10. Manna issue 94 - Seek the Lord Quickly 趕快尋求神
Hosea—Ipoh, Malaysia 馬來西亞怡保
It is universally acknowledged that we only have twenty-four hours in a day.
How we choose to spend these hours will by no means add to the twenty-four we already have.
More soberingly, once these twenty-four hours are past,
there is no way to get them back.
眾所周知，我們一天只有二十四小時。
我們選擇如何度過這些時間，絕不會增加再我們已有的二十四個小時。
更發人深省的是，一旦這二十四小時過去了，
就沒有辦法讓他們回來了。
Therefore, we try to fill our hours with things we want or need to do.
Priorities and values are attached to the activities that take up our time.
This being true, we can ask ourselves,
is our time being spent the most efficiently,
most enjoyably, most fruitfully, or even most wisely?
因此，我們嘗試用自已想做，或是需要做的事情，來填滿我們的時間。
優先等級和價值連結到佔用我們時間的活動。
既然如此，我們可以問問自己，
我們使用時間，有沒有最有效，
有沒有最令人高興、有沒有最富有成果、甚至有沒有是最明智呢？
We often hear this maxim when planning our time:
“Begin with the end in mind.”
We consider the potential outcome of our choices to evaluate the action to be taken.
Will we regret it in the future?
No one enjoys the feeling of regret,
but if we do the right thing at the right time,
resulting in the right outcome, we will have no regrets.
Therefore, the question is,
how should we spend our time to reach the best outcome?
在規劃時間的時候，我們經常聽到這樣的格言：
“以終為始來思考。”
我們思考自已選擇的可能結果，來評估要採取的行動。
將來我們會後悔嗎？
沒有人喜歡後悔的感覺，
但如果我們在正確的時間做正確的事，
而有了正確的結果，我們就不會後悔。
因此，問題是，
我們應該如何使用時間才能達到最好的結果呢？
SERVE THE LORD WHILE WE CAN 盡我們所能事奉主
The Gospel of Mark records two incidents of women bringing costly oil and spices to Jesus.
In Mark 16, three women sought Jesus to anoint His body after death.
However, little did they know that the opportunity had already passed.
Jesus had resurrected, and His body was no longer in the tomb.
The women had prepared the anointing spices in vain.
Conversely, Mark 14 records another woman who, knowing Jesus had come,
sought Him immediately and sacrificed her flask of costly fragrant oil to anoint Him.
Even though the people around her thought her actions were wasteful,
that was not how Jesus viewed them:
《馬可福音》記載了兩起事件，婦女攜帶花費昂貴的香油和香料給耶穌。
在《馬可福音》第 16 章中，有三名婦女尋找耶穌，想在他身體死後抹上香膏。
然而，他們卻不知道，機會已經消失了。
耶穌已經復活，祂的身體已經沒有放在墳墓裡。
眾婦女白費力氣準備了膏油香料。
相反的，馬可福音第 14 章，記載了另一個女人，她知道耶穌已經來了，
就立即??尋找祂，並獻出她那瓶昂貴的香油，去膏抹祂。
儘管周圍的人都認為她的行為很浪費，
但這卻不是耶穌看待他們的角度：
But Jesus said,
“Let her alone. Why do you trouble her?
She has done a good work for Me.
For you have the poor with you always,
and whenever you wish you may do them good;
but Me you do not have always.
She has done what she could.
She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world,
what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
(Mk 14:6–9)
6耶穌說：
由他罷！為甚麼難為他呢？
他在我身上作的是一件美事。
7因為常有窮人和你們同在，
要向他們行善隨時都可以；
只是你們不常有我。
8他所作的，是盡他所能的；
他是為我安葬的事把香膏預先澆在我身上。
9我實在告訴你們，普天之下，無論在甚麼地方傳這福音，
也要述說這女人所作的，以為記念。
(可 14：6-9)
Here, Jesus rebutted those who had disagreed with the woman’s actions,
saying that she had done a good work for Him.
And more significantly,
He stated that they would not have His physical presence with them forever.
在這裡，耶穌反駁那些不同意女人行為的人，
說她為耶穌做了一件好事。
更重要的是，
祂說，祂不會永遠與他們同在。
Jesus may have been warning His disciples of what was to come,
but His words also serve as an important reminder for us.
We can find Jesus now, but are we sure we will find Him in the future?
While we may draw near to Jesus and come to church for services today,
will we still be able to attend services tomorrow?
耶穌可能已經警告了祂的門徒，即將會發生的事情，
但祂的話語，對我們也是重要的提醒。
我們現在可以找到耶穌，但我們能確定將來能找到祂嗎？
雖然今日，我們可以親近耶穌，並且來到教會禮拜，
明日我們還能參加聚會嗎？
Comparing the two incidents from chapters 14 and 16,
we see that these women sought to perform the same act of love and kindness.
They were willing to sacrifice valuable materials,
but only the woman in chapter 14 could anoint Jesus with her bottle of costly spikenard oil.
The others had the right intention,
putting in the time and effort to prepare spices and seek out Jesus,
but their efforts were in vain because Jesus was no longer there.
比較第14章和第16章的兩個事件，
我們看到，這些婦女找機會要做出同樣的愛心和仁慈。
他們樂意犧牲珍貴的物質，
但只有第 14 章中的婦女，才能用她那瓶昂貴的珍拿達香膏塗抹耶穌。
其他人有正確的想法，
花時間和精力準備香料，並且尋找耶穌，
但他們的努力都是白費了，因為耶穌已經不在了。
Hence, dear friends, brothers, and sisters,
even with the right intention and effort,
our actions would count for nothing if not executed at the right time.
Therefore, it is essential to seize the opportunity to serve God while we can.
因此，親愛的眾朋友，兄弟姐妹，
即使有正確的想法和努力，
如果不在正確的時間執行，我們的行為都將毫無意義。
因此，很重要我們必須抓住機會事奉神，當還可以的時候。
TIME SPENT ON THE PRESSURES OF LIFE 度過生活壓力的時間
Yet we hear of many reasons given for not serving God.
One common one is “I’m too busy.”
In our current socioeconomic environment,
we are constantly persuaded to buy and spend to improve our lives which,
in turn, requires us to earn more money so we can continue buying and spending.
This capitalist outlook drives people to spend more time working.
然而，我們聽到了許多無法事奉神的理由。
常見的一個就是“我太忙了”。
在我們現在的社會經濟環境下，
我們不斷被驅使，去購買及消費以改善自已的生活，
反過來，需要我們賺更多的金錢，以便我們可以繼續購買和消費。
這種資本主義觀點，驅動人們花更多時間去工作。
However, if we take a step back,
we know that life is more than just acquiring material things and living comfortably.
Jesus warns us,
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
(Mt 16:26).
Is it worthwhile to busy ourselves trying to earn the whole world
while exchanging our soul in the process?
Dear brothers and sisters, have you ever been so busy that you cannot attend church services?
Have you ever been so busy that you cannot do church work, serve, pray, or draw close to God?
If we do not seize the time and opportunities to draw closer to our Savior when we can,
will we still have the opportunity in the future?
然而，如果我們後退一步，
我們知道，生活不僅僅是獲得物質財富和過上舒適的生活。
耶穌警告我們，
“26人若賺得全世界，賠上自己的生命，有甚麼益處呢？
人還能拿甚麼換生命呢？”
（太 16：26）。
為了贏得全世界而讓自已很忙碌，是否值得呢？
而這個過程中卻正以我們的靈魂來做交換？
親愛的弟兄姊妹，你是否曾經因為很忙而無法參加教會聚會呢？
你有沒有曾經超忙，而不能做教會聖工、不能事奉、不能禱告、不能親近神呢？
如果不趁著還可以的時候，我們不抓住時間和機會來親近我們的救主，
以後我們還會有機會嗎？
Perhaps it is not a question of personal choice.
Rather, we may be pressured to fulfill our duties to the people around us,
which consumes our time and energy.
In today’s society, people are under tremendous stress from school, work, and even social obligations.
At home, our families can be a source of stress too.
The anxiety we accumulate over a day is challenging to shake off.
No matter how hard we try, we can never please everyone or solve every issue.
The constant stress can feel like a heavy burden on our shoulders.
But have we forgotten that we have our heavenly Father as our Savior and Comforter?
He calls out to us,
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
(Mt 11:28).
The Lord Jesus is our reliance.
He beckons us to come to Him to receive peace.
也許這不是一種個人選擇的問題。
相反的，我們可能會承受壓力，要完成面對周圍之人的責任，
這會消耗我們的時間和精力。
在當今社會中，人們承受著巨大壓力，來自學校，工作，甚至是社會義務。
在家裡，我們的家人也可能成為壓力的來源。
我們一天下來積累的焦慮，可能很難消除。
無論我們有多麼的努力，我們永遠無法取悅所有的人，或是解決所有問題。
這種持續性的壓力，可能會讓我們感覺肩上有沉重的負擔。
但我們是否忘記了，我們有天父作為我們的救主和安慰者？
祂向我們呼喊，
“28凡勞苦擔重擔的人可以到我這裡來，我就使你們得安息。”
（太 11：28）。
主耶穌是我們的依靠。
祂召喚我們就近祂，來領受平安。
However, it seems that each time the Lord calls out to us,
we turn Him away.
We continue to carry our own burden,
wishing to tread on our own chosen path and relying on our own strength and intelligence.
If we take a moment to reflect,
are we truly happy on this path we have chosen?
Are we able to feel peace and rest,
or are we always struggling under the weight of our burdens?
The Bible tells us:
然而，似乎每次主呼召我們的時候，
我們拒絕了祂。
我們繼續背負自己的重擔，
希望走在自己選擇的道路，依靠自己的力量和聰明。
如果我們花點時間反思一下
我們在自己選擇的道路上，是否真的快樂呢？
我們是否能夠感覺到平安和歇息呢？
或者我們總是在重擔的壓力下苦苦掙扎呢？
聖經告訴我們：
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
(Prov 3:5–8)
5你要專心仰賴耶和華，
不可倚靠自己的聰明，
6在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，
他必指引你的路。
7不要自以為有智慧；
要敬畏耶和華，遠離惡事。
8這便醫治你的肚臍，
滋潤你的百骨。
(箴 3：5-8)
The author here explains that we are stressed and worn out
because we have been relying on ourselves alone.
We have decided to use our own understanding to choose our path.
Let us not blame God or the people around us
if we continue on the wrong path,
wondering why we are no closer to our goal.
Remember that our heavenly Father loves us and is waiting earnestly for us to turn back to Him:
“If you will return, O Israel,” says the LORD, “return to Me”
(Jer 4:1a).
作者在這裡解釋說，我們的壓力很大，而且又疲憊不堪，
因為我們一直都在依靠自己。
我們都決定用自己的認知，來選擇自已的道路。
請我們不要責怪神，或是自已身邊周圍的人，
如果我們繼續走在錯誤的道路上，
懷疑為什麼自已沒有更接近目標。
請記住，我們的天父愛我們，並且熱切等待著我們轉向他：
“4耶和華說：以色列啊，你若回來歸向我，”
（耶 4：1a）。
TIME SPENT ON THE PLEASURES OF LIFE 度過生活享樂的時間
Thus far, we have discussed
how we must seek the Lord quickly at every opportunity
and how we must not let the pressures of life stop us from doing so.
However, we still face one more potential obstacle when we seek God:
our desire for comfort and enjoyment.
When we were young, we attended church services with our parents and met our friends there;
we had fun participating in church camps, Bible seminars, courses, and spiritual meetings.
But when did everything begin to change?
When we started working, looking for a life partner, or having children,
we may have secretly felt like the church was a third wheel
—an inconvenience.
Where have our initial zeal and love for God gone?
In our youth, we were so faithful and zealous.
However, spiritual matters have been pushed to the side by our lives' success, blessings, and comfort.
到目前為止，我們已經討論了，
自已必須如何抓住一切的機會，快速尋求主，
以及自已如何不能讓生活的壓力，阻擋我們這樣做。
然而，當我們尋求神的時候，還會面臨一個潛在的阻礙：
我們想要舒適和享受的渴望。
當我們年輕的時候，我們和父母一起去教會聚會，並結識了我們那裡的朋友；
我們很高興參加教會講習會、聖經研討會、課程和靈恩會。
但一切從什麼時候就開始改變了呢？
當我們開始工作、尋找生活的伴侶，或生孩子的時候，
我們可能私底下覺得，教會是第三個輪子
—會帶來不便。
我們最初對神的熱心與愛心，已經跑到哪裡去了呢？
我們年輕時，是那樣的忠心，那樣的熱心。
然而，屬靈的事情，卻已經被自已生活的成功、祝福和舒適，推開到一邊去。
Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses,
and this temple to lie in ruins?”
Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:
“Consider your ways!
You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!”
(Hag 1:3–7)
3那時耶和華的話臨到先知哈該說：
4這殿仍然荒涼，
你們自己還住天花板的房屋麼？
5現在萬軍之耶和華如此說：
你們要省察自己的行為。
6你們撒的種多，收的卻少；
你們吃，卻不得飽；
喝，卻不得足；
穿衣服，卻不得暖；
得工錢的，將工錢裝在破漏的囊中。
7萬軍之耶和華如此說：你們要省察自己的行為。
(該 1：3-7)
If we are neither cold nor hungry and experience no lack in our lives today,
these verses may not seem relevant.
And perhaps, for this reason, we do not feel the need to self-reflect.
When the temple of God needs to be built up,
we are too comfortable to answer the call.
We need to quieten our hearts and remember the warnings that God gave to the people of old:
今天，如果我們即不冷又不餓，生活中又感覺不到有缺乏，
這些經文可能看起來都很不相關。
而或許，正是因為如此，我們並不覺得有必要進行自我反省。
當神的聖殿需要建造的時候，
我們感覺太舒心，無法接聽來電。
我們要安靜自已的內心，記住神給古代人的警告：
Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
Who lie on beds of ivory,
Stretch out on your couches,
Eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall;
Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments,
And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
Who drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.
The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself,
The LORD God of hosts says:
“I abhor the pride of Jacob,
And hate his palaces;
Therefore I will deliver up the city
And all that is in it.”
(Amos 6:3–8)
3你們以為降禍的日子還遠，
坐在位上盡行強暴（或譯：行強暴使審判臨近）。
4你們躺臥在象牙床上，舒身在榻上，
吃群中的羊羔，
棚裡的牛犢；
5彈琴鼓瑟，唱消閑的歌曲，
為自己製造樂器，如同大衛所造的；
6以大碗喝酒，
用上等的油抹身，
卻不為約瑟的苦難擔憂。
7所以這些人必在被擄的人中首先被擄，
舒身的人荒宴之樂必消滅了。
8主耶和華萬軍之神指著自己起誓說，
我憎惡雅各的榮華，
厭棄他的宮殿；
因此我必將城和其中所有的都交付敵人。
(摩 6：3-8)
This description of the Israelites becoming drunk in their pleasures is prolonged over many lines,
reflecting how people linger in indulgence when enjoying themselves.
Amos warned that the leaders of Israel were not sober to reflect on the blessings from God;
they had lost their vigilance and were defenseless against their enemies.
Likewise, do we neglect God when our lives are full of comfort and bliss?
And has the desire to maintain successful lives turned us away from seeking after God?
Has prosperity so occupied our hearts and minds
that we have lost our vigilance and the attitude of fear and trembling
that we should have regarding judgment day,
even to the point of ignoring its coming?
How pathetic we would be if we were so engrossed in pleasures
that we forget to prepare for our spiritual destination.
這裡描寫色列人，沉醉於享樂中，特別被延長了很多行的詩句，
反應了人們在享樂的時候，如何沉迷且流連忘返。
阿摩司書警告說，以色列的領導人，無法清醒的反省神的祝福；
他們失去了警惕，對於敵人毫無防備。
同樣的，當我們的生活充滿了舒適和幸福時，自已是否忽視了神呢？
是否想要維持成功的生活，已經轉變了我們的心態，不再想要尋求神呢？
是否生意興盛佔據了我們的心思呢？
以致於我們失去了警惕，和恐懼戰驚的態度呢？
因此我們應該要注到有審判日，
甚至我們已經到了忽視審判日來臨的情況？
如果我們非常沉迷於享樂，自已將是有多麼的可悲呢，
而我們早忘記要自已預備走向屬靈的目標。
CONCLUSION 結論
We all know that time is crucial.
While we invest our limited time in our careers, carrying our burdens,
or indulging in personal blessings, time ticks on;
the end will come suddenly.
Therefore, the Bible encourages us:
我們都知道，時間是很重要的。
當我們投入有限的時間在事業上，背負起自己的重擔時，
或且沉迷於個人的祝福，時間是正在流逝的；
結局會突然來到。
因此，聖經鼓勵我們：
Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isa 55:6–7)
6當趁耶和華可尋找的時候尋找他，
相近的時候求告他。
7惡人當離棄自己的道路；
不義的人當除掉自己的意念。
歸向耶和華，
耶和華就必憐恤他；
當歸向我們的神，
因為神必廣行赦免。
(賽 55：6-7)
Seize hold of the time we have to seek God quickly.
Do not delay while we can still choose who or what we will serve,
whether that be our careers,
our friends and families, our comforts and desires, or the Lord.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring and when we will be called to give an account to our Lord?
Previously, we may have been caught up in the affairs of this life,
but it is not too late for us to seek the Lord while He may be found,
and He will have mercy on those who seek after Him.
抓緊時間，我們要趕快尋求神。
不要耽延，我們仍可以選擇自已將為誰，或什麼事情來出力，
無論那是不是我們的職業，
我們的朋友和家庭，我們的安慰和期望，或者是為了主。
誰會知道明天將會發生什麼事，我們什麼時候會被要求向我們的主交賬呢？
以前，我們可能會被今生的事情所纏住，
但是我們可以趁著還可以找到主的時候，去尋求祂還為時不晚，
而祂必會憐憫那些尋求祂的人。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
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