的仆人基哈西说：“请你将以利沙所行的一切大事告诉我。” 5 基哈西告诉王以利沙如何使死人复活，恰巧以利沙所救活她儿子的那妇人为自己的房屋、田地来哀告王。基哈西说：“我主我王，这就是那妇人，这是她的儿子，就是以利沙所救活的。” 6 王问那妇人，她就把那事告诉王。于是王为她派一个太监，说：“凡属这妇人的都还给她，自从她离开本地直到今日，她田地的出产也都还给她。”

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Today’s text demonstrates God’s sovereignty in directing human affairs. Another example of God’s divine direction is seen in the account of Joseph (Genesis 37–41). At the end of his story, Joseph comforted his brothers who had grievously harmed him (45:5) and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (50:20).

今天阅读的经文凸显了上帝在我们人生中的主权。从圣经有关约瑟的记述中，我们也可以看到上帝奇妙的指引（创世记37-41章）。末了，约瑟安慰那些曾深深伤害过他的兄弟（45章5节），并对他们说：“从前你们的意思是要害我，但上帝的意思原是好的。”（50章20节）

The apostle Paul says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

正如使徒保罗所说：“万事都互相效力，叫爱上帝的人得益处，就是按祂旨意被召的人。”（罗马书8章28节）

How do these examples help you trust God as the Lord of your moments?

这些例子如何使你相信上帝掌管你的一生呢？

整理：于姊妹