对今日诗句的想法
什么才是衡量我们品格的真正标尺？显然不仅仅是我们“在教会”中的表现。我们与主同工，拯救那些失丧的、被世人所遗忘的、受欺压的和心碎的人，才是对于我们品格、虔敬的真正检验。如果我们只为自己而活，当我们逃离所当做的事情，那么我们的文化也就因缺失爱神之心而崩溃，而百姓则彼此嫉妒、怨恨。
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
What is the most accurate measure of our character? It is not merely how we act "at church" or among other like-minded people. The real test of our character, our true godliness, is found in our partnership with our Father in heaven and his work to redeem the lost, forgotten, downtrodden, and broken — or quite literally in this verse, the "foreigner"* and "fatherless" and "widows" among us. When we live only for ourselves and leave the "have-nots" far behind in our practice of love, justice, and mercy, our culture collapses upon itself because it lacks the heart of God for the outcast and alone; in addition, culture breaks down because the people who are the "have-nots" can become jealous and resentful of those who have and the “haves” can feel superior to those who do not have! The real test of our character is how we love people around us who are in need.
* The NIV 11, rather than our usual NIV 1984, is used for this passage because of the translation of the literal term "resident alien" as "foreigner" by the NIV 11 is deemed closer to our modern usage of these terms.
我的祷告
慈爱的神、全能的、掌管一切的主啊，请饶恕我们，并使用你的儿女来医治我们的土地。父啊，我切切地祷告，祈求你使用我，让我能够祝福那些遭难时孤立无助的人，奉主耶稣基督名求，阿们！
My Prayer...
Loving God, the Almighty and Sovereign Lord, please forgive us and use your children who live by your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice to heal our land. Father, I especially pray that you will use me to be a blessing to someone in need with no one to turn to in their times of crisis. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
