Manna issue 83 - Bring Back the Springtime 帶回春天
Only God can restore us from the
winter of sin.
只有神能讓我們從罪惡的冬天中恢復
Timothy Yeung—Toronto, Canada
加拿大多倫多 - 楊提摩太
When in the spring, the flow’rs are
blooming bright and fair
After the gray of winter's gone,
Once again the lark begins its tuning
Back in the meadows of my home.
當春天來臨，花兒綻放其光明的希望和美好的來臨，
在冬天的灰暗消失之後，
再一次雲雀開始唱出春天的曲調，
回到了故鄉的草地上。
Lord, make me like that stream that
flows so cool and clear
Down from the mountains high
above;
主阿，求你讓我像那溪水一樣，
可以冰冰涼涼，乾乾淨淨的潺潺的流著，
從高山上一路從上而下順流而下；
I will tell the world the wondrous
story
Of the streams that flowed from
Calvary.
我要告訴這個世界，
那從耶穌釘死十字架上，流下來的奇妙的故事。
Chorus:
Lord, to my heart bring back the
springtime,
Take away the cold and dark of sin;
O return to me, sweet Holy Spirit,
May I warm and tender be again.1
副歌：
主啊，給我內心，帶回春天，
帶走罪惡的冰冷和黑暗；
回到我身邊，美好的聖靈。
讓我可以再次變得溫暖和溫柔。1
1 Hymn 437 of Hymns of Praise, published by True
Jesus Church, USA (1993). Kurt Kaiser, “Bring Back the
Springtime.” Copyright: 1970 by Word Music (a division of
Word, inc.).
1. 美版讚美詩437首，美國真教會 1993 年出版。
“Bring Back the Springtime 帶回春天”詞曲作者：Kurt Kaiser，
版權所有：1970年
ord Music (a division of Word, inc.)
Every time I sing this hymn, I am
reminded of my first experience of
winter in North America. After the
beauty of the fall season, everything
became quiet and desolate. As the
temperature dropped, many animals
prepared for hibernation and sheltered
themselves in order to survive the long
and chilly winter. Leaves fell, flowers
withered, and it seemed everything
had come to a pause. The snow softly
fell on the dry ground, and the lakes
and rivers froze, yielding to the bitter
cold of winter. There was little sign
of life as temperatures dropped to
sub-zero. Everything seemed lifeless;
people became weary, and some even
became depressed.
每次我唱了這首讚美詩，
我就記起第一次在北美的冬天。
經過了秋天的美麗，一切的事實都變得安靜及荒涼。
隨著的溫度下降，許多動物準備要冬眠，
把自已藏在避難所，就是為了可以渡過漫長寒冷的冬天存活下來。
葉子枯萎掉落，花兒凋謝，
看起來，一切的事物開始暫停了。
雪花柔軟的掉在乾地上，湖泊和河流開始結冰，
接著就是冬天的酷寒。
隨著溫度掉落零度以下，幾乎沒有生命的象徵。
全部的事物似乎都沒有生命；
人們變得很軟弱，
有些人甚至會變得很沮喪。
After more than twenty years living
in Canada, I have learned to survive
the cruel and severe winter. And
yet, each year, I still appreciate the
wonderful springtime that follows.
在加拿大住了超過20多年之後，
我已經學會了如何在殘忍和嚴峻的生存下來。
然而，每一年，我仍會對接著而來奇妙的春天，很感謝。
As with seasonal winter, we may
also face spiritual winter. What kind
of situation can put us into deep
spiritual winter and take us far from
the warmth of God’s love? And how
can we bring ourselves back to a
springtime of spiritual renewal?
隨著週期性的冬天來到，
我們也會面對屬靈的冬天。
到底會有什麼樣子的情況，
會讓我們置身於嚴寒的冬季，
讓我們遠離了神慈愛的溫暖？
我們到底要怎麼作，
才能讓自已回到屬靈更新的春習？
THE WINTER CAUSED BY SIN 由罪引起的冬天
After David sinned greatly against
God, he experienced a spiritual deep
freeze. He implored God:
在大衛大大得罪神之後，
他在靈性上體驗了的天寒地凍。
他向神祈求：
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your loving kindness;
According to the multitude of your
tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
(Ps 51:1–2)
1（大衛與拔示巴同室以後，先知拿單來見他；他作這詩，交與伶長。）
神啊，求你按你的慈愛憐恤我！按你豐盛的慈悲塗抹我的過犯！
2求你將我的罪孽洗除淨盡，並潔除我的罪！
(詩 51：1-2)
David, like many saints in the Old
Testament, enjoyed an amazing
closeness with God. He felt God’s
presence, guidance, and blessing
daily. However, after he committed
adultery with Bathsheba and plotted
the murder of her husband Uriah,
David’s conscience was seared.
Although he hid his evil deeds from
everyone, he could not deceive his
own conscience, which is the lamp of
God (Prov 20:27). As he tried to cover
his transgression, he also covered
himself from the light of God’s face,
which shines on those who fear and
love Him.
大衛，就如許多舊約的古聖徒，
與神之間享受了親密奇妙的聯合。
他體驗到神的存在，帶領，和每天的祝福。
然而，他和拔士巴犯了姦淫之後，
並且計劃如何殺死拔士巴丈夫烏利亞的謀殺計劃。
大衛的良心枯萎了。
雖然，他隱藏了他的惡行，不讓大家知道，
他卻不能欺騙自已的良心，
而良心就是神的燈。
(箴 20：27)
當他試著隱藏自已的過錯，
他也蓋住了神的榮光，看不見神的臉面，
而神的榮光會照耀那些敬畏和喜愛神的人。
David could pretend that he
did nothing wrong when he took
Bathsheba, but deep down in his
spirit, he must have suffered constant
guilt and regret. The burden of telling
lies to cover his sin would have been
stressful; he would have felt far
from God. His soul wandered in the
wilderness of deep winter—destitute,
lonely, and hiding from the truth,
fearful that his evil deeds would be
exposed and judged.
當大衛娶拔士巴之後，
他可以假裝沒有作錯什麼事，
但是在他的內心深處，
他一定一直受到罪惡感和後悔的折磨。
用說謊來遮掩他罪行的重擔，
對他而言，一定感到有很大的壓力；
他一定一直覺得，離神很遠。
他的靈魂是徘徊寒冬的曠野 -
一切蕭條，孤單，遠離真理，
又很害怕他的罪行會曝露出來，受到別人審判。
For a person who has experienced
God, there is nothing more dreadful
and hopeless than what David went
through: God had stopped listening
and speaking to him. How painful
would it be for us today to experience
such estrangement from God? Yet,
when we choose a path of sin and
selfish denial, we will find ourselves in
the deep freeze of spiritual winter.
對一個體驗到神的人，
沒有人可以比大衛所經歷到的事，
更加感到可怕，和沒有希望：
那就是神停止聽他的話，向他說話。
對今日的我們而言，
若體會到來自於神這樣子的冷漠，
將會是多麼的痛苦？
然而，當我們選擇了罪和自我放棄的道路，
我們會發現自已靈性上，正處於冬天的嚴寒。
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not
shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face
from you,
So that He will not hear. (Isa 59:1–2)
1耶和華的膀臂並非縮短，不能拯救，耳朵並非發沉，不能聽見，
2但你們的罪孽使你們與神隔絕；你們的罪惡使他掩面不聽你們。
(賽 59：1-2)
Have you ever experienced this kind
of spiritual winter? On the surface, we
appear close to God, but spiritually
we can neither feel His presence nor
hear His voice. There is a deep void
that cannot be filled, and our heart
cannot be satisfied. We might pray
to God, “Do not cast me away from
your presence, and do not take Your
Holy Spirit from me” (Ps 51:11). But
the root of the problem does not lie
outside, but rather, it rests deep inside
our heart.
你有沒有體驗過這種靈性上的冬天呢？
表面上，我們感覺起來好像很親近神，
但是在靈裡，我們即不能感覺到神，
也聽不到祂的聲音。
有一股深深的空虛滿足不了，我們的內心無法滿足。
我們或許會向神禱告，
11不要丟棄我，使我離開你的面；不要從我收回你的聖靈。
(詩 51：11)
但是問題的根源並不存在於身外，
反而是，存在於我們的內心深處。
HOW TO BRING BACK THE
SPRINGTIME
如何回到春天
A Transformation of the Heart 內心的轉變
When the prophet Nathan confronted
David, David chose to do the right
thing and admit his guilt to God. With
a contrite heart and a humble spirit, he
begged God for forgiveness. This was
David’s turning point, opening the
way for him to rebuild his relationship
with God.
當拿單先知質疑大衛的時候，
大衛選了作正確的事，向神承認他的罪過。
因著一顆憂傷痛悔的心，
他求神饒恕他。
這時就是大衛的轉捩點，
向他打開了一條道路，
來重新建立他與神之間的關係。
The transformation of the heart
starts when we acknowledge our sin,
both privately and publicly. As David
wrote:
當我們承認自已的罪，不論是私底下，還是公開承認，
就會開始有內心的轉變。
因為大衛說：
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when
You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in
iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
(Ps 51:3–5)
3因為，我知道我的過犯；我的罪常在我面前。
4我向你犯罪，惟獨得罪了你；在你眼前行了這惡，
以致你責備我的時候顯為公義，判斷我的時候顯為清正。
5我是在罪孽裡生的，在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。
(詩 51：3-5)
In this psalm, we see that David
decided to face his sin, rather than to
hide or defend it. How hard it must
have been for a king to admit, “I am
wrong; I am a sinner.” But David no
longer cared about his reputation—he
acknowledged his sins and decided to
face God, the Source of life. He knew
that only by confessing to God and
humbly accepting the consequences
could he be pardoned and, perhaps,
received by God once again.
這篇詩篇，我們看見大衛決定要面對自已的罪，
而不是把罪藏起來，或是還去作辯護。
對一個君王而言，要承認自已的罪，一定是很困難，
"我錯了，我是一個罪人"。
但是大衛不再在意自已的名聲-
他承認自已的罪，決定面對神，生命的源頭。
他知道，只有向神承認自已的罪，
謙卑的接受後果，
他才能夠得到原諒，或許，
再一次得為神所接受。
Have you ever done something
terrible or wrong that you regret?
Have you ever tried to hide yourself
from your past, or from God? Have
you tried to start afresh with a clean
slate, but failed because you did not
address the mistakes of your past?
Have you ever blamed others for your
misfortune? Or do you simply blame
your environment, or even God?
你有沒有曾經作了一些很可怕，或是錯誤的事，
會讓你後悔呢？
你有沒有試著隱藏自已過去的行為，
或是逃避神呢？
你有沒有試著重新開始，像一張白紙一樣，
但是卻失敗了，因為你沒有解決過去的錯誤？
你有沒有曾經因為你的不幸，而怪過別人？
或你只是怪環境不好，或甚至怪神不公？
Winter occurs when one hemisphere
is furthest from the sun, owing to the
tilt of the earth’s axis and the position
of the earth in its orbit around the sun.
It is not the absence of the sun that
causes the arrival of winter, but where
the earth is in relation to the sun. In
the same way, a spiritual winter is not
caused by God’s departure, but by our
own maneuvering away from Him—
to end the deep freeze, we must be
the one to change.
會有冬天，是其中一個半球離太陽很遠，
由於地軸心是傾斜的，所以地球的位置是沿著太陽的軌道走。
這種情況不是太陽消失了，所以才有冬天來臨，
而地球所處的位置，是與太陽有相關。
同樣的方式，靈性的冬天，不是由於神所引起的，
而是因為我們自已動手動腳，自已離開了神 -
若要結束這天寒地凍，
我們作一個願意改變的人。
Newness of Heart 新的內心
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within
me. (Ps 51:10)
10神啊，求你為我造清潔的心，使我裡面重新有正直（或譯：堅定）的靈。
(詩 51：10)
Winter does not arrive overnight,
and it takes time for a lake or a river
to fully freeze over. Similarly, a heart
grows cold over a period of time.
When David was in distress, being
pursued by his enemies, his heart was
very close to God because he needed
God at every moment. David’s
dedication to God was unwavering
and sincere, and his love for God
was as fervent as the love of a newly
wedded couple. However, over time,
as David was blessed with power,
fame, and wealth, secular desires
gradually occupied his heart. The
pursuit of sensual pleasure replaced
his earlier thirst for spiritual fulfillment,
and God no longer held first place in
his heart. This process happened so
gradually that David failed to notice
his heart was no longer the same.
The point to note is that it was not
God, but David’s heart, that changed.
What’s worse, David did not realize
winter had arrived until the sunset of
that fateful evening.
冬天不是一個晚上一轉眼就來到，
湖泊和河流也需要一些時間，才會完全凍結起來。
同樣的情況，人心變冷也需要用一段時間。
當大衛在苦難中，被很多敵人追著跑，
他的內心卻和神緊緊的聯合，因為他時刻需要神。
大衛對神的專注，不會動搖且很虔誠，
而他對神的愛是很熱切的，就像新婚的夫婦。
然而經過了一段時間，大衛受到了祝福，
得到權力，名聲和財富，
世俗的慾望就漸漸的佔據他的心。
感官娛樂的追求，取代了之前靈裡成就的渴望，
在他的心裡，神不再是佔據第一的位置。
這個過程發生是一步步的逐漸產生，
而大衛沒有注意到，他的內心不再和以前一樣。
要留意的重點，不是神怎麼了，而是大衛的心怎麼了，
為何已經改變了。
更糟的是，大衛不明白冬天已經到了，
直到那命運般傍晚的日落時刻。
This picture may reflect our own
spiritual decline over the years. In the
midst of secular enjoyment, countless
work commitments, and pride over
our own achievements, has our heart
departed from God? This is why Jesus
said:
這幅畫或許反應了我們，經年累月之後，靈性下降的狀態。
在世俗的享樂中，數不清的工作職責，
因著我們自已的成就而產生的驕傲，
我們的內心是否已經離開了神？
這就是為何耶穌說：
“Do not love the world or the things
in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in
him. For all that is in the world—the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life—is not of the
Father but is of the world.”
(1 Jn 2:15–16)
15不要愛世界和世界上的事。人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裡面了。
16因為凡世界上的事，就像肉體的情慾，眼目的情慾，
並今生的驕傲，都不是從父來的，乃是從世界來的。
(約一 2：15-16)
To re-establish our relationship with
God and bring back the springtime
of spiritual vitality, transforming our
heart is key. Let us reflect: Has our
heart changed from the time we first
loved God? Do we give ourselves, our
hearts, and our love fully to the Lord
Jesus alone?
要重建我們與神的關係，取回屬靈活力的春天，
改變內心才是重點。
讓我們好好反省：
從我們愛上神開始的時候，
我們是否有改變自已的內心？
我們是否只把自已，自已的心 自已的愛，
完全獻給主耶穌？
God tells us, “My son, give me your
heart, and let your eyes observe my
ways” (Prov 23:26). How deep is our
heavenly Father’s longing to own and
fill our heart with His wonderful love!
Let us not disappoint Him.
神告訴我，
26我兒，要將你的心歸我；你的眼目也要喜悅我的道路。
(箴 23：26)
我們天父的渴望是那麼的深，
想要用祂奇妙的愛，來擁有我們的心，
充滿我們的心！
讓我們不要給祂失望。
Seek Help from the Holy Spirit 尋求聖靈的幫助
Restore to me the joy of Your
salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous
Spirit. (Ps 51:12)
12求你使我仍得救恩之樂，賜我樂意的靈扶持我，
(詩 51：12)
David understood that he was solely
responsible for the spiritual winter he
was in. But he also knew that God
could melt the deep freeze and turn
it into a warm spring of life, restoring
him from spiritual death.
大衛明白，自已會陷在屬靈的冬天，
其實主要是自已的責任。
但他也知道，
神才能為內心深處來解凍，
把冬天轉變成生命中，溫暖的春天，
從屬靈的死亡中，恢復生命。
Just like a dilapidated old building,
our spiritual life needs to be restored
and maintained. We need a master
craftsman who possesses the skill
and patience to rebuild us from the
ground up. A building cannot restore
itself, and we cannot transform or
revive our own spiritual life through
our own efforts. Jesus highlighted
this limitation clearly to His disciples:
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak” (Mk 14:38).
就像一棟破舊的老建築物，
我們的屬靈生命需要得到恢復和好好維護。
我們需要一位大技藝的師父，他很有技巧，
很有耐心地，把我們從地基上，重新建立起來。
建築物自已是不會恢復的，
只有自已的努力，是沒有辨法轉變，
及重新恢復自已的靈命。
耶穌很清楚的向門徒，強調了這個局限性：
38總要儆醒禱告，免得入了迷惑。你們心靈固然願意，肉體卻軟弱了。
(可 14：38)
David knew the limitations of his
flesh, so he sought God’s generous
Spirit to help him overcome his
weaknesses and embrace the warmth
of God’s love. If only we had such
self-knowledge; instead, we attempt
to face temptations, trials and
tribulations with our own strength,
unable to admit how weak we really
are. When we are defeated, we
crumble in hopelessness. We need to
remember that God is faithful, and
has offered His Spirit to uphold us:
大衛知道自已肉體的局限性，
所以他求神大方的聖靈，幫助他克服軟弱，
可以擁抱神慈愛的溫暖。
要是我們有這樣的自知之明；
而不是用自已的力量，試著是面對引誘，試煉和苦難，
而不能承認我們是有多麼的軟弱。
當我們失敗了，我們沒有希望的倒了下來。
我們要記得，神是信實的，
他賜聖靈給我們來支持我們：
And I will pray the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that
He may abide with you forever—
the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him; but you
know Him, for He dwells with you
and will be in you.
(Jn 14:16–17)
16我要求父，父就另外賜給你們一位保惠師
（或作：訓慰師；下同），叫他永遠與你們同在，
17就是真理的聖靈，乃世人不能接受的；
因為不見他，也不認識他。
你們卻認識他，因他常與你們同在，也要在你們裡面。
(約 14：16-17)
The Holy Spirit is our helper, and
He is the Spirit of truth. If we seek His
help, He will guide us into the truth,
unlock the mystery of the truth for
us, and help us to walk in the truth.
David knew that without the help
of God’s Spirit he could not possibly
change himself. But how does the
Holy Spirit’s transforming power
work? It is only through prayers that
such transformation is possible.
聖靈是來幫助我們的，
祂是真理的聖靈。
若我們尋求祂的幫助，
祂就會帶領我們進入真理，
為我們解開真理的奧秘，
幫我們走在真理的道路。
大衛知道，若沒有神聖靈的幫助，
他不會有可能改變自已。
但是聖靈改變的力量，是否發揮功能呢？
只有靠著禱告，才能有這樣的改變。
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our
weaknesses. For we do not know
what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered. Now He
who searches the hearts knows what
the mind of the Spirit is, because
He makes intercession for the saints
according to the will of God.
(Rom 8:26–27)
26況且我們的軟弱有聖靈幫助，我們本不曉得當怎樣禱告，
只是聖靈親自用說不出來的歎息替我們禱告。
27鑒察人心的，曉得聖靈的意思，因為聖靈照著神的旨意替聖徒祈求。
(羅 8：26-27)
Restoration starts with prayer, but
only if we know how to pray and
what to pray for. There are times
when we pray for the wrong thing,
with the wrong attitude, or with
the wrong aim. But if we pray with
humility, earnestly seeking the Holy
Spirit’s guidance, then He will teach
us where we need God’s loving hand
to redirect our ways. The Holy Spirit
will reveal to us the weaknesses that
hinder our spiritual growth, whether
it be hidden pride, lack of trust, or
deep anxiety caused by lack of faith.
When the Holy Spirit shows us our
imperfections, we must submit and
allow ourselves to be fine-tuned to
His will, so we can be redirected to
where God wants us to go. By the
end of this process, our prayer will
be in harmony with the intercession
of the Holy Spirit, and we will regain
strength from the transcending peace
of God. When we are facing spiritual
winter, we should not pray for God to
give us things or to do things for us;
we should ask the Holy Spirit to teach
us.
恢復從禱告開始，
但只有在我們知道如何禱告，
要祈求什麼東西。
有很多時候，我們會為了錯誤的事情禱告，
用錯誤的態度禱告，或是為了錯誤的目標禱告。
但若我們用謙卑的心禱告，迫切尋求聖靈的帶領，
那麼祂會教我們，有那些地方會需要神慈手的幫助，
重新指引我們當走的道路。
聖靈會顯露出我們的弱點，
這些弱點都會阻擋靈性的成長，
不論是隱藏的驕傲，沒有信心，
或是因為沒有信心而引起的焦慮。
當聖靈告訴我們不完美的地方，
我們一定要順服，讓自已因著祂的旨意，
而受到最好的調校，
這樣，我們才能從新被導向，神要我們去的地方。
因著這個過程的結束，
我們的禱告，就會和聖靈的代求，互相調和，
這樣我們才能從神超越的平安中，得到力量。
當我們遇到屬靈的冬天時，
不應該求神給我們東西，或為我們成就事情；
我們要求聖靈教導我們。
And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water
of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved
into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
Your ears shall hear a word behind
you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
(Isa 30:20–21)
20主雖以艱難給你當餅，以困苦給你當水，
你的教師卻不再隱藏；你眼必看見你的教師。
21你或向左或向右，你必聽見後邊有聲音說：這是正路，要行在其間。
(賽 30：20-21)
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be
clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may
rejoice. (Ps 51:7–8)
7求你用牛膝草潔淨我，我就乾淨；求你洗滌我，我就比雪更白。
8求你使我得聽歡喜快樂的聲音，使你所壓傷的骨頭可以踴躍。
(詩 51：7-8)
When prayers are heard, sins
pardoned, guilt removed, anxiety
calmed, and our relationship with
God rebuilt, then the springtime of
joy and gladness will slowly return.
It could be a long and hard process,
with many setbacks, but the joy that
comes afterwards is worth the effort.
This period of pain and distress causes
our faith to grow and mature.
禱告若得到垂聽，罪得赦免，罪過消失，
煩惱得到平靜，我們與神的關係可以重新建立，
然後，喜悅和快樂的春天，就會漸漸回歸。
這可能是又漫長又艱難的過程，會有許多挫折，
但是隨之而來的喜樂，會讓你感覺一切都值得。
痛苦和苦難的時間，會讓我們的信心成長，變成熟。
There is no winter without end, and
no destitution without the chance
of restoration. God is always there
to embrace us, if and when we are
willing to return to Him. The choice
is ours: to remain trapped in the
deep freeze of spiritual winter, a selfimposed
exile from God’s grace, or to
let the springtime of God’s love return
to us again.
任何一個冬天都有結束的一天，
任何一種困苦的情形，都會有恢復的機會。
神一直都在這裡，要擁抱我們，
若我們願意回到祂的身邊。
這是我們要作出的選擇：
是一直受困於屬靈冬天的天寒地凍之中，
是自我放逐，遠離神的恩典，
或是讓神慈愛的春天，再一次回到我們身上。
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
(Ps 30:5)
5因為，他的怒氣不過是轉眼之間；
他的恩典乃是一生之久。一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。
(詩 30：5)
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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