刺

刺
聖經閱讀：哥林多後書12:7-10 現代中譯本|合和本
2016年2月2日(二)

　玫瑰很美麗，但是如果我要摸它，我可能就會被它的刺所刺傷，這些刺是個使我們疼痛的難題。
我們的生命中都有會使我們痛苦或憂傷的難題，我們不喜歡這些難題，並且希望沒有這些難題。但是這些使我們痛苦的難題對我們而言很重要，我們可以從這些難題中學習，我們可能因此而學會更有耐心或是更有愛心。

今天的閱讀經文告訴我們保羅的生命中有一個使他痛苦的難題。我們不知道他的難題是什麼，但是這個難題使保羅受苦。保羅求上帝將這個難題挪去，但是上帝告訴保羅：「你只要有我的恩典就夠了；因為我的能力在你軟弱的時候顯得最剛強。」（第9節）
保羅的難題幫助他謙卑並且更倚靠上帝。也許你的生命中有個使你痛苦的難題，求上帝幫助你堅強並且倚靠祂。—GT

「我樂意忍受軟弱、侮慢、困苦、艱難，和迫害；因為我甚麼時候軟弱，甚麼時候就剛強。」 哥林多後書12：10b

禱告：上帝，謝謝祢在我的生命中賜下難題，幫助我從難題中學習並且倚靠祢。奉耶穌的名，阿們！

(林煜茹譯)

Thorns
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Thuesday, February 2, 2016

　Roses are very beautiful. But if I want to enjoy them,
I might be pricked by their thorns. These thorns can be a painful problem.
We all have problems in our lives that may cause us pain and sadness. We don't like these problems,
and we wish that we didn't have them. But painful problems can be important to us. We can learn from these problems. We may learn to be more patient or loving.

Our Bible verses today tell us 
that Paul had a painful problem 
in his life. We do not know what this problem was, but it made Paul suffer. Paul asked God to take away this problem, but God said to Paul, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power” (verse 9b).
Paul's problem helped him to be humble and to depend on God more. You may have a painful problem in your life. Ask God to help you be strong and to depend on Him. —GT

“I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10b

PRAYER: God, thank You for the problems in my life. Help me to learn from them and to depend on You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.