5月4日

標　　題：神帶你歸向祂

經　　節：我向埃及人所行的事，你們都看見了，且看見我如鷹將你們背在翅膀上，帶來歸我。（出埃及記十九章4節）

神拯救以色列的兒女脫離埃及，並不是叫他們能夠享受應許之地。祂釋放他們的捆綁，好叫他們能夠認識神與敬拜神。在他們離開埃及三個月後，祂提醒他們，祂像鷹一樣將他們背在翅膀上、拯救他們的原因。祂的目的是為了帶領他們歸向祂。也就是神拯救他們，為了要讓他們享受與自己親密的關係。那些以色列人一直是奴隸，沒有敬拜神的自由。現在，在自己的土地上，他們可以自由地認識與敬拜上帝。神的呼召不是要毀滅迦南地那些拜偶像的國家，也不是要他們安居於自己所征服之地，更不是要創建一個新的國家──雖然這一切也都被成就了。更確切地說，神呼召他們成為一個愛祂、敬拜祂的民族。因著祂的拯救，他們認識祂是全能且富憐憫的神。他們現在可以自由地回應祂。

我們往往是行動取向，常假設自己得救是為了運行某項事工，而不是享受關係。祂使用我們的活動或環境，把我們帶到祂的面前。倘若神交付我們只有神能解決的重任，我們會脫離親近祂及倚靠祂的軌道。相反地，倘若神允許我們經歷危難，我們會更親近祂。

如果不小心，我們可能會不自覺地忽略與神的關係，好能夠繼續我們的活動。當你忙於神的事工時，要記得神要給你的是要領你更親近祂的體驗。

God Brings You to Himself

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. (Exodus 19:4)

God did not deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt so that they could enjoy the Promised Land. He freed them from their so they could come to know and worship Him. Three months after they left Egypt, God reminded His people why He had delivered them “on eagles’ wings.” It was to bring the people to Himself. That is, God saved them so that they could enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. The Israelites had been slaves with no freedom to worship God. Now, with their own land, they could come to know and serve God freely. God’s call was not to destroy the idolatrous nations in Canaan, not to settle the lands they conquered, and not to establish a new nation, although all of these would be accomplished. Rather, God called them primarily to be a people who loved and worshiped Him. Through God’s act of deliverance they came to know Him as an almighty and compassionate God, and they were now free to respond_to Him.

We are so activity oriented that we assume we were saved for a task we are to perform rather than for a relationship to enjoy. God uses our activities and circumstances to bring us to Himself. When He gives us a God-sized assignment, its sheer impossibility brings us back to Him for His enabling. When God allows us to go through crises, it brings us closer to Him.

If we are not careful, we can inadvertently bypass the relationship in order to get on with the activity. When you are busy in your activity for God, remember that God leads you to the experiences in order to bring you to Himself.