7. Manna issue 59 - Burning Silver 燃燒銀子
Why it is important for us to be purified through trials.
為什麼我們透過考驗來淨化自己很重要。
Zion Delight—Baldwin Park, California, USA 美國加州博恩
A silversmith holds a silver ingot with his tongs.
He slowly places it above the furnace.
He must carefully monitor and regulate the silver ingot’s time over the fire and the proximity to the heat.
Too long a period or too close to the fire,
and the silver will melt away and vanish into the red-hot embers.
Too short a period or too far from the fire, and the dross will remain,
diminishing the value of the ingot.
The craftsman’s eyes are focused on the piece of silver,
and his hands hold it with just the right amount of pressure.
He waits patiently for the impurities to be burnt away.
He knows the silver is ready when he can finally see his reflection upon its surface.
有一位銀匠用鉗子夾著一塊銀錠。
他慢慢的把銀子放在火爐上方。
他必須仔細監控與控制銀錠在火上的時間以及與熱源的距離。
時間太長或離火太近，
銀子將會熔化並消失在又紅又熱的餘燼中。
時間太短或是離火太遠，渣滓就會殘留，
降低銀錠的價值。
工匠的目光聚焦在這塊銀子上，
而他的手夾住它時力道恰到好處。
他耐心地等待雜質被燒掉。
當他終於能夠看到自已反射在銀子表面時，就知道這塊銀子已經煉好了。
In the same way a silversmith purifies a piece of silver over the furnace,
so God refines us over the fire of affliction
(Isa 48:10).
In the midst of suffering
(whether it is warranted by our actions and thoughts or not),
we may often wonder why God allows us to go through such an unpleasant process.
If He indeed loves us, why must we undergo such painstaking struggle?
同樣的方式，銀匠用火爐煉淨一塊銀子，
所以神用苦難之火來提煉我們
（賽 48：10）。
在苦難之中
（無論是不是出於我們的行為和思想需要這樣作），
我們常常會想，為什麼神允許我們經歷這樣不愉快的過程。
如果祂真的愛我們，為什麼我們需要經歷如此艱苦的掙扎？
In Psalm 139:23, 24, King David asked to undergo this process of refinement.
He found great value in being purified by God.
Let us examine these verses in detail and discover what we can learn from David’s prayer.
在詩篇 139 篇 23，24 節中，大衛王請求來接受這種提煉過程。
他發現得神淨化有巨大的價值。
讓我們詳細檢視這些經文，看看我們可以從大衛的禱告中學到什麼。
OUR HEARTS 我們的內心
Search me, O God, and know my heart
23神啊，求你鑒察我，知道我的心思
What makes God’s observations different from our own self-examination?
God searches through our inner being.
In His wisdom and mercy,
He can see us more objectively and compassionately than we can ourselves.
He explores and examines every corner of our minds, hearts, and souls.
神的觀察與我們自己的自我反省有何不同？
神鑒察我們的內心。
在祂的智慧和憐憫中，
祂能比我們自己更客觀的，更有有同情心的看待我們。
祂探索並檢視我們思想，心靈和靈魂的每一個角落。
Let us consider for a moment what lies within our hearts.
The Hebrew word for heart, lebab, represents our inner being and our soul.
It includes everything that makes up our sense of self:
our understanding and our knowledge, our reflections and our memories,
our conscience and our courage, our inclinations and our resolutions, our emotions and our passions.
讓我們思考一下我們內心有什麼想法。
希伯來文心臟 lebab 代表我們的內心和靈魂。
它包括了構成我們自我意識的一切：
我們的理解力和知識，我們的反省和記憶，
我們的良知和勇氣、我們的傾向和決心、我們的情感和熱情。
We can picture our hearts as unique, multi-faceted jewels.
We comprise motivations, feelings, determinations, agendas, dreams, worries, and troubles.
Unfortunately, we may discover that our gems are not as beautiful
or as perfect as we would like them to be.
我們可以想像自已的內心如同獨一無二的，多切面的寶石。
我們包含動機，感情，決心，議程，夢想，擔憂和煩惱。
不幸的是，我們可能會發現自已的寶石並沒有那麼美麗，
或他們不像我們所想要的那樣完美。
Our motivations and practices often fall short of our ideals.
We aim to rise above the world
but find ourselves sinking in sin time and time again.
We may wonder what impurities distort our brilliance.
我們的動機和實踐常常達不到自已的理想。
我們定目標要超越世界，
卻發現自己一次又一次陷入罪中。
我們可能想知道是怎樣的不聖潔扭曲了我們的光輝。
We may not know, but God is keenly aware of what truly lies within our hearts:
our skewed motivations, conflicting emotions, proud determinations,
secret agendas, overwhelming anxieties, silent sorrows,
and invisible idolatry
(Ps 44:21).
我們可能不知道，但神深知我們內心的真實想法：
我們扭曲的動機，矛盾的情感，驕傲的決心，
秘密計劃，巨大的焦慮，無聲的悲傷，
以及無形的偶像崇拜
（詩篇 44：21）
There are many impurities that can plague our hearts.
He knows how they came about and why they remain.
God understands the best way to eliminate them altogether,
which is by burning them away with trials of fire.
有許多的不聖潔會毒害我們的心靈。
祂知道它們是如何產生的以及為何它們會存在。
神知道徹底消滅它們的最好方法，
就是用火之試驗把它們燒掉。
TESTING AND REFINEMENT 試驗與熬煉
Try me, and know my anxieties;
23試煉我，知道我的意念
And see if there is any wicked way in me
24看在我裡面有甚麼惡行沒有
The Lord looks closely at our true selves.
He inspects our hearts as a scientist examines a microbe under a microscope.
God observes what we do and say in public and in private.
He discerns our underlying motivations and emotions.
He is pained by the evidence of evil, sorrow, and unfaithfulness hiding within us.
主仔細鑒察我們真實的自我。
祂檢查我們的內心就如一位科學家用顯微鏡檢查微生物一樣。
神觀察我們公開和私下所做的事與所說的話。
祂辨別我們潛在的動機和情感。
祂因為我們內心邪惡，悲傷及不忠的跡象而感到痛心。
Because of His love for us, God proceeds to test and refine our hearts
(Ps 66:10; Prov 17:3).
He tests us with the affection of those we love,
or with the criticisms of those we dislike.
He refines us by placing responsibilities on our shoulders,
or by taking away our accomplishments.
He tests and refines us to see if we truly love Him
and hold fast to Him in spite of changing circumstances.
因著神愛我們，祂展開我們內心的考驗和熬煉
（詩篇 66：10；箴 17：3）。
祂用我們所愛之人的感情來測試我們，
或是用那些我們討厭之人的批評。
祂把責任放在我們肩上，來熬煉我們，
或剝奪我們的成就。
祂考驗並熬煉我們，來觀察我們是否真正愛祂，
無論環境如何改變，都會緊緊抓住祂。
Testing and refinement involve resistance and struggle, as well as pain.
However, God regulates the type and the degree of struggle,
not pushing us beyond what we can bear
(1 Cor 10:13).
It is a battle between who we are now and who God knows we could be.
試煉和熬煉伴會涉及抵抗和掙扎，也伴隨著痛苦。
然而，神控制了掙扎的類型和程度，
必不逼迫我們受試探過於所能受的
（林前 10：13）。
這是一場關於我們現況，以及神知道我們未來可能性之間的爭戰。
This constant battle requires us to push past the obstacle of our weaknesses
and soar on the wings of God’s strength.
We can avoid hindrances by stepping onto the springboard of God’s word.
這場持續的戰場需要我們克服自已弱點的阻礙，
並搭乘神力量的光翼翱翔。
我們踏著神話語的跳板，就能避開攔阻。
God’s voice whispers through the pages of the Bible, piercing our hearts,
helping us recognize our shortcomings.
By looking into its pages on a daily basis,
the Scriptures serve as the mirror
through which we can see ourselves through God’s eyes, know God’s will for us,
and receive God’s blessing by following His instruction
(Jas 1:22-25).
神的聲音透過頁頁的聖經低語傳來，刺穿我們內心，
幫助我們認識自己的缺點。
透過每天查閱聖經章節，
聖經就好像是鏡子，
透過聖經我們可用神的角度審視自己，了解神給我們的旨意，
且遵守祂的指示而得到神的祝福
（雅 1：22-25）。
We can withstand and win the battle through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Counselor equips us and strengthens us
so we can practice righteousness in our daily lives.
Its abidance within us helps us to act justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with God
(Mic 6:8).
我們可以藉著聖靈的能力，來抵擋且贏得這場戰爭。
教會長執正裝備我們並加強我們的力量，
使我們就能在日常生活中行公義。
聖靈與我們同在，可以幫我們行公義，好憐憫，
存謙卑的心與神同行
（彌 6：8）
The presence of the Holy Spirit descends through humble and sincere prayer
and intensifies with the choices we make in our lives.
When we are torn between telling a lie that would benefit us
or telling the truth that could benefit others,
God’s Spirit grants us the courage to speak honestly.
When we see someone in need,
the Holy Spirit inspires us to let go of selfishness
and give willingly, generously, and joyfully.
聖靈是經由謙卑和虔誠的禱告降臨，
並隨著我們生活中的選擇而加添力量。
當我們在說謊話可讓自己受益，
或是說實話卻讓別人得利之間左右為難時，
神的聖靈賜給我們勇氣可以說實話。
當我們看到有人需要幫助時，
聖靈感動我們可以放棄自私，
並且樂意奉獻，慷慨大方，滿心喜樂。
Testing and refinement make us clean, holy, acceptable, faithful, obedient, and righteous
(Job 23:10; Ps 51:10; Isa 1:25; Mal 3:3).
We also bring glory to Christ by being victorious over our shortcomings
(1 Pet 1:6, 7).
Because of His immeasurable love for His children,
God is willing to exchange a short period of tribulation for an eternity of bliss.
考驗和熬練使我們潔淨，聖潔，蒙悅納，有信心，順服，公義
（伯 23：10；詩 51：10；賽 1：25；瑪 3：3）
若我們戰勝自己的弱點，也就榮耀了基督
（彼前 1：6,7）
因為祂有深不可測的慈愛給兒女，
神很樂意用短暫的苦難來換取永恆的祝福。
PATIENTLY PERSEVERE 耐心堅持
And lead me in the way everlasting 引導我走在永生之道路
Psalm 139:23, 24 shows us a pattern of God’s caring intervention in our lives:
“Search me…try me…lead me.”
David invited God to be an active participant in the process of his refinement.
Through trial by fire, God found what was wrong,
cleaned what was dirty, and guided what was good.
詩篇 139 篇 23，24節告訴我們神在我們生活中關懷介入的模式：
“鑒察我...試煉我...引導我。”
大衛邀請神積極參與他受磨練過程。
透過火的考驗，神就會發現有什麼錯誤，
清除那骯髒的事物，引導出善良的事物。
The purpose of the process of refinement is that
once God has removed traces of the wicked alloys,
we are free to become more and more Christ-like
—perfect, precious, pure.
We no longer need to focus on our success, our generosity, and our talent.
We can serve with His humility, help with His love, resist with His power.
熬煉過程的目的就是，
一旦神消除了邪惡合金的蹤跡，
我們可以得自由變得越來越像基督，
—完全，珍貴，純潔。
我們不再需要關注自已的成功，慷慨和才華。
我們可以以祂的謙卑來服事，用祂的慈愛來幫助，用祂的力量來抵抗。
As we patiently persevere through our time “in the fire,”
we can gradually assimilate His qualities.
We will find that God patiently guides us along the path to eternity at His side.
He not only points out the right direction through His word
but also shares in every step of the journey.
We are constantly accompanied by His Spirit,
which holds us by the hand and comforts us along the way.
當我們耐心忍耐度過自已“火焰中”的時間，
我們就可以逐漸吸收祂的性質。
我們會發現神很有耐心引導我們走向祂國度永生的道路。
祂不僅經由祂的話語指出正確的方向，
也分享這趟旅程的每一步。
我們時刻有祂聖靈的陪伴，
聖靈會以雙手支撐我們，一路上安慰我們。
God holds a human heart in His hands.
He slowly places it in the midst of affliction.
He must carefully monitor and regulate the length of time and the severity of the trial.
Too long or too severe, and the heart will be lost to sin or despair.
Too short or too light, and the evil will remain,
rendering the heart useless to God.
The Father’s eyes are concentrated on the heart,
and His hands hold it firmly but gently.
He waits patiently for the impurities to be burnt away.
He knows the heart is ready when He sees Himself in it at long last.
神在手中捧著一顆人心。
祂慢慢的將它放置於苦難之中。
祂必須小心的監控和調節試驗時間的長短及嚴重的程度。
時間太長或是考驗太嚴重，人心就會迷失於罪惡或產生絕望。
時間太短或是考驗太輕微，邪惡就會殘留，
使得這顆心於神而言毫無用處。
天父的眼目注視著人的內心，
而祂的雙手穩定且溫柔的支撐著。
祂耐心的等待直到燒掉雜質。
當祂終於在心中看到自己時，就知道這顆人心已經完美了。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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