《静夜亮光》四月二十二日

四月二十二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/04/0422.mp3″]
经文: 你必不怕黑夜的惊骇。（诗篇九十一：5）

这惊骇是什么？可能是火警的呼叫、窃贼的声音、或是突然死亡的号哭。我们活在死亡与忧伤的世界中，因此，无论是夜半或黄昏，我们都可预期会有困境来临。但没有一事能令我们惊慌，因为上帝允许凡相信祂的人必不致害怕。上帝，我们的父就在此地，且要在这些孤独的时刻中一直留守此地。祂是全能的守望者，不眠的保护者，忠实的朋友。黑暗于祂并不是黑暗。祂允许在祂的百姓周围有一道火墙，谁能攻破这样的障碍呢？不认识上帝的人才会害怕，因为在他们之上有一位会发怒的上帝，在他们之内是犯罪的良心，在他们之下是张口的地狱。但是我们藉祂丰盛的恩典，已从这些景况中被救出来了，可以在耶稣之内得享安息。我们若仍然愚蠢地害怕，就是羞辱了我们所信的，也导致他人怀疑上帝的真实。我们应该对自己会害怕而害怕，因为我们愚蠢的不信任会让圣灵担忧。放下忧郁的预感和无根据的挂虑，上帝不会忘记祂的恩典，或停止祂温柔的怜悯。心灵可能处于黑夜，却不可存惧怕，因为上帝的爱永不改变。光明的儿女可能行走在黑暗中，但是他们没有被上帝弃绝。藉着对天上父上帝的信靠，他们当证明自己是蒙上帝接纳的。

Evening, April 22
Scripture: “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night.”(Psalm 91:5)

What is this terror? It may be the cry of fire, or the noise of thieves, or fancied appearances, or the shriek of sudden sickness or death. We live in the world of death and sorrow, we may therefore look for ills as well in the night-watches as beneath the glare of the broiling sun. Nor should this alarm us, for be the terror what it may, the promise is that the believer shall not be afraid. Why should he? Let us put it more closely, why should we? God our Father is here, and will be here all through the lonely hours; he is an almighty Watcher, a sleepless Guardian, a faithful Friend. Nothing can happen without his direction, for even hell itself is under his control. Darkness is not dark to him. He has promised to be a wall of fire around his people－and who can break through such a barrier? Worldlings may well be afraid, for they have an angry God above them, a guilty conscience within them, and a yawning hell beneath them; but we who rest in Jesus are saved from all these through rich mercy. If we give way to foolish fear we shall dishonour our profession, and lead others to doubt the reality of godliness. We ought to be afraid of being afraid, lest we should vex the Holy Spirit by foolish distrust. Down, then, ye dismal forebodings and groundless apprehensions, God has not forgotten to be gracious, nor shut up his tender mercies; it may be night in the soul, but there need be no terror, for the God of love changes not. Children of light may walk in darkness, but they are not therefore cast away, nay, they are now enabled to prove their adoption by trusting in their heavenly Father as hypocrites cannot do.

“Though the night be dark and dreary,

Darkness cannot hide from thee;

Thou art he, who, never weary,

Watchest where thy people be.”