7月13日靈修禱文

July 13th, 2020

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

Thought

Sometimes we find our life very hard, difficult to endure. But do we realize that God wants us to grow through those experiences? Just like what Jesus said in the parable: he is the true vine, and we are the branches. If we have some branches that do not bear any fruit, he will prune for us. He does not make us weak by doing so, but rather he makes us healthier, bearing more fruits for God. Let's think: When we are experiencing suffering, is God using the experiences to prune us, so that we can thrive?

Prayer

O Lord, though we experience a lot of untoward events in our life, I believe all these experiences are prepared for me by you. Just as what the Proverbs says, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Please help me to bear more fruits for you. Amen.

Elder Gordon Kwok

「我是真葡萄樹，我父是栽培的人。 2 凡屬我不結果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡結果子的，他就修理乾淨，使枝子結果子更多。 3 現在你們因我講給你們的道，已經乾淨了。 4 你們要常在我裡面，我也常在你們裡面。枝子若不常在葡萄樹上，自己就不能結果子；你們若不常在我裡面，也是這樣。 5 我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。常在我裡面的，我也常在他裡面，這人就多結果子；因為離了我，你們就不能做什麼。

約翰福音 15:1-5

思想

有時我們在生活中會覺得很痛苦，很難受，但我們有沒有想到這個過程是神要我們成長。正如耶穌在這個比喻提到祂是真葡萄樹，我們是枝子。如果我們有一些不結果子的枝子，祂會為我們修理乾淨。不是要我們變得更軟弱，而是要我們更健康，為神結出更多的果子。我們可以思想一下，在我們經歷一些苦難時，是否神在這個過程在為我們作修剪，使我們可以茁壯成長。