Life And Hope 人生与盼望
Author: Bro Lim Siew Meng
“Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10
Life, while it is not exactly that long, we cannot consider short either. Time flies and unknowingly, I have come to this stage of life. There is a time for everything in life, they are all in the plan and control of the Lord. Is not it written in Psalm 90:12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Using simple math, it is easy to estimate how much time we have left, may the Lord help us use the remaining time wisely.
It is written in Psalm 39:4-5
“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
The length of our days is insignificant before God, yet the fleeting years are all the time on earth God has granted us. One of the biggest challenges a person faces when aged, is to realise that God wants to continue to work through him to change the world. No matter our age, we must receive each new day with thanks and seek His will so we may know how to better serve Him.
Dear brothers and sisters, in ending, let me encourage all of us using 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
May it be that when the day comes, we can declare that “I have kept the faith”, so we may confidently enter the glory of God’s kingdom. May God bless us and use us all.
文: 林秀民弟兄
「我们一生的年日是七十岁，如果强壮，可到八十岁，但其中可夸耀的，不过是劳苦愁烦；我们的年日转眼即逝，我们也如飞而去了。」
生命说长不长，说短不短，时光如箭，不知不觉已经来到这个阶段。生命一切都有定时，都在神的计划与掌控之中。诗篇90：12节岂不是这么说:「求你教导我们怎样数算自己的日子，好使我们得着智慧的心。」
如果用加减乘除法，很简单又直接就能算出剩下的光阴，在这余下的几个十年，求主赐予我们有智慧的去使用。
诗篇39：4-5节这么说：
「耶和华啊！求你使我知道我的结局，我的寿数有多少，使我知道我的生命多么短促。你使我的日子窄如手掌，我的一生在你面前如同无有；各人站得最稳的时候，也只不过是一口气。」
在神的手中，人生的岁数微不足道，如同无有。而我们瞬息的人生岁月，就是神赐给我们在世的所有时间。当一个人变老时，他最大挑战之一，就是能够明白神要继续透过他的工作来改变世界。无论我们的年龄是多少，我们都必须为每个新的一天而感谢神，并寻求神的旨意，以晓得祂希望我们怎样服侍祂。
亲爱的弟兄姐妹，最后让我借用保罗在提摩太后书4：7 神所说的话与大家共勉：「那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所持的信仰我已经守住了。」
但愿我们在那日子来到时，都能说“所持的信仰我已经守住“，好让我们都能坦然进入天国的荣耀中。愿神祝福与使用大家。