逆境中的歌声
 
陈立福 牧师
 
  经文：哈3:17-19 　
今天所分享的经文在哈巴谷书3:17-19，哈巴谷先知是公元前七世纪的先知，与耶利米先知同属一个时代。他经历了国家沦陷、人民被掳、生活无望、前途黯淡的痛苦处境。作为上帝的选民、民族的先知，对此逆境也有过迷茫和疑问。但当他回到神的面前，在神话语的启示、圣灵的感动下，他终于明白了神的旨意,在逆境中高歌颂扬神：“虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛；然而，我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。主耶和华是我的力量！他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄，又使我稳行在高处。”这段经文对每一个在逆境中生活的基督徒有很好的启示和帮助。

一、人生又逆境

人的一生都要经历许多的逆境。英国唯美主义作家王尔德说：“人生就象一个摆钟，摆到左是个悲剧，摆到右也是个悲剧。” 世俗之事，“摆到左”是求而不得，是悲剧；“摆到右”是求而得之，也是悲剧。主耶稣说：“我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。”（约16:33）主耶稣道出人在世上必定有苦难，人生必定有逆境。产生苦难的原因有多种：

1、苦难是人犯罪的产物。始祖亚当、夏娃犯罪后，上帝就宣判：女人要加增生产儿女的苦以及被丈夫管辖的苦；地受咒诅，男人必汗流满面才得糊口，必终身劳苦，才能从地里得吃（参创3:14－19）。从此，人类失去安宁的日子。因着人的放纵、自私、贪婪、诡诈、仇恨、战争等罪恶带给人类种种的苦难。

2、自然灾害引起的苦难，如地震、洪水、火山爆发等。每年都有许多的人遭受自然灾害。今年世界因洪水而受害的人口超过了二亿。

3、上帝的试炼，同时也有撒旦的试探。《约伯记》1章记载：家产万贯、儿女满堂的约伯，因撒旦的试探（经过上帝许可），一瞬间丧失家产、儿女们。痛不欲生的约伯又身长毒疮，人生的灾难接踵而来，真到了雪上加霜的境地。

二、我心依然歌颂

如果说人生的苦难是难免的，那么我们每一个神的儿女更应该有信心、有勇气去面对。我们不应在苦难中消沉，应在逆境中歌唱。使徒行传16:25记载保罗和西拉在腓立比因传福音被捕入狱，他们却在监牢里带着脚镣手铐而祷告唱诗赞美神，结果地大震动，监门大开，锁链也脱落，上帝大显拯救之能。我们上面讲过约伯，他虽然很悲伤，但他还是对上帝充满敬畏之心。他说：“我赤身出于母胎，也赤身归回。赏赐是耶和华，收取的也是耶和华；耶和华的名是应当称颂的。”（伯1:21）约伯在逆境中依然对上帝充满歌颂，这歌颂不仅使他胜过苦难，也带给他加倍的祝福。

对世人来讲，也许只有在顺境中才有歌声和欢笑，但对我们每一个神的儿女来说，不仅在顺境中有歌声，在逆境中更有歌声和颂赞。正如使徒保罗所说：“我们既因信称义，就藉着我们的主耶稣基督得与神相和。我们又藉着他，因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。不但如此，就是在患难中也是欢欢喜喜的。因为知道患难生忍耐，忍耐生老练，老练生盼望，盼望不至于羞耻；因为所赐给我们的圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里。”（罗5:1-5）

一次，美国前总统罗斯福家里被偷去许多东西，一位朋友闻讯后写信安慰他，劝他不要难过。罗斯福回信中说到：“亲爱的朋友，谢谢您来信安慰我，我现在很平安。感谢上帝：因为，第一，贼偷去的是东西而没有伤害我的生命；第二，贼只偷去我部分东西，而不是全部；第三，最值得庆幸的是做贼的是他而不是我。”把每一个不顺心的事都当作一种美好的感受，我们心中就会充满了感恩。

二战后在西德地牢墙上写着这样的诗：“虽然太阳没有照耀，但我们相信它的存在；虽然我没有爱的感觉，但我们相信爱的力量；虽然上帝在静默中，但我们相信他的真实。”感谢主，让我们凭着信心在人生逆境中充满歌声。
Singing In Adversity
By Pastor Chen Lifu

Bible Verse Reading: Habakkuk 3: 17-19

Habakkuk was a prophet in BC 700 and lived in the same era of Jeremiah. He experienced the painful situation that involved the fall of his country, the capture of his people, the hopelessness of life and the dark future. As God's chosen person and national prophet, he was once puzzled and had doubt while in adversity. However, when he came to the LORD, he finally knew God's will with His revelation and after being touched by Holy Spirit. He sang loudly in adversity praising God, "Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the LORD, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights." The Scripture gives enlightenment and help to the Christians who suffer from adversity.

1. Life & adversity

Human beings experience a lot of adversity in their life. American aestheticist writer Wilde said that life is like a pendulum. When it moves to the left, it is a tragedy, and the same when to the right. The LORD Jesus said, "I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" LORD Jesus' words show that there is suffering in the world and adversity in life. There are reasons for sufferings.

1) Suffering is caused human crime. After our ancestors Adam and Eve committed sin, God pronounced that women should bring forth children in pain and be ruled over by their husbands; The ground was cursed and men would eat bread by the sweat. In toil they should eat. (Ref. Genesis 3: 14-19) Thereafter, human beings did not have peaceful life any more. The sins of self-indulge, selfishness, greediness, craftiness, hatred, war, etc. bring human beings all kinds of sufferings.

2) There are sufferings caused by natural disasters such as earthquake, flood, explosion of volcano, etc. Every year there are many people suffer from natural disasters. The number of people who suffer form flood this year exceeds 200,000,000,

3) There is trial of God as well as temptation of Satan. According to Job 1, Job, who was extremely wealthy and with generations of offspring filling the house, lost his property and children in a short time, which was due to the temptation of Satan with God's permission. Job was so grieved as he wished he were dead. Moreover, he was inflicted with loathsome sores. One disaster after another fell upon him.

2. My heart is still singing praise.

If the suffering is unavoidable, we, as God's children, should have more confidence to face it. We should not be depressed in misery, instead, we should sing in adversity. Acts 16:25 records that Paul and Silas were arrested and put in prison. But they prayed and sang hymns to God with their chains. As a result, there was an earthquake, all the doors were opened and the chains unfastened. God showed His great power of salvation. As mentioned earlier, Job revered God, he was very sorrowful though. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21) Job in adversity still sang his praise to God, which not only made him defeat suffering, but also brought him double blessings.

To worldly people, there maybe songs and praises in favorable circumstances. But to us Christians, we should not only have songs in favorable circumstances, but also that we praise Him more in adversity. Just as Paul said, "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5: 1-5)

Once the American ex-president Roosevelt's house was robbed, and he lost many things. Having heard of it, a friend wrote a letter comforting him. Roosevelt answered his letter and said, "Dear friend, thank you for consoling me. I have great peace now. Praise God. Because, first, what the thief took away is the things not my life; second, the thief only took away part of my property; finally, it is most fortunate that he is the thief, not I." Take every unfavorable thing as a beautiful feeling and our heart will be filled with gratitude.

After World War II, a poem was written on the wall in a dungeon in former West German, "Though the sun is not shining, we believe in its existence; though I don't feel love, I trust its power; though God is silent, we know He is truly there." Praise the LORD. May that all of us have confidence sing to God when we are in adversity. 　 　
 
（根据录音整理）