3月30日

標　　題： 在勝利之前讚美

經　　節： 他們唱了詩，就出來，往橄欖山去。（馬可福音十四章26節）

讚美將榮耀大大歸給神！舊約記載，約沙法王面對似乎不可能勝過的敵軍，對方非置他們於死地不可。然而，神向他們保證，要他們「擺陣站著，看耶和華為你們施行拯救」（歷代志下二十：17）。猶太百姓相信神，歌唱者走在軍隊的前頭，為神應許的勝利獻上讚美。勝利的確到來！當大衛王領著迎約櫃的行列進入耶路撒冷，他在神面前極力跳舞讚美（撒母耳記下六：12∼23）。大衛對神的讚美討神的喜悅，祂大能的同在遍及大衛的王國，使大衛戰勝所有仇敵。

耶穌正朝著客西馬尼園與十字架前去，在那裡神將得到最大的勝利。祂帶領著門徒唱詩。雖然門徒們不久將離棄祂，並且耶穌自己也快要被殘酷地處死，但耶穌卻強調要讚美神。讚美是超越十字架，看到神至終的勝利。讚美不是植根於當時的環境，而是植根于神的本性及祂的信實。

當神要你參與祂神國的事工，你應該要歡喜，因為你知道勝券在握。不要專注於問題本身及他人的失敗，要定睛于神勝利的保證。當你事奉時，如果無法開口以詩歌讚美神，可能是因為你沒有定睛在神的身上，而是在看環境。

Praise before Victory

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:26)

Praise is greatly honoring to God! In the Old Testament account of King Jehoshaphat, God’s people faced a seemingly insurmountable enemy who was determined to destroy them. Yet God assured them that they would “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:17). The people of Judah believed God. Their army was led by singers, offering praises to the Lord for their promised victory, and the victory came. When King David led the procession bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, he praised God with all of his strength (2 Sam. 6:12–23). David’s praise was pleasing to God, and God’s powerful presence remained in David’s kingdom to give him victory against every enemy.

Jesus was about to go to Gethsemane and to the cross, where God’s greatest victory would be accomplished. He led His disciples to sing a hymn. The disciples were all about to fail Him, and Jesus was about to be cruelly executed, yet Jesus insisted that they praise God. Their praise looked beyond the cross to God’s ultimate victory. Praise is rooted not in circumstances of the moment but in the nature and trustworthiness of God.

You ought to rejoice when God asks you to proceed in the work of His kingdom because you know the victory is already secured. Don’t focus on the problems and failures of others. Focus on God’s assurance of victory. If you have trouble praising God with a song in your heart as you serve Him, it may be that your focus is not on God, but on your circumstances.