9. Manna issue 82 - Naomi's Return 拿俄米回歸
Returning to God for spiritual
restoration.
回到神身邊，得到靈性的恢復
Annica Liu—Vancouver, Canada
加拿大溫哥華
Within ten short years of Naomi and
her family leaving Bethlehem for the
land of Moab, three key members of
her household had passed away—
her husband, and both of her sons.
Naomi was left desolate, in a foreign
land with no financial support. Her
future was bleak. The depth of sorrow
in Naomi’s heart was reflected in her
lament: “I went out full, and the Lord
has brought me home again empty”
(Ruth 1:21a).
在拿俄米和她的家庭離開伯利恆，到摩押地的10年間，
她家中的三個主要成員都過逝了 -
她的丈夫和二個兒子都死了。
拿俄米被孤孤單單的留在國外異地，
而且沒有任何經濟上的支柱。
她的未來是荒涼的。
在拿俄米心中的憂傷沉重的程度，
完全反應在她的哀悼之中：
21我滿滿地出去，耶和華使我空空地回來。
(得 1：21a)
While the Book of Ruth describes this
tragic tale, it also conveys a wondrous
story of return and restoration. From
Naomi’s return to the promised land,
we learn how turning back to the
Lord can bring us both physical and
spiritual restoration.
雖然路得記描寫了這個悲劇的故事，
也同樣傳達了一個回歸和恢復的奇妙故事。
自從拿俄米回到應許之地，
我們可以學到，回歸到神面前，
可以讓我們身體和心靈上，得到多少的恢復。
Where Have We Turned? 走到那裡我們才要回頭呢？
When a famine fell on Judah, Naomi
and her family decided to do what
seemed most rational under the
circumstances—leave Bethlehem and
find food elsewhere. But instead of
finding themselves better off, this
move signaled the beginning of their
woes.
當猶大地有了飢荒，
拿俄米和她的全家，
作了一個看起來在當時環境之中，非常合理的決定 -
離開伯利恆，到可以找到食物的其他地方去。
但是他們反倒沒有讓自已過得更好，
這個行為卻代表了祂們悲慘生活的開始。
Today, we may not have physically
turned away from God or left His
church, but our hearts may have
departed from Him. At life’s crossroads
or in difficult situations, we may
make similar choices as Naomi and
her family. When we find ourselves
in need, it is difficult to reject an
imminent solution to the challenges
surrounding us.
今日，我們或許在身體上，沒有轉向其他方向離開神，
或是走出了祂的教會，
但我們的內心卻離祂離的很遠。
走到生命中的十字路口，或是遇到困難的情況之晟，
我們或許會像拿俄米和她全家，作出類似的決定。
當我們發現自已有所匱乏的時候，
在面對各種困難挑戰的時候，
我們很難去拒絕在我們身邊即時出現的解決方法。
Rather than turning to God and
trusting in the promises of His care,
we turn to what is most logical and
readily available: the might and
promises of men. Similar to how the
Israelites relied on the chariots and
armies of Egypt in their battles against
other nations (Isa 31:1–3), we may
rely on other, more practical, methods
to solve our needs.
常常我們沒有仰臉轉向神，
信靠祂會照顧我們的應許，
我們會轉向選擇，那些看起來很合理有即刻可得的方法：
就是人的力量和諾言。
同樣的情況，以色列人在對抗其他國家的戰爭中，
也同樣依賴埃及的戰車和軍隊。
(賽 31：1-3)
我們或許會依靠別人，更實際的方法，
來解決我們要面對的問題。
However, at this time, we must
extend our eyesight to the spiritual
realm and consider God’s will and
purpose for us. We must turn our
hearts to fully rely on God, and wait
for His timing. In choosing to remain
steadfast in our hope in God, we
give ourselves the opportunity to
experience the full extent of His might
and power.
然而在這個時候，就要擴展自已的眼光到屬靈國度的層面，
好好想想神的旨意，及神在我們身上所以完全的事情。
我們一定要把自已的心完全轉向依靠神，
等候祂的時間來到。
在作了選擇要仍然保持對神的盼望，
就要給自已有機會來體諒，神大能大力全部的能力的程度。
An Urge to Return 回家的念頭
The sorrow-filled years away from
God took their toll on Naomi. At a
certain point, she realized that Moab
was no longer the place she wanted
to be in. She had travelled to the land
of Moab with hope, yet the land had
emptied her hands of all that she had.
What could she possibly do, now that
all her hope and security were gone?
在他們離開神之後，這十幾年日子充滿了憂傷，
讓拿俄米的家死了幾個人。
到最後某個時間，她才了解到，
摩押地並不再是她想要住下來的地方。
她帶著盼望來到摩押地，
然而，這地卻讓她的雙手虛空，
她一切所有的都消失了。
她到底還能作什麼事呢？
到現在，她一切所有的盼望和安全感都消失了。
When Naomi heard that God had
visited His people and given them
food again, she felt an urge to return.
But she could have also struggled
with discouraging thoughts: I have to
make the journey back by myself; it’s
not safe. What will people think or
say about me? They will ridicule me!
Is there anywhere else I can go? What
if I just stayed behind?
當拿俄米聽到，神看顧祂的百姓，再次給他們食物，
她就感覺有衝動要回家。
但是她可能在內心裡面，也有令人灰心的想法在扭扎：
我要自已找到路走回去；很危險的樣子。
他們會取笑我！
還有其他的地方我可以去嗎？
還是我留在這裡呢？
For those of us who are considering
turning our hearts and footsteps
back to God, these very same doubts
and concerns may intimidate us. But
we must consider further: Are we
currently in a place where we want
to remain? Or do we feel empty,
tormented, and deprived of joy in our
souls? Do we truly want to wait until
we reach rock bottom, and have no
other choice, before we are willing to
return to God?
我們許多人，正我們正想把內心回轉，
抬腳走回到神那裡的時候，
正是這些懷疑和想法，會讓我們灰心。
但是我們要更深入的想一想：
我們現在是不是留在一個想永遠停留的地方呢？
或者我們惑到很空虛，很受折磨，
自身的靈魂好像沒有喜樂了呢？
難道我們願意回到神那裡之前，
真的想要等到最後我們碰到堅硬的地土，
再也沒有其他選擇的時候？
As Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am
the vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing” (emphasis
added). Regardless of how or why
we may have turned away from God,
returning to Him is the only way we
can find true satisfaction, fulfillment,
and restoration of life.
就像耶穌在約翰福音15章5節說到，
5我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。
常在我裡面的，我也常在他裡面，這人就多結果子；
因為離了我，你們就不能做甚麼。
(重點強調)
不論我們是怎麼離開神的，還是為何離開神的「
回到祂那裡，才是我們可以找到真正滿足，成就感，
恢復生命的唯一方法。
It may seem easier to remain in
our current state, or find other ways
out, but these are only temporary
fixes to our problems. Just as Naomi
had to leave her life in Moab behind
and bravely face her fears, so do we.
Things will only deteriorate if we do
not make that change, and the longer
we delay, the more harm we will do
to ourselves.
我們停留在目前的狀態，看起來似乎很容易，
或是找其他的出口，
但這些都只是我們問題的暫時應付的方法而已。
就像拿俄米要拋棄摩押地的生活一樣，
勇敢地面對自已的恐懼，我們也是一樣要如此。
若我們沒有任何改變，事情只會更惡化，
我們拖的更久，我們自已就會得到更多的傷害。
The Restoration 重新恢復
It took courage and resolve for Naomi
to return home. In fact, upon her
return, some of her fears came true
as word spread throughout the entire
city (Ruth 1:19). However, that soon
passed.
對拿俄米而言，回家是需要勇氣和決心的。
事實上，回家對她而言，
有一些她害怕的事情發生了，
隨是大家口耳相傳，整個城市的人都知道了。
(得 1：19)
然而，這件事很快就過去了。
What was greater and more
enduring was God’s guiding hand,
apparent throughout the remaining
chapters of Ruth. God not only
provided for Naomi’s physical needs
by leading her daughter-in-law to the
right person, place, and time (Ruth
2:3–4), but more importantly, He
restored their family’s lineage through
the son whom Ruth bore (4:10,15).
而神帶領的手，是更加偉大，更能長久的，
很明顯地，接下來的路得記的篇幅都可以看到神的作為。
神不只為拿俄米身體上的需要，給她預備了，
藉著帶領她的媳婦遇到對的人，走到對的地方，碰到對的時間點，
(得2：3-4)
而更重要的是，
神透過路得生出的兒子，恢復了整個家族的血脈。
Today, what does this restoration
mean to us? It means returning to a
state of life; a state of joy; a state of
strength—being able to do all things
through Christ who strengthens us
(Phil 4:13). Even if famine surrounds
us, God will not forsake us. Even if
we suffer hunger for a while, He will
provide a way. But without God, the
source of all good things, we will
inevitably reach a state of emptiness.
Therefore, let us turn our hearts
towards Him and continue steadfastly
in the hope of His salvation.
今日，這種神給的恢復，對我們而言，有什麼意義呢？
它的意思是回到生命中的一種狀態；
一種喜悅的狀態；
一種有力量的狀態 -
可以透過加給我們力量的基督，作一切的事情。
(腓 4：13)
即使我們旁邊有飢荒，神不會拋棄我們。
即使我們遇到一會兒的飢餓，
祂會給我們留下一條路。
但若是沒有神，沒有神這一切好事發生的源頭，
我們毫無疑問地，一定會遇見一種空虛的情況。
所以，讓我們的心回轉歸向神，
繼續堅定地停留在祂拯救我們的盼望之中。
As for Naomi, she had gone out
from the Lord full and returned home
empty. Yet upon her return, the Lord
blessed her with the fullness of joy
and gladness. In addition, as she held
her grandson to her bosom, next to
her heart (Ruth 4:16), Naomi finally
understood: the good Lord had truly
restored her.
對拿俄米而言，她從前滿滿的離開主去，
而今卻是空手回家。
然而因著她的回歸，
神祝福她，讓她充滿喜悅和快樂。
此外，當她抱著自已的孫子在懷中，緊靠著她的心房。
(得 4：16)
拿俄米最後明白了，她說：
良善的神真的讓她回復了。
You have turned for me my
mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and
clothed me with gladness.
(Ps 30:11)
11你已將我的哀哭變為跳舞，將我的麻衣脫去，給我披上喜樂，
(詩 30：11)
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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