第一章

3我們主耶穌基督的父神是應當稱頌的。他是滿有憐憫的父，賜各樣安慰的神。4我們在一切患難中，神都安慰我們，使我們能用他所賜的安慰，去安慰那些在各樣患難中的人。5我們既然多受基督所受的痛苦，就靠著基督多得安慰。6如果我們遭遇患難，那是要使你們得著安慰，得著拯救；如果我們得到安慰，也是要使你們得到安慰。這安慰使你們能夠忍受我們所受那樣的痛苦。7我們對你們的盼望是堅定的，因為知道你們既然一同受痛苦，也必照樣同得安慰。8弟兄們，我們在亞西亞遭受的患難，我們很想讓你們知道。那時我們受到了過於我們所能忍受的壓力，甚至活下去的希望都沒有了，9而且斷定自己是必死的了；然而，這正是要我們不倚靠自己，只倚靠那叫死人復活的神。10他救我們脫離了那極大的死亡，而且他還要救我們，我們希望他將來仍要救我們。11請你們一同用禱告支持我們，好使許多人為著我們所蒙的恩獻上感謝。這恩是藉著許多人的代求而得到的。

 

默想

1. 基督徒因為順服神在他生命中的引導，而會遭受患難，卻是充滿喜樂的，因為有神的旨意在其中，且要完成神與人和好的善工。他遭患難，卻使他在其他受苦的人心中帶來信賴度，以致有敞開的門進入受苦人的心中，分享耶穌的福音。
2. 我上次是什麼時候覺得處在壓力鍋裡？是什麼事情？
3. 我周圍的人中，有誰最近有很大的壓力？保羅會要我怎樣為他/她禱告？用幾分鐘為這位朋友禱告。過幾天，不妨給他打個電話，寫封電郵，問候一下，告訴他我在為他禱告。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

CHAPTER 1

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

⁸We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

 

MEDITATION

1. Christians may suffer because of the faith that we have.  But when we suffer and are persecuted because of Jesus, we can also be comforted because we know that God is at work, seeking reconciliation between God and men and that Christ is the one who comforts us.  When we suffer for the gospel, we are put into a position of needing to be dependent on God.
2. When was the last time I felt like in a pressure cooker?  What happened?
3. Whom do I know that is under pressure right now?  How would Paul encourage me to pray for him/her this week?  Spend a few minutes praying for this person.  Give this person a call, in a few days, or write him/her an email asking how things are and telling him/her that you are praying for him/her.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.