As a teenager, I went through the typical season of rebellion against my mother’s authority. My father died before I entered adolescence, so my mom had to navigate these turbulent parenting waters without his help.

我在十几岁时，经历了一个典型的叛逆时期，极力反抗母亲的权威。父亲在我进入青春期前就已经过世，所以我母亲必须独力抚养我，并面对青春期孩子随时带来的冲击。

I recall thinking that Mom didn’t want me to ever have any fun—and maybe didn’t even love me—because she frequently said no. I see now that she said no to activities that weren’t good for me precisely because she loves me.

记得那时，我认为母亲根本不让我有任何休闲娱乐，甚至觉得她并不爱我，因为她经常对我说：“不行！”回头一看才明白，她会反对我去参加那些不适合我的活动，正是因为她爱我。

The Israelites questioned how much God loved them because of their time in captivity in Babylon. But that captivity was God’s correction for their continued rebellion against Him. So now, God sent the prophet Malachi to them. His opening words from the Lord were, “I have loved you” (Malachi 1:2). Israel replied skeptically, inquiring as to how God has loved them, as if to say, “Really?” But God, through Malachi, reminded them of the way He had demonstrated that love: He had chosen them over the Edomites.

当以色列人被掳到巴比伦时，他们也质疑上帝并不爱他们。其实，上帝是藉着此事来纠正以色列民对祂持续的背叛。之后，上帝派先知玛拉基对他们说话，且一开始就说：“我爱你们”（玛拉基书1章2节，新译本）。以色列民满怀疑窦地询问上帝如何爱他们，好像在说：“真的吗？”但上帝透过玛拉基提醒他们，上帝已显明祂的爱，就是祂拣选了以色列民，而没有选择以东人。

We all go through difficult seasons in life. We may be tempted to question God’s love for us during those times. Let’s recall the many ways He’s shown us His unfailing love. When we stop to consider His goodness, we find that He is indeed a loving Father.

相信我们都曾经历过生命中艰难的岁月，在艰困的时候，我们可能会质疑上帝对我们的爱。让我们回想一下，上帝过去如何藉诸般途径向我们展现祂永恒的爱。当我们停下来并仔细思想祂的美善，就会明白祂确实是一位慈爱的父亲。

主啊，在我们人生的旅程中，祢已向我们表明温柔的关怀，在艰难的岁月中祢伴我们同行。求祢帮助我们，永远记得祢的爱。

Malachi 1:1-5    NIV

1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” 4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

玛拉基书 1:1-5

1 耶和华借玛拉基传给以色列的默示。2 耶和华说：“我曾爱你们，你们却说：‘你在何事上爱我们呢？’”耶和华说：“以扫不是雅各的哥哥吗？我却爱雅各， 3 恶以扫，使他的山岭荒凉，把他的地业交给旷野的野狗。 4 以东人说：‘我们现在虽被毁坏，却要重建荒废之处。’万军之耶和华如此说：任他们建造，我必拆毁。人必称他们的地为罪恶之境，称他们的民为耶和华永远恼怒之民。 5 你们必亲眼看见，也必说：‘愿耶和华在以色列境界之外被尊为大！’”

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Malachi, though a short book, is a very important one. Malachi ministered as the last prophet sent to the remnant that had returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. The prophet’s central theme is the coming of the Messiah. The prophet preaches about God’s righteous judgment as well as His love. It’s only in the overwhelming sacrifice of the Messiah, His victory over death, and coming back to earth to make all things right, that the love of God can be fully understood. 

玛拉基书的篇幅虽短，却非常重要。玛拉基是旧约时代中最后一位先知，在余民之中宣告上帝的话语，就是从巴比伦被掳之地回到耶路撒冷的百姓。先知玛拉基传达的核心信息是弥赛亚的降临。玛拉基讲论上帝公义的审判，以及上帝的慈爱。只有透过弥赛亚超越一切的受死牺牲、战胜死亡，并以后再来到世上导正一切，人们才能完全理解上帝的爱。

The unmerited offer of redeeming grace made known through Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible. Certainly our Lord’s life and ministry are a marvelous picture of God’s declaration “I have loved you” (1:2). 

上帝藉着耶稣基督赐给我们不配得的救赎恩典，这乃是圣经的核心信息。当然，主耶稣的生活和事工更是美妙地刻画出上帝的宣告：“我曾爱你们。”（1章2节）

Why not take a few minutes to prayerfully reflect on Christ coming to redeem you and the future hope of His coming again. 

何不花几分钟来祷告，默想基督的救赎，以及祂的再来所带来的盼望！

整理：于姊妹