As we look ahead to the new year, let’s remember that God has always been and always will be faithful.

展望新的一年时，让我们谨记：过去、现在，直到永远，上帝都信实可靠。

Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23

祢的信实多么广大！-耶利米哀歌3章23节，新译本

As I stepped into the music-filled sanctuary, I looked around at the crowd that had gathered for a New Year’s Eve party. Joy lifted my heart with hope, as I recalled the prayers of the previous year. Our congregation had collectively grieved over wayward children, deaths of loved ones, job losses, and broken relationships. But we’d also experienced God’s grace as we recalled changed hearts and healed personal connections. We’d celebrated victories, weddings, graduations, and baptisms into God’s family. We’d welcomed children born, adopted, or dedicated to the Lord, and more—so much more.

当我踏进充满音乐的礼拜堂时，我环顾了在年终感恩会上聚集的人群。当我回想起这一年来的祷告时，心中就充满喜乐和盼望。我们教会一直为着任性的孩子、挚爱的人离世、失业和破裂的关系而忧伤祷告。但我们也经历了上帝的恩典，看到生命被改变，以及人际关系得到修复。我们为着祷告蒙应允而感恩，也一同欢庆婚礼、毕业礼和进入上帝家庭的洗礼。我们欢迎新生儿、被领养的孩童，或献身给上帝的孩子们，还有许多美好的事物。

Reflecting over the history of trials our church family faced, much like Jeremiah remembered his “affliction” and his “wandering” (Lam. 3:19), I believed that “because of the L’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (v. 22). As the prophet reassured himself of God’s past faithfulness, his words comforted me: “The  is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him” (v. 25).

想到我们教会中许多家庭所经历的考验，就像耶利米回想起他所受的“困苦窘迫”（耶利米哀歌3章19节）。但我相信：“我们不至消灭，是出于耶和华诸般的慈爱，是因祂的怜悯不至断绝”（22节）。正如耶利米因上帝过去的信实而得着确据，他的话语也安慰了我：“凡等候耶和华、心里寻求祂的，耶和华必施恩给他。”（25节）

That night, each person in our congregation represented a tangible expression of God’s life-transforming love. Whatever we’d face in the years to come, as members of the interdependent body of Christ, we could rely on the Lord. And as we continue to seek Him and support one another, we can, as did Jeremiah, find our hope being ratified by faith-building memories of God’s unchanging character and dependability.

那天晚上，每一位弟兄姐妹都代表了上帝改变人心的爱。无论未来的年日我们将面对什么挑战，我们在基督里彼此互为肢体，能一起倚靠主基督。当我们继续寻求祂并彼此扶持的时候，我们也可以像耶利米一样，回想过去上帝信实的带领，带着信心和盼望迎向未来！

Lord, thank You for using our past to assure us our hope remains secure in Your everlasting faithfulness.

主啊，谢谢祢用我们过去的经历，
显明祢永远信实，使我们知道盼望不会落空。

Lamentations 3:19-26New International Version (NIV)

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

耶利米哀歌 3:19-26Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

19 耶和华啊，求你记念我如茵陈和苦胆的困苦窘迫！ 20 我心想念这些，就在里面忧闷。 21 我想起这事，心里就有指望。 22 我们不致消灭，是出于耶和华诸般的慈爱，是因他的怜悯不至断绝。 23 每早晨这都是新的，你的诚实极其广大。 24 我心里说：“耶和华是我的份，因此我要仰望他。” 25 凡等候耶和华，心里寻求他的，耶和华必施恩给他。

26 人仰望耶和华，静默等候他的救恩，这原是好的。

INSIGHT

In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah laments those who are persecuted for standing true to the Lord. He feels as if he himself has been plunged into darkness and chained as a prisoner (vv. 1–9). He has experienced attacks, abduction, and isolation, and has been scorned and pierced by his enemies (vv. 10–15). Personal dignity and a sense of security have been painfully replaced with loneliness and sorrow (vv. 16–20).

Yet within this valley of despair there is a greater reality that rises above the circumstances. As we reflect on the character of God we see He is always present in our situation and offers comfort and hope. God’s mercies are as certain as the rising of the sun each day (vv. 21–23). In view of this inspiring truth, the living God truly is all that we need for any of life’s trials (v. 24).

As you think back over the past year, when have you experienced the faithfulness of God?

灵粮透视

在耶利米哀歌3章，先知耶利米为那些因忠于耶和华而受迫害的人哀哭悲叹。他深感自己好像陷入幽暗之中，又如被捆锁的囚犯（1-9节）。他曾遭受攻击、劫持和孤立，且被他的仇敌嘲讽，被当作箭靶子（10-15节）。耶利米的尊严和安全感俨然丧失，取而代之的是孤独和悲伤（16-20节）。

然而，在这种绝望的幽谷之中，有一个更重大的事实超越了四围的环境。当我们思想上帝的属性时，就会看到在任何处境中，祂都与我们同在，并赐下安慰和盼望。上帝的怜悯诚然真实，就如太阳每天都会升起一样（21-23节）。这令人鼓舞的真理让我们明白，永生上帝是我们人生试炼中唯一的需要（24节）。

回首过去的一年，你曾在何时经历到上帝的信实呢？

整理：于姊妹