Anchor your heart in God.

"What had I done?" It should have been one of the most exciting times of my life. Instead, it was one of the loneliest. I’d just gotten my first “real” job after college, in a city hundreds of miles from where I grew up. But the thrill of that big step quickly faded. I had a tiny apartment. No furniture. I didn’t know the city. I didn’t know anyone.The job was interesting, but the loneliness felt crushing.

原本应该是我生命中最兴奋的时刻，但却成了最寂寞的一段时间。令我不禁自问：这是个正确的决定吗？这是我大学毕业后第一份正式的工作，工作的地点离我家有数百公里远。对于踏出人生一大步的兴奋感很快就消失了。我住在空荡荡的狭小公寓里，对这个城市也十分陌生，而且连一个朋友也没有。工作虽然有趣，但孤独寂寞却让我感到无比沮丧。

One night, I sat at home with my back against the wall. I opened my Bible and stumbled onto Psalm 16, where verse 11 promises God will fill us.“Lord,” I prayed, “I thought this job was the right thing, but I feel so alone. Please fill me with a sense of Your nearness.” I offered variants of that plaintive plea for weeks. Some nights, my sense of loneliness eased, and I had a deep experience of God’s presence. Other nights, I still felt achingly isolated.

有一天晚上，我坐在公寓里，背靠着墙。我打开圣经，刚好翻到诗篇16篇，看到11节说上帝会让我们有满足的喜乐。我祷告说：“主啊，我觉得这份工作是正确的选择，但我觉得很孤单。求祢让我能感受到祢的同在。”我哀伤地祷告了好几个星期。有些夜晚，孤单的感觉减轻了，我能感受到上帝的同在；但有些晚上，我仍然感到十分孤独。

But as I returned to that verse, anchoring my heart in it night by night, God gradually deepened my faith. I experienced His faithfulness in a way I never had before. And I learned that my job was simply to pour out my heart to Him . . . and humbly await His faithful response, trusting His promise to fill us with His Spirit.

然而，当我回到圣经，夜夜思想这节经文时，上帝渐渐加增我的信心。我从未如此真实地经历祂的信实，而且我也明白自己所要做的，就是全然向祂敞开，倾心吐意，谦卑地等待祂信实的回应，并相信上帝应许会以祂的灵使我们有满足的喜乐。

Dear heavenly Father, we can feel so empty at times. 

But You’ve made known the path of life to us. 

You long for us to trust You. 

Help us to cling to Your promise 

to fill us in our desperate moments. 

亲爱的天父，我们有时会空虚寂寞，

但祢已将生命之道指示我们，
祢要我们信靠祢。

求祢帮助我们抓住祢的应许，
以致在灰心沮丧时，

心中仍有满足的喜乐。

Psalm 16:5-11 New International Version 

16 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

诗篇 16:5-11 

16 耶和华是我的产业，是我杯中的份，我所得的你为我持守。6 用绳量给我的地界坐落在佳美之处，我的产业实在美好！7 我必称颂那指教我的耶和华，我的心肠在夜间也警戒我。8 我将耶和华常摆在我面前，因他在我右边，我便不致摇动。9 因此我的心欢喜，我的灵快乐，我的肉身也要安然居住。10 因为你必不将我的灵魂撇在阴间，也不叫你的圣者见朽坏。11 你必将生命的道路指示我，在你面前有满足的喜乐，在你右手中有永远的福乐。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

David faced many enemies and encountered numerous dangers. Those experiences proved the faithfulness of God to him. In Psalm 16 David sings of finding his joy and guidance in the Lord alone: “I keep my eyes always on the .With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (v. 8).

大卫曾面对许多敌人，遭遇过无数的危险，这些经历都证明了上帝对他的信实。在诗篇第16篇，大卫称颂说，他在耶和华里面找到了喜乐和引导：“我将耶和华常摆在我面前，因祂在我右边，我便不至摇动。”（8节）

Earlier in Israel’s story, Moses had pleaded for the presence of God to accompany the people in the wilderness (Exodus 33:15–16). God promised to go with them and to give them rest (vv. 14, 17).

在以色列早期的历史中，摩西曾恳求上帝在旷野中与百姓同在（出埃及记33章15-16节）。上帝就应许与他们同去，使他们得安息（14、17节）。

We too can find our help in the God of Moses and David. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He told His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask theFather, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15–17). The God of David and Moses is the God who tells us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews13:5). His Holy Spirit lives in us.

我们也可以从摩西和大卫的上帝得到帮助。耶稣在被钉十字架前一天晚上，就应许要赐给我们圣灵。祂对门徒说：“你们若爱我，就必遵守我的命令。我要求父，父就另外赐给你们一位保惠师，叫祂永远与你们同在，就是真理的圣灵”（约翰福音14章15-17节）。大卫和摩西的上帝也是我们的上帝，祂对我们说：“我总不撇下你，也不丢弃你”（希伯来书13章5节）。祂的圣灵住在我们里面。

Do you sense His presence today? Give your desperate circumstances to Him. He promises to guide you.

今天你感觉到上帝的同在吗？把你绝望的境况交给祂，因祂应许必引导你。

整理：于姊妹