God’s love and beauty make us brave.

上帝的慈爱与美善，使我们勇敢刚强。

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57:8 

我的灵啊，你当醒起！琴瑟啊，你们当醒起！我自己要极早醒起。-诗篇57篇8节

Fear can leave us frozen. We know all the reasons to be afraid—everything that’s hurt us in the past, everything that could easily do so again. So sometimes we’re stuck—unable to go back; too afraid to move forward. I just can’t do it. I’m not smart enough, strong enough, or brave enough to handle being hurt like that again.

在一个圣经恐惧会让我们停滞不前。很多事都会让我们心生恐惧，就如过去种种伤害我们的事，如今亦能再次伤害我们。所以有时我们会动弹不得，既不能走回头路，又因惧怕而无法前进。我就是做不到。我不够聪明、不够强壮，或不够勇敢，无法再次承受从前所受的伤害。

I’m captivated by how author Frederick Buechner describes God’s grace: like a gentle voice that says, “Here is the world. Terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.”

我很欣赏作家傅瑞德．毕克纳对上帝恩典的描述：“仿佛一股轻柔的声音说：在这个世界，坏事与美事都会发生。但是别害怕，因我与你同在。”

Terrible things will happen. In our world, hurting people hurt other people, often terribly. Like the psalmist David, we carry our own stories of when evil surrounded us, when, like “ravenous beasts,” others wounded us (Psalm 57:4). And so we grieve; we cry out (vv. 1–2).

的确坏事会发生。在这个世界上，人会受伤害，也会伤害别人，有时甚至手段残酷。就像诗人大卫一样，我们都有受伤害的经历，那恶者有如饥饿的野兽环伺并伤害我们（诗篇57篇4节）。因此我们感到悲伤，求告至高上帝（1-2节）。

But because God is with us, beautiful things can happen too. As we run to Him with our hurts and fears, we find ourselves carried by a love far greater than anyone’s power to harm us (vv. 1–3), a love so deep it fills the skies (v. 10). Even when disaster rages around us, His love is a solid refuge where our hearts find healing (vv. 1, 7). Until one day we’ll find ourselves awakening to renewed courage, ready to greet the day with a song of His faithfulness (vv. 8–10).

但因上帝的同在，美事也会发生。当我们带着伤痛及恐惧奔向上帝，便会发现自己被至极的爱所环绕，没有任何权势能伤害我们（1-3节），这份爱高及诸天（10节）。即使四周灾难频传，祂的爱仍是坚固避难所，能令我们的心得着医治（1、7节）。终有一日，我们会发现自己重新得着勇气，预备迎接那日，以诗歌颂扬祂的信实（8-10节）。

Healer and Redeemer, thank You for holding us and healing us with Your endless love. Help us find in Your love the courage to follow You and share Your love with those around us.

我们的医治者和救赎主啊，感谢祢以无尽的爱托住并医治我们。求祢帮助我们，在祢慈爱中得着勇气去跟从祢，并与人分享祢的爱。

Psalm 57    NIV

57 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet— I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves. 7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

诗篇 57

57 神啊，求你怜悯我，怜悯我，因为我的心投靠你。我要投靠在你翅膀的荫下，等到灾害过去。2 我要求告至高的神，就是为我成全诸事的神。3 那要吞我的人辱骂我的时候，神从天上必施恩救我，也必向我发出慈爱和诚实。4 我的性命在狮子中间，我躺卧在性如烈火的世人当中，他们的牙齿是枪、箭，他们的舌头是快刀。5 神啊，愿你崇高过于诸天，愿你的荣耀高过全地！6 他们为我的脚设下网罗，压制我的心。他们在我面前挖了坑，自己反掉在其中。7 神啊，我心坚定，我心坚定！我要唱诗，我要歌颂！8 我的灵啊，你当醒起！琴瑟啊，你们当醒起！我自己要极早醒起。9 主啊，我要在万民中称谢你，在列邦中歌颂你。10 因为你的慈爱高及诸天，你的诚实达到穹苍。11 神啊，愿你崇高过于诸天，愿你的荣耀高过全地！

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

In the book of Psalms, superscriptions often precede the actual text. These notes shed light on the individual or group designated to lead the composition, the author, or the situation that inspired the lyrics. The superscription for Psalm 57 tells us David wrote this psalm “when he had fled from Saul into the cave.” Scripture records two times when David found refuge from Saul in a cave (1 Samuel 22 and 24). While there is uncertainty as to which of these two incidents is in view here, the truth of the psalm is crystal clear—the fearful, the anxious, the fleeing can find ultimate safety in the Lord (Psalm 57:1). 

许多诗篇在开头部分都附有题注，说明谁是该诗篇的作者、带领唱诗的个人或小组，或是激发诗人写这诗篇的处境。诗篇57篇的题注告诉我们，大卫写这首诗的时候，正在“逃避扫罗，藏在洞里”。由于圣经记载大卫曾两次躲在山洞里逃避扫罗（撒母耳记上22和24章），我们无法确定，这首诗篇是在哪一次躲藏的时候所写成的，但诗中所蕴含的真理却仍显而易见：无论是惧怕、焦虑或逃难的人，都可以从上帝那里得着真正的平安（诗篇57篇1节）。

When was the last time a difficult situation caused you to call out to “God Most High”? (v. 2).

你曾在何时因为陷入困境而呼求“至高的上帝”呢？（2节）

整理：于姊妹