11月14日

標　　題： 神是信實的

經　　節： 那召你們的本是信實的，祂必成就這事。（帖撒羅尼迦前書五章24節）

神從來沒有呼召我們去做任何事情，卻不持守祂自己說過的話，他不會不給我們足夠能力的去完成他要你去做的事。我們並不總是信實地去做神所呼召我們做的事，但神仍然是信實的，總是持守自己的話，實踐祂的應許（以賽亞書四十六：11）。

當以色列兒女走到紅海岸邊的時候，他們可能以為神已經放棄當初所賜的應許。大海阻礙了他們的前進，而殘暴的埃及軍隊正在後面追趕，要擊殺他們！然而，誠如神一直是如此，神在這裡證明自己是絕對信實的，對神的兒女持守他自己的每一句話。

神可能已經告訴你，要你去做一件特別的事，比如說，教會的某一項事工、教養兒女的方式、執行工作的作法。你已經順服神，但現在你正面對著紅海。你所想像神要成就的事，似乎沒有發生。你的事工並沒有如期展開、你的兒女可能很叛逆，或者，你的同事挑剔你的作法。但是要相信神的屬性，祂是信實的。詩人表達出神百姓在歷代以來的見證，詩篇裡面說：「我從前年幼，現在年老，卻未見過義人被棄，也未見過他的後裔討飯。」（詩篇卅七：25）

不管環境多麼的淒慘，不要失去盼望。從來沒有人遭遇神不信實的對待！神給時間向你顯示祂的信實。有一天你將明白神的工，並且讚美祂對你完全信實。

God Is Faithful

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

God never calls us to do anything without faithfully keeping His word and enabling us to do it. We are not always faithful to do what God tells us, but He remains faithful and stands by His word to fulfill what He has promised (Isa. 46:11).

When the children of Israel reached the Red Sea, they might have concluded that God had abandoned His promise to them. The sea was barring their advance, and the murderous Egyptian army was racing to overtake them! Yet God proved then, as He has ever since, that He is absolutely faithful to every word He speaks to His children.

God may have spoken to you about something in particular—a ministry in your church, the way to raise your children, or what you should do in your job. You have obeyed Him, but now you face a Red Sea experience. It seems that what you thought God wanted to accomplish is not happening. Perhaps your ministry has not been well received, or your children are rebelling, or those at your workplace are criticizing your actions. Trust in the character of God. It is His nature to be faithful. The testimony of His people throughout the ages is expressed by the psalmist, who declared: “I have been young, and now I am old; / Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, / Nor his descendants begging bread” (Ps. 37:25).

Regardless of how bleak your present circumstances are, do not lose hope. No one has ever experienced unfaithfulness on God’s part! Allow time for God to reveal His faithfulness to you. Someday you will reflect on what God has done and praise Him for His absolute faithfulness to you.