5月31日

標　　題：先信靠神

經　　節：耶和華如此說：倚靠人血肉的膀臂，心中離棄耶和華的，那人有禍了！（耶利米書十七章5節）

耶利米時代的以色列人，認為可以相信自己的軍隊、國王的外交手腕及聯軍兵團，來保護他們免受強盛的巴比倫王國所侵犯。他們以嘴唇的事奉，來表達自己對神的信任，但是他們的行動透露出他們真正的信心：靠軍事武力和經濟勢力。神藉著耶利米警告百姓，祂不會祝福那些倚靠其他人事物，離棄耶和華的人。

把信心放置於神以外的任何人事物上，就是拜偶像。你怎能知道自己不是真的信任神？問你自己以下的問題：當我有危機時，我去哪裡尋求幫助？當我心裡受傷或害怕，我去找誰呢？當我有經濟問題，我先告訴誰？當我面對壓力或灰心沮喪時，我到哪裡尋找安慰？

你可不可能嘴巴說相信主，但做出來的又是另一回事？神通常使用其他人來供應你的需求。要謹慎，免得不小心地讓祂的供應替換了神自己，成為我們全心的注意力。神可能會藉著你的朋友滿足你的需求，然而，你最終應該相信的是神。

以色列人太頑固，他們寧可靠自己的能力，也不願意信靠神。就算巴比倫軍隊已經迫近耶路撒冷，他們仍然拚命地尋求個人、國家或其他軍隊的力量，好解救他們。當他們領悟到自己應該信任那惟一能拯救他們的真神，卻為時已晚。

不要犯與以色列人同樣的錯誤。有需要時，直接找神。祂是你惟一的供應。

Trusting God First

Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord." (Jeremiah 17:5)

The Israelites of Jeremiah’s day believed they could trust in their army, the diplomacy of their king, and their foreign alliances to protect them from the powerful Babylonian empire. They gave lip service to their trust in God, but their actions showed where their faith really was: in their military and financial might. God spoke through Jeremiah to warn them that He would not bless those who trusted in anyone or anything instead of Him.

Placing your ultimate trust in anything other than God is idolatry. How can you know if your faith is not truly in God? Ask yourself these questions: Where do I turn when I experience a crisis? When I am hurting or afraid, to whom do I go? When I have a financial problem, whom do I want to tell first? Where do I seek comfort when I am under stress or discouraged?

Could it be that you are saying you trust in God but your actions indicate otherwise? God often uses other people as His method of providing for you. Be careful lest you inadvertently misdirect your faith toward His provision instead of toward the Provider. God may meet your need through your friends, but ultimately your trust must be in God.

The Israelites were so stubbornly committed to trusting in human strength instead of God that, even as the Babylonian army approached Jerusalem, they continued to desperately seek for a person, or a nation, or an army that could rescue them. They realized too late that they had neglected to trust in the only One who could deliver them.

Don’t make the same mistake as the Israelites. Go straight to the Lord when you have a need. He is the only One who can provide for you.