How to Spend Time with Jesus – By Nicky Gumbel
| I first encountered Jesus in February 1974. I am so grateful to those who taught me, right from the start, the importance of what they called ‘the quiet time’. The old-fashioned expression ‘the quiet time’ (meaning time set aside to read the Bible and pray) probably has its origin in the words of Jesus in today’s New Testament passage, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place’ (Mark 6:31). Practically every morning since I was eighteen years of age, I have begun the day in this way. I try to spend time with Jesus, by myself, in a quiet place. Sometimes it is very brief, sometimes it is longer. But just as I do not like beginning the day without breakfast, I cannot imagine beginning the day without spiritual food. Nearly always, I start by reading the Bible, as I believe it’s more important that Jesus speaks to me than I speak to him. My thoughts from each day are now the basis of these notes that accompany the Bible in One Year. | 我第一次遇到耶穌是在 1974 年 2 月。我非常感謝那些從一開始就教導我他們所謂的“安靜時間”的重要性的人。 老式的表達“安靜的時間”（意思是留出時間閱讀聖經和祈禱）可能起源於耶穌在今天的新約經文中的話，“你們自己到安靜的地方來”（馬可福音） 6:31）。 從我十八歲起，幾乎每天早上，我都以這種方式開始新的一天。 我試著獨自在一個安靜的地方與耶穌共度時光。 有時很短，有時很長。 但正如我不喜歡沒有早餐開始新的一天一樣，我無法想像沒有精神食物的新一天。 我幾乎總是從讀聖經開始，因為我相信耶穌對我說話比我對他說話更重要。 我每天的想法現在是一年中伴隨聖經的這些筆記的基礎。 |
Psalm 25:1-7
Time to look to God
| Do you ever feel daunted by your circumstances? Do you ever fear that you might fail and end up disappointed or even ashamed? David clearly had such fears and gives us an example of how to start a quiet time. He begins by saying, ‘Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life’ (v.1, AMP). He is determined to trust God despite all the challenges that lie ahead. He goes on, ‘O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me’ (v.2, AMP). He says, in effect, ‘I am looking to you, God’ (v.1, MSG). He was obviously under attack, but he trusted that God would never let him be put to shame (v.3). His hope was in God ‘all day long’ (v.5). Take time each day to look to God in preparation for what lies ahead. Ask for God’s mercy, forgiveness, help, guidance and deliverance. Lord, I pray for your guidance in everything I’m involved in today: ‘Take me by the hand; Lead me down the paths of truth… plan only the best for me, God!’ (vv.5,7, MSG). | 你有沒有被你的環境嚇倒？您是否曾經擔心自己可能會失敗並最終感到失望甚至羞愧？ 大衛顯然有這樣的恐懼，並給我們一個如何開始安靜時間的例子。他首先說，“主啊，我將我的生命獻給你”（第 1 節，AMP）。儘管面臨著所有的挑戰，他仍決心信靠上帝。他繼續說，‘我的上帝啊，我相信、依靠、依靠並相信你。不要讓我感到羞恥或[我對你的希望]失望；不要讓我的敵人戰勝我”（第 2 節，AMP）。 他說，實際上，“我在仰望你，上帝”（第 1 節，味精）。他顯然受到了攻擊，但他相信上帝永遠不會讓他蒙羞（第 3 節）。他“終日”盼望神（第 5 節）。 每天花時間仰望上帝，為即將發生的事情做好準備。祈求上帝的憐憫、寬恕、幫助、引導和拯救。 主啊，我祈求你對我今天所參與的一切的指導：‘牽著我的手；引導我走上真理的道路……只為我計劃最好的，上帝！’（vv.5,7，MSG）。 |
Mark 6:30-56
Time alone with Jesus
| Jesus taught his disciples the priority of time alone with him. He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place’ (v.31b) and they went off by themselves ‘to a solitary place’ (v.32). There was so much action going on in Jesus’ life that it must have been very hard for him to escape and get some rest (v.31). God was using him in amazing ways – feeding the 5,000 and walking on water for a start! He saw the vast needs of all the people (‘He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd’, v.34). They were desperate for him and were literally running towards him (vv.33,55). Nevertheless, Jesus found it necessary to send them all off. He needed some solitude. He climbed a mountain to pray (vv.45–46). He prioritised his time alone with God. Prayer and action go hand in hand. The activity comes out of the relationship. Jesus ‘had compassion on them’ (v.34). The word used is the strongest word in the Greek language for ‘pity’. ‘His heart broke’ (v.34, MSG). Jesus was constantly developing and encouraging the disciples in their ministry. He did not merely feed the 5,000 miraculously by himself. He said to them, ‘You give them something to eat’ (v.37). Sometimes I feel daunted by the ministry God has given to me. Often, I feel I have little to offer the people I am called to serve. I take great comfort from this passage. Jesus can do a lot with a little. If you offer to Jesus the little you have, he can multiply it and meet the needs of all the people. Jesus was efficient, organised and practical. He ‘told them to make all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties’ (vv.39–40). After the disciples had fed the 5,000, Jesus sent them off again by themselves. He made his disciples get into a boat and go on ahead of him, while he went up on a mountainside to pray. Even when we are doing what Jesus tells us to do, it is sometimes very difficult and hard work. There are times when I feel ‘agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread)’ (v.50, AMP). The disciples were ‘straining at the oars, because the wind was against them’ (v.48). When Jesus joined them he said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’ (v.50). As Jesus climbed into the boat with them, ‘the wind died down’ (v.51). We see a picture of the difference Jesus makes to our lives. It is an uphill struggle unless you are conscious of Jesus’ presence with you. Only those who recognise Jesus (v.54) can enjoy this relationship. Those who did recognise him ran towards him (v.55) and – I love these words – ‘all who touched him were healed’ (v.56). Lord, thank you that in the storms of life you say to me, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’ (v.50). | 耶穌教導他的門徒，與他獨處的時間是最重要的。他對他們說：“你們自己跟我到一個安靜的地方來”（31 節下），他們就自己去了“一個僻靜的地方”（32 節）。 耶穌的生活中發生瞭如此多的事情，以至於他一定很難逃脫並得到休息（第 31 節）。上帝以驚人的方式使用他——餵飽 5000 人，開始在水上行走！他看到了所有人的巨大需要（“他憐憫他們，因為他們就像沒有牧人的羊”，第 34 節）。 他們急切地想要他，並且真的向他跑來（vv.33,55）。然而，耶穌發現有必要把他們都打發走。他需要一些孤獨。他爬山禱告（45-46 節）。他優先考慮與上帝獨處的時間。 禱告和行動齊頭並進。活動來自關係。耶穌“憐憫他們”（第 34 節）。使用的詞是希臘語中最強烈的詞，表示“憐憫”。 “他的心碎了”（第 34 節，味精）。 耶穌不斷地發展和鼓勵門徒的事工。他不只是一個人奇蹟般地餵飽了5000人。他對他們說：“你給他們吃的”（第 37 節）。 有時，我對上帝賜給我的事工感到畏懼。通常，我覺得我沒有什麼可以提供給我被召喚服務的人。我從這段經文中得到了極大的安慰。耶穌可以用一點點做很多事情。如果你把你僅有的一點點獻給耶穌，他就能倍增它，滿足所有人的需要。 耶穌是有效率的、有組織的和實際的。他告訴他們讓所有人在綠草地上成群坐下。於是他們成百五十人一組坐下”（39-40 節）。 門徒餵飽了 5000 人後，耶穌又把他們自己打發走了。他讓他的門徒上船在他前面走，他則上山去禱告。 即使我們按照耶穌的吩咐去做，有時也是非常困難和艱苦的工作。有時我會感到“激動（不安，充滿恐懼和恐懼）”（第 50 節，AMP）。門徒們“拉著槳，因為風逆著他們”（第 48 節）。當耶穌加入他們時，他說：‘鼓起勇氣！是我。不要害怕”（第 50 節）。 當耶穌和他們一起上船時，“風停了”（第 51 節）。我們看到了耶穌對我們生活的改變。除非你意識到耶穌與你同在，否則這是一場艱苦的鬥爭。 只有認出耶穌的人（第 54 節）才能享受這種關係。那些認出他的人跑向他（第 55 節），而且——我喜歡這些話——“凡摸過他的人都得了醫治”（第 56 節）。 主啊，感謝你在人生的風暴中對我說：‘鼓起勇氣！是我。不要害怕”（第 50 節）。 |
Exodus 31:1-33:6
Time to receive help from God
| Part of the reason Jesus wanted his disciples to come away was to get some rest (Mark 6:31). We see in this passage the importance of rest and refreshment (Exodus 31:13–17). Look ahead at your schedule and make sure that you put these times in as a priority. Time alone with Jesus includes listening to him. The main way in which we hear Jesus speak to us is through the Bible. It is often when I fail to spend time alone with Jesus that I more easily succumb to temptation or feel afraid. In Exodus 32, we see that however much God has done for us in the past, we so quickly forget and doubt him and, as a result, fall into sin: ‘They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them’ (32:8). The initial cause of their idolatry was a lack of patience. They did not wait for God’s timing. The fact that God takes what we consider to be a long time does not mean that he is not at work. After the people had made the golden calf as an idol, it was the prayer of Moses that averted total disaster (vv.11–14). By the power of prayer it is possible to change the course of history. Aaron was held responsible for the idolatry: ‘What did these people do to you, that you led them into such a great sin?’ (v.21). Actually, Aaron simply followed popular opinion. It was the people’s idea, which he had put into action. Yet in God’s sight he was still the leader. He should have stood against them, rather than allowing himself to be persuaded to lead them into sin. Aaron replied, ‘You know how prone these people are to evil… they gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!’ (vv.22–24). This is obviously nonsense but it is easy to distort the truth slightly to justify ourselves. Today’s passage can be more fully understood in the light of St Paul’s exposition of it in the New Testament. He writes, ‘Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did’ (1 Corinthians 10:6). This passage warns us about four things: Self-indulgence (1 Corinthians 10:7; Exodus 32:6) Promiscuity (1 Corinthians 10:8, MSG) Self-worship (v.9) Grumbling (v.10). The severity of the punishments the people of God faced is a mark of how serious and destructive these sins are, ‘and were written down as warnings for us’ (v.11). They show us God’s unwillingness simply to let them fester. Yet Paul does not just leave it there, he tells us how to deal with temptation: ‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it’ (v.13, MSG). These final words remind us of God’s extraordinary grace towards us helping us through temptation. However, even when we fall down in these areas we can be forgiven through Jesus. Lord, thank you for the amazing privilege that we have of being able to spend time in your presence. Thank you that I can listen to your voice and that you speak to me. Help me to be careful not to fall into temptation. Keep me walking in a close relationship with you each day. | 耶穌希望他的門徒離開的部分原因是為了休息（馬可福音 6:31）。我們在這段經文中看到了休息和恢復活力的重要性（出埃及記 31：13-17）。提前查看您的日程安排，並確保將這些時間作為優先事項。 與耶穌獨處的時間包括聽他講話。我們聽到耶穌對我們說話的主要方式是通過聖經。當我無法與耶穌獨處時，我往往更容易屈服於誘惑或感到害怕。 在出埃及記 32 章中，我們看到無論神過去為我們做了多少，我們很快就忘記並懷疑他，結果陷入了罪惡：“他們很快就背離了我所吩咐他們的”（ 32:8)。 他們崇拜偶像的最初原因是缺乏耐心。他們沒有等待上帝的時機。上帝花了我們認為很長時間的事實並不意味著他沒有工作。 在人們將金牛犢作為偶像之後，正是摩西的祈禱避免了徹底的災難（11-14 節）。藉著祈禱的力量，有可能改變歷史的進程。 亞倫要為拜偶像負責：“這些人對你做了什麼，你把他們帶入瞭如此大的罪中？”（第 21 節）。其實，亞倫只是隨波逐流。這是人民的想法，他付諸行動。然而在上帝的眼中，他仍然是領導者。他應該反對他們，而不是讓自己被說服引導他們犯罪。 亞倫回答說：“你知道這些人多麼容易作惡……他們把金子給了我，我把它扔進火裡，這牛犢就出來了！”（22-24 節）。這顯然是胡說八道，但很容易稍微歪曲事實以證明自己的合理性。 今天的經文可以根據聖保羅在新約中對它的解釋得到更充分的理解。他寫道，“現在這些事情的發生是為了防止我們像他們那樣把我們的心放在邪惡的事情上”（哥林多前書 10:6）。這段話警告我們四件事： 自我放縱（哥林多前書 10:7；出埃及記 32:6） 濫交（哥林多前書 10:8，味精） 自我崇拜（第 9 節） 抱怨（第 10 節）。 上帝的子民所面臨的懲罰的嚴厲程度表明了這些罪的嚴重性和破壞性，“並被記錄下來作為對我們的警告”（第 11 節）。他們向我們展示了上帝不願意讓他們潰爛。 然而，保羅不僅把它留在那裡，他還告訴我們如何應對試探：“你遇到的任何考驗或試探都不會超出其他人不得不面對的過程。您需要記住的是，上帝永遠不會讓您失望；他永遠不會讓你超過你的極限；他會一直在那裡幫助你度過難關”（第 13 節，味精）。 這些最後的話提醒我們上帝對我們幫助我們度過試探的非凡恩典。然而，即使我們在這些方面跌倒，我們也可以通過耶穌得到寬恕。 主啊，感謝您讓我們有幸在您面前度過時光。謝謝你，我可以聽到你的聲音，你和我說話。幫助我小心不要陷入誘惑。讓我每天都與你保持密切的關係。 |
Pippa Adds
Exodus 31:1–33:6
| How quickly people get into mischief when left to their own devices. Aaron should have known better – he had been part of many great miracles. But even he was led astray by the crowd. Only Moses remained totally faithful. He didn’t go along with the crowd. Leadership can be lonely. Moses was a true leader. | 當人們放任自己的設備時，他們會多快陷入惡作劇。 亞倫應該更清楚——他曾參與過許多偉大的奇蹟。 但即使是他也被人群誤入歧途。 只有摩西保持完全的忠誠。 他沒有隨眾而去。 領導可能是孤獨的。 摩西是一位真正的領袖。 |