Weekly Devotion ( Psalm 22-25)
Psalm 22:1-18 portrays David in distress, being unjustly pursued and hunted. He relies on God, continuously crying out to Him day and night, expressing his distress and feeling as though God has not heard or responded. He feels abandoned and far from God. Have you ever experienced similar feelings in your own situation?
At this point, David turns toward God (You), proclaiming His holiness and that He is worthy of praise from Israel (God's people). David recalls the testimonies of their ancestors who trusted in God and affirms that those who rely on God will surely be saved and not be put to shame. Looking at himself again, David sees himself as humble as a worm, ridiculed and despised by people, mocked and scorned. However, David was anointed by Samuel. Could it be that God is ignoring him? David once more turns to God (You), acknowledging that his existence is because of Yahweh, and his trusting heart is a gift from God.
He doesn't seek help from the world but solely seeks God's assistance with faith. He counts the grace that God has bestowed upon him. David was surrounded by many bulls, roaring lions, his strength dried up, his bones disjointed, his inner self melting like wax. His enemies pierced his hands and feet, divided his garments, and cast lots for his clothing. While the description in David's life may not perfectly fit, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he prophesied about our beloved Savior, Jesus. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and was crucified. He never had His relationship with God severed until that moment when He was forsaken from noon till three in the afternoon, and darkness covered the land. He cried out loudly, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" David's time did not witness the crucifixion, but this description precisely foretells Jesus' crucifixion (cf. Matthew 27:33-50). Thanks be to God for such wonderful grace! How should we repay the love of the Lord?
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Psalm 22:19-31,In the midst of extreme weakness in body, mind, and spirit , David continues to focus on God. Only God is his help, enabling him to overcome enemies like dogs, lions, and bulls. David does not rely on his own imagination but on the promises of God's words. Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him, endured the shame and suffering of the cross, and now sits at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus humbly and obediently accomplished the great work of salvation for us, saying, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:32-33). His words referred to the manner of His death. Just as a grain of wheat, when it dies, bears much fruit, the church was established through Jesus' death and resurrection. Blessed are the humble, for they will be heard, healed, and set free. If anyone is thirsty, they can come to Jesus and drink, for He is the living water. Jesus took on human form and humbled Himself, being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. We too must continue the victorious work of the Lord, spreading the Gospel to all nations.
In the presence of the Lord, both the living and the dead will worship and face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Death is not the end; those who believe in Jesus have eternal life and will not be condemned.
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Psalm 23 depicts Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who endured shame, suffering, and death for us, taking on our sins. He lays us down in green pastures and leads us beside quiet waters. Our salvation is based on grace through faith. Indeed, God does not want us to remain in a state of lying down and resting. He desires our souls to be awakened, guiding us to walk in righteousness. Therefore, we should rise and walk, not lying down flat. With God's presence, we have the ability to put away our old ways and put on the image of the new person in God. Along the spiritual journey, there will be mountains and valleys, and here, the psalm talks about the shadow of death in the valley. Yet, we need not fear harm, for we have already received eternal life. The rod and staff symbolize God's protective and disciplinary love. Despite formidable enemies, God prepares a feast for us, signifying abundant victory. Like Paul says: "For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Yet, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:36-37). Anointed by the Holy Spirit, filled with the cup of blessings, we have God's grace and love accompanying us throughout our lives, dwelling in the Lord forever.
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Psalm 24 declares that God created the heavens and the earth and arranged all things, so everything belongs to Him, including us. Climbing God's mountain, standing in His holy place, is an act of worship, a meeting with God. Who is qualified? It is everyone who humbly accepts Jesus, who achieved salvation for us, the Lamb of God who took away our sins and His glorious resurrection. By God's grace, they are honest, without deceit, with clean hands and pure hearts, seeking God's favor. What blessing is that? The most important is receiving God's salvation and righteousness, not based on our own works, and continuing the spiritual journey through grace, being light and salt, glorifying God! On that day, God will return to Jerusalem and all city gates with victorious power, and He can also enter each of our hearts' gates. He will come as the glorious King, and His will shall be done unhindered. Thanks be to God, all of this is the work of God!
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Psalm 25, as we read through, we find David constantly making requests (verses 1-7, 16-22). The psalmist is in shame, innocently deceived, trapped in snares, lonely and distressed, facing adversity, and hated by people. David looks up to God (worship), focuses on God (verses 1, 15), relies on God (verses 2, 20), and waits for God (verses 3, 5, 21). He seeks God's remembrance of the everlasting mercy and love and pleads for God not to remember his sins but to forgive all transgressions (verses 7, 11, 18). In verses 8-11, God will instruct sinners in the right path, and the humble will be led in justice. God treats those who keep His covenant with love and faithfulness. The psalmist acknowledges that he is a sinner who needs God's forgiveness. Walking in the right path is not what we think but what God thinks, as stated in the Bible. Therefore, confessing and repenting of sin are crucial. In verses 12-15, the psalmist emphasizes the fear of the Lord, and God will instruct him in the way he should choose. It signifies having an intimate covenant relationship with God. We often find ourselves entangled in difficulties and adversity, unable to break free. We naturally struggle by relying on our own resources first and, if that fails, turn to family and friends. It is only when we are at our wit's end that we come to look up to God and rely on Him. We should reverse this order and come to God in prayer first, acknowledging Him as God, seeking His forgiveness, and restoring our relationship with Him. Another important aspect is waiting for God. David says, "I wait for You all day long." Let us seek God's mercy and help in all things.
每周灵修诗篇22-25
詩篇22:1-18⼤衛在困苦、無辜被追殺，他倚靠神，晝夜不住地呼求神， 向神唉哼，神似乎沒有聽⾒、沒有回應、他感覺被遠離了、被離棄了。在⾃ ⼰的處境中有沒有相同的感覺？這時⼤衛轉向神（祢），宣告神的屬性是聖 潔的、該受以⾊列（神⼦民）讚美，數算先祖倚靠神的⾒證，倚靠神的必、 ⼀定蒙拯救、倚靠神的就不羞愧！
再看⾃⼰，⼤衛⾃覺卑微如蟲，被眾⼈羞辱、被百姓藐視、被嗤笑。⼤ 衛卻是被撒母⽿所膏的，神難道不理嗎？⼤衛再次轉向神（祢），他的存留 是因耶和華，他倚靠的⼼是神所賜；他沒有尋求世上幫助，帶著信⼼單單尋 求神的幫助。數算神在他⾝上的恩典。
⼤衛被仇敵許多公⽜、吼叫的獅⼦環繞、精⼒枯乾、⾻頭脫節、內裏如 蠟熔化、仇敵扎他的⼿，扎他的腳、又分他的外⾐、拈鬮分內⾐。在⼤衛的 ⽣平裡沒有貼切的描述，但⼤衛被聖靈啟⽰，預⾔了我們親愛的救主耶穌， 祂代替我們的罪孽，被釘在⼗字架上，祂從來沒有與神的關係分開，這時被 離棄了，從正午到下午三點鐘，遍地都⿊暗了，祂⼤聲呼叫：我的神！我的 神！為什麼離棄我？⼤衛的時代還沒有釘⼗字架的刑罰，但這裡描述完全是 在描述耶穌釘⼗字架的情形，参太27:33-50感謝神何等⼤的奇妙恩典，我們應 該如何回報主的愛？
詩篇22:19-31在⾝、⼼、靈極度軟弱中，⼤衛繼續專注在神⾝上，惟有神 是幫助，能勝過如⽝類、獅⼦、⽜的仇敵，不是憑⾃⼰的想像，⽽是憑神話 語的應允。請仰望為我們信⼼創始成終的耶穌，祂因那擺在前⾯的喜樂，就 輕看羞辱，忍受了⼗字架的苦難，便坐在神寶座的右邊。來12:2
耶穌謙卑順服，為我們成就了救恩⼤⼯，說：我若從地上被舉起來，就 要吸引萬⼈來歸我。耶穌這話是指著⾃⼰將要怎樣死說的。約12:32-33耶穌 說：⼈⼦得榮耀的時候到了。我實實在在地告訴你們，⼀粒⿆⼦不落在地裡 死了，仍舊是⼀粒；若是死了，就結出許多⼦粒來。約12:23-24這樣教會因耶 穌的死和復活建⽴起來了，虛⼼（謙卑）的⼈有福了，祂垂聽受苦⼈的祈 求，醫治傷⼼的⼈，被擄的得釋放，⼈若渴了，可以到耶穌那裡來喝，惟耶 穌是活⽔的江河。耶穌既有⼈的樣⼦，就⾃⼰卑微，存⼼順服，以⾄於死， 且死在⼗字架上。我們也要繼續主得勝的⼯作。因福⾳要傳遍四極、列國的 萬族。
「活着的、不能存活的」都要在主⾯前敬拜，按著定命，⼈⼈都有⼀ 死，死後且有審判。來9:27死並不是完結了，信耶穌的⼈，有永遠的⽣命， 不被定罪。
詩篇23篇，因為主耶穌為我們受羞辱、受難、死，擔當了我們的罪孽， 耶穌是好牧⼈，好牧⼈為⽺捨命，我們才不⾄缺乏，祂的恩使我們躺臥在青 草地上，領我們的安歇的⽔邊，我們得救是本乎恩，也因著信。
神不要我們停留在躺臥和安歇中，要我們靈魂甦醒，引導我⾛義路，所 以要起來⾏⾛，不躺平，祂同在使我們有能⼒，除去從前的⽣活⽅式，穿上 神形象的新⼈。靈程路上，有⾼⼭、有低⾕，這裡講死蔭的幽⾕，不怕遭 害，我們已經得了永遠的⽣命。杖與桿是神愛的保護和管教。敵⼈似⾮常強 ⼤，神卻為我們擺設宴席，是得勝有餘的描述，如保羅說：如經上所記：“我 們為祢的緣故終⽇被殺；⼈看我們如將宰的⽺。”然⽽靠著愛我們的主，在這 ⼀切的事上已經得勝有餘了。羅8:36-37常有聖靈的膏抹、福杯滿溢、⼀⽣有 神的恩惠慈愛相隨，住在主裡到永遠。
詩篇24篇，祂創天造地，安排萬物，當然⼀切都屬於祂！我們也屬於 祂。登神的⼭、站在祂的聖所，是朝⾒，也就是敬拜，誰有資格？就是所有 謙卑接受神為我們所成就救恩的耶穌，接受22篇中那位代罪的羔⽺，和祂榮 耀的復活，因神恩典，他們必定是誠實無偽，無詭詐、⼿潔⼼清，尋求神的 族類，必蒙神賜福，什麼福？最重要的是蒙神拯救、被稱義的，不憑⾃⼰的 任何⾏為，並且靠恩繼續⾏靈程道路，作光作鹽，榮耀歸神！到那⽇神會再 臨耶路撒冷，並眾城⾨，祂帶著得勝的⼤能⼤⼒、也可以是我們各⼈的⼼ ⾨，祂要來作榮耀的王，祂的旨意可以暢⾏無阻。感謝神這⼀切都是神所⾏ 的！
詩篇25篇，當我們讀⼀遍時，就會發現⼤衛不斷地求，V1-7、16-22節幾 乎每⼀句都有求，詩⼈是在羞愧中、無辜被⼈欺詐、掉在網羅中、孤獨愁 苦、困苦艱難、禍患中被⼈痛恨。⼤衛仰望神（敬拜）、專注神V1、15、倚 靠神V2、20、等候神V3、5、21，求神記念從亙古就常有的憐憫、慈愛，詩 中求神不要記念所犯的罪，赦免⼀切的罪，V7、11、18
中間V8-11是神必指⽰罪⼈⾛正路、謙卑⼈必按公平蒙引領、神以慈愛誠 實待凡守約之⼈，詩⼈承認他是有罪之⼈，需要神的赦免，⾛正路不是⾃⼰ 以為的，⽽是神以為的，就是聖經所說的，所以認罪悔改⾮常重要；V12-15 跟著就是敬畏神，神必指⽰安居之路，⽽且與神有親密盟約的關係。我們很 容易被艱難困苦禍患纏繞不能出來，因為我們本能地先靠⾃⼰所有的資源掙 扎、不⾏的話，再找親友，到⾛投無路了，才來仰望神、倚靠神，求神給我 們把這次序顛倒過來，先來禱告，以神為神，求神赦免，擺正我們與神的關 係。還有⼀樣是等候神。⼤衛說，我終⽇等候祢。求神憐憫幫助。
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