7. Manna issue 97 - God Calls Us to Seek His Face 神加我們來尋求祂的面
Aveline Shek—Edinburgh, UK 英國愛丁堡
INTRODUCTION 前言
In the name of Jesus,
I testify how God provided me with accommodation for my final year of university
and taught me that time spent with Him is never wasted.
If we use our time for God
and focus on building up our faith through prayer and His words,
He will not only look after our spiritual needs
but will also provide for our physical needs far beyond our expectations.
奉耶穌的名，
我見證神如何為我預備大學最後一年的住宿，
並教我花時間與祂交通絕不會白費。
如果我們用時間用為神，
並透過禱告和祂的話語來專心建立我們的信心，
祂不只會照顧我們屬靈的需要，
也會預備我們物質的所需，遠超出我們的預期。
REBUILDING MY FAITH DURING YTTC 青年神訓班重建自已的信心
I was baptized when I was young
and my parents have always instilled in me the importance of prayer and Bible reading.
They have also regularly reminded me
that we need not worry about our physical lives
since God will always provide what is best if we pursue spiritual things.
However, in my second year of university,
driven by peer pressure
to prepare for my future and boost my curriculum vitae (CV),
I took on many extracurricular commitments alongside my studies.
This included joining several student society committees
and volunteering for organizations outside of university.
Without a conscious effort to examine myself
and put God first each day,
my life became increasingly filled with the things and people of the world,
and less of my time and thoughts were directed toward my spiritual life.
I could no longer focus during prayer
or gain edification from Bible reading.
Attending church became a habit
that had no real impact on my daily life
as I strayed further from God's commandments.
When I finished my exams,
I could only think about my uncertain future.
I worried about my final year of university and what I should do after graduating.
我很小就受洗了，
我父母都一直向我灌輸禱告和讀經的重要性。
他們也時常提醒我，
我們不必擔心自已的物質生活，
因為如果我們追求屬靈的事物，神總會給我們預備最好的事物。
然而，在我大學第二年的時候，
迫於同儕壓力，
為了準備自已未來，並提升自已的履歷，
在我學習之餘，我還選取了許多課外活動。
其中包括加入幾個學生社團委員會，
並於校外組織擔任志工。
若沒有意識努力的審視自己，
也沒有每天將神放在第一位，
我的生活越來越多充滿了世俗的人事，
也沒有花時間和心思用來投入自已的屬靈生活。
禱告時我不再可以專心，
讀經時也無去獲得造就。
去教會成為了一種習慣，
但對我的日常生活亦沒有真正的影響，
因為我更偏離神的誡命。
在我考試結束後，
我滿腦子都想著自已不確定的未來。
我擔心自已大學最後一年的學業，畢業後我應該怎麼辦。
Before my final year began,
I attended the Youth Theological Training Course (YTTC) in Edinburgh in August 2022.
I wondered whether or not it would be worth it,
as all my university friends and classmates were traveling or working,
and I would not have access to social media or email.
Yet, in the back of my mind,
I knew I needed this time in a spiritual wilderness to seek the face of God again.
在我最後學年開始前，
我參加了 2022 年 8 月愛丁堡的青年神訓班（YTTC）。
我一度懷疑這是否值得，
因為我所有的大學朋友和同學都去旅行或工作，
而我卻無法使用社群媒體或電子郵件。
然而，在我內心深處，
我知道自已需要這段屬靈曠野的時間，來再次尋求神的面。
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
(Jas 4:8)
8你們親近神，神就必親近你們。
有罪的人哪，要潔淨你們的手！
心懷二意的人哪，要清潔你們的心！
(雅 4：8)
During the three weeks of YTTC,
I reflected on why I worried so much about my future
and put so much effort into my worldly commitments
but almost none into my spiritual life.
I realized I was no longer relying on God
because the people and things of the world had become my idols.
Cherishing them over the abidance of God
had clouded my spiritual eyesight and weakened my faith.
在青年神訓班的三週時間裡，
我反思了自已為什麼如此擔憂自己的未來，
並投入如此多的精力於世俗纏累，
卻幾乎不重視自已的靈命。
我意識到自已不再依靠神，
因為世上的人事物都成了我的偶像。
珍惜它們勝過神的同在，
已經蒙蔽了我的屬靈很光，削弱了自已的信仰。
Time spent drawing near to God is never wasted.
We should not say we are weak in faith
but dismiss opportunities to draw nearer to God.
Whenever we get distracted in prayer, skim-read the Bible,
or say we will work on our faith tomorrow,
we must remember that
the strength to draw near to God comes from Him alone;
we cannot rely on ourselves.
God calls us to return to Him throughout the Bible:
花時間親近神絕對不會浪費。
我們不該說自己的信心軟弱，
亦不該放棄親近神的機會。
每當我們禱告分心時，略讀聖經，
或者說明天再努力去提升自已信仰時，
我們必須記住，
親近神的力量唯獨亦來自於祂；
我們不能依靠自己。
神用聖經來呼召我們回去找祂：
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
13你們要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服。
歸向耶和華─你們的神；
因為他有恩典，有憐憫，
不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，
並且後悔不降所說的災。
(珥 2：13)
For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."
(Isa 30:15a)
15主耶和華─以色列的聖者曾如此說：
你們得救在乎歸回安息；
你們得力在乎平靜安穩。
(賽 30：15上)
Thank God for answering the intercessions of my parents and spiritual friends.
He opened and cleansed my heart and allowed His word to open my eyes during the YTTC
(Ps 19:8b).
Through painful self-examination in prayer,
I was shown how much I needed God and that nothing can compare to or replace Him.
By the end of the YTTC,
I stopped worrying about my future
and prayed instead for God never to leave my sight
and to help me not be negatively influenced by my university friends.
Realizing the importance of prayer and Bible reading
in keeping me from going astray again,
I also determined not to take them for granted.
However, after the YTTC ended,
I did not immediately act on this.
感謝神回應了我父母和屬靈朋友的代禱。
在青年神訓班 (YTTC) 期間，祂打開並潔淨了我的內心，用祂的話語打開我的眼睛。
(詩 19：8b)
透過禱告時痛苦的反省，
讓我看到自己有多麼需要神，沒有任何事物可以與祂相比或取代祂。
到青年神訓班結束時，
我停止擔憂自己的未來，
而是反過來祈求神永不離開我面前，
並幫助我不受自已大學朋友的負面影響。
明白了禱告和讀經的重要性，
讓我避免再次誤入歧途，
因此我決心不再認為理所當然。
然而，青年神訓班結束後，
我並沒有立即採取行動。
THE TESTING OF FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE (JAS 1:3)
3信心經過試驗，就生忍耐。 (雅 1：3)
I learned the hard way
that attending spiritual retreats such as YTTC is only the beginning
and that the true test of our faith comes when we return to the real world.
As the YTTC drew to a close,
I began to worry about life outside of church again.
我經歷了痛苦的教訓，
參加靈修會，像青年神訓班 YTTC 只是一個開端，
而我們信心的真正考驗，是在自已回到現實世界的時候才開始。
隨著青年神訓班 YTTC 接近尾聲，
我又開始擔心教會外的生活了。
When I opened my email inbox the day after the course ended,
I was shocked to discover
that my accommodation for my final year of university had been canceled
and that I had missed several emails asking for a final confirmation letter.
I panicked immediately.
We were in the middle of a student housing crisis,[1]
and with my limited student loan budget,
I could only afford university accommodation.
I felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under me.
I had planned everything well in advance,
had booked my accommodation earlier than other students,
and had chosen to stay in the same building
because I still had friends living there.
Why had I not checked my email during the YTTC?
I even thought about how this would not have happened
if I had not attended the course.
在課程結束後隔天，我打開電郵信箱時，
我很震驚的發現，
我大學最後一年的宿舍被取消了，
而且我已錯過了幾封要求一次最終確認函的郵件。
我立刻很驚恐。
我們正遇到一次學生宿舍危機[1]，
而以我有限的學生貸款預算，
我只能負擔大學宿舍。
我感覺就好像自已一下子就失去了依靠。
我已經提前計劃好了一切，
也比其他學生更早去預訂宿舍，
而且早就選擇要住在同一棟大樓，
因為我還有朋友住在那裡。
為什麼我在青年神訓班 YTTC期間沒有查看郵件呢？
我甚至想過要如何作，假如我沒有參加這次神訓班，
這一切就不會發生了。
For the next few days, I explored all possible avenues.
I refreshed the university's accommodation portal countless times
and emailed the staff at Residential Services,
thinking I could resolve this issue by utilizing my network.
However, no rooms were available
and my initial booking was already allocated to someone else.
In desperation, I looked into private student accommodation,
even though I knew it was unlikely there would be any affordable options.
I grew increasingly anxious as there was just over a week left
before I was due to return to London,
and there was no solution in sight.
接下來幾天，我試了所有可能的途徑。
我無數次刷著大學宿舍門禁，
並給住宿服務部的職員發送電子郵件，
以為自已可以利用自已的人脈來解決這個問題。
然而，已經沒有空房，
而我最初的登記已經被分配給別人了。
絕望之下，我去查了私人的學生住宿，
儘管我知道不太可能會有平價的選項。
我變得越來越焦慮，因為只剩下一周多的時間，
而我卻看不到任何解決方法。
Thank God that my parents told me not to worry.
They reminded me that since I had lost my initial place
because I was attending the YTTC and building up my faith,
God would surely provide the best for me.
Since there was nothing more I could do except wait on the Lord,
I concentrated on praying, reading the Bible, and listening to sermons.
By dedicating more time to receiving God's word and praying,
the uncertainty of my accommodation quickly stopped weighing on my mind.
For the rest of that week, as I continued with spiritual cultivation,
I noticed how God's word turned my eyes back to Him
and changed the direction of my prayers.
感謝神，父母告訴我不要擔心。
他們提醒我，既然我已經失去了最初的住所，
因為我去參加青年神訓班 YTTC 且提升了信心，
神一定會給我預備最好的安排。
由於除了等候主，我別無選擇，
所以我專心禱告，讀經，聽道。
透過投入更多時間來領受神的話語和禱告，
我宿舍的不確定性很快就停止困擾我。
那週剩下的時間裡，隨著我繼續靈修，
我注意到神的話語是如何將自已的目光轉向祂，
並改變了我禱告的方向。
When a preacher's family living more than an hour away from campus
offered me their spare room,
I wondered at God's sense of humor.
If He literally placed me far away from my non-believing friends in central London,
this would certainly help me not to be influenced by them!
I was no longer worried about where I would live,
and I trusted that God would provide what was best for me.
那時有一位傳道的家庭住在離學校一個多小時車程的地方，
給我住他們的空房，
我不禁感嘆神的幽默感。
如果他真的把我安置在遠離倫敦市中心我那些未教的朋友，
這將會幫助我免受他們的影響！
我不再憂慮自已要住哪裡，
我相信神會給我預備最好的一切。
Over the next few days, sermons shared with me online and on the Sabbath
reminded me that what we think is important and essential
will not necessarily benefit our spiritual lives.
They also reminded me that rather than gaining the whole world,
we will find eternal life if we seek after God
(Mk 8:36; Mt 6:19–21).
Furthermore, two sermons based on 2 Samuel chapter 5
reiterated the importance of being watchful after experiencing spiritual success.
The Philistines coming up against David right after he became king
can represent when we have resolved to return to the way of God
and set Him as "King" over our hearts and our sinful nature.
Satan will come up against us through a sudden difficulty or obstacle.
One speaker shared a sister's baptism testimony:
her boss uncharacteristically said
she would be dismissed if she did not turn up at work on her baptism day.
After reflecting on her priorities,
she decided to get baptized.
Miraculously, her boss did not comment on her absence
when she returned to work the next day,
as if nothing had happened.
This was my final encouragement to put God first.
The next day, I set specific times in the morning and evening
to read the Bible and pray.
在接下來的幾天，網路上和安息日分享給我的講道，
提醒我，我們所認為重要且必需的事物，
不一定有益於我們的屬靈生活。
它們也提醒我，寧可不要賺得全世界，
若我們尋求神，就必得著永生
(可 8：36；太 6：19-21)。
此外，有兩篇基於撒母耳記下第五章的講道，
重申在體驗了屬靈成功之後保持警醒的重要性。
非利士人上來攻擊大衛，正在他成為國王後不久，
可以代表，當我們決心回歸神的道路，
立祂為“王”來掌管我們的內心和罪性。
撒旦就會藉著突如其來的困難或障礙來攻擊我們。
有一位講員分享了一位姊妹受洗的見證：
她老闆一反常態的說，
若她在受洗當天沒去上班，她就會被解僱。
在反思了她自己的優先順序後，
她決定去受洗。
很神奇的，她老闆沒有評論她請假，
當她隔天回去工作，
就好像沒有事情有發生一樣。
這就是先求神的事，所給我的最後鼓勵。
第二天，我早晚都安排了特定的時間，
來讀經和禱告。
GOD WILL PROVIDE 神必預備
That afternoon, exactly one week after YTTC had ended,
Residential Services emailed me saying
they had found a place for me in one of the university's halls of residence.
God's arrangement was perfect:
it was within my budget
and located within walking distance of our church in central London.
It was also in the building that I stayed in during my first year of university.
I immediately accepted the offer and thanked God
that within only one week of this problem arising,
He had helped me rely solely on Him
and showed me how much He can do when I come to a deadend.
那天下午，剛好是青年神訓班 YTTC 結束一週後，
宿舍服務部給我發了一封電子郵件說，
他們已經給我找到了一個住處，在大學其中一個宿舍樓。
神的安排很完美：
它落在我的預算之內，
而且位於我們倫敦中心教會的步行距離。
它也是我大學一年級時住過的那棟大樓。
我立即接受了這個安排，並感謝神，
在問題出現後只有一週內，
祂就幫助我要完全依靠祂，
並讓我看到，當我走投無路時，祂能成就何等大事。
Finally, when I moved into my accommodation,
I was amazed to find it was the same room I had lived in during my first year!
How could this space be found at such last minute without God's arrangement?
It was even newly refurbished.
God knew what I needed and more,
and I did not need to worry about anything.
Throughout my final year,
as my workload increased and I wondered about God's guidance in my life,
I looked at my room number
and remembered that He had been guiding and providing for me all along.
I just needed to seek Him first.
最後，當我搬進宿舍時，
我很驚奇的發現，它竟是我第一年時，自已曾住過的相同房間！
若沒有神的安排，怎麼可能在最後的關頭找到這個房間呢？
房子甚至還重新裝修過。
神知道我需要什麼，甚至更多的事，
所以我並不需要擔心任何事。
經歷過自已的最後一年，
隨著自已的工作量增加，我開始思考自已生活中神的帶領。
我看著自已的房號，
還記得祂一直都在指引我，給我預備。
我只要先尋求祂。
CONCLUSION 結論
When I tell my non-believing friends
how God helped me to get my accommodation,
I often feel limited in sharing how God provided what I was physically seeking.
Indeed, non-believers worry about their physical lives,
but we should not seek after or worry about such things
(Mt 6:31–33).
Have our worries about life prevented us from drawing nearer to God?
Has it been a while since we have felt our prayers truly reach God?
When was the last time the word of God touched our heart
and moved us to change something in our life?
Let us take time to draw near to God and away from the world,
whether through a church event, a Sabbath service, fellowship,
listening more to His word, or spending time alone with Him.
God calls out to us through His word, asking us to seek His face.
When we respond by saying,
"Your face, LORD, I will seek"
(Ps 27:8),
He will surely provide above and beyond our expectations.
當我告訴p自已未信主的朋友，
神是怎麼幫助我找到住宿時，
我常覺得自己無法完全分享，神是如何給我預備一切自已正尋求的物質。
的確，未信者會擔心自己肉體的生命，
但我們不該追求或擔心這些事
(太 6：31-33)。
我們對生命的擔憂是否阻礙了我們親近上帝？
是否有一陣子了，自從我們曾感受到自已的禱告真正達到神面前？
上一次神話語感動我們的心，
並激動我們改變自已生活某些事，那是什麼時候了呢？
讓我們花時間親近神，遠離世俗，
無論是參加教會活動，安息日聚會，團契活動，
聆聽更多祂的話語，或花時間與祂獨處。
神以祂的話語呼喚我們，求我們尋求祂的面。
當我們回應說：
“8耶和華啊，你的面我正要尋求。”
(詩 27：8)，
祂一定會預備超乎我們的期待。
[1] Rachel Hall,
“UK student housing reaching ‘crisis point’ as bad as 1970s, charity warns,”
The Guardian, December 26, 2022,
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/dec/26/
uk-student-housing-reaching-crisis-point-as-bad-as-1970s-charity-warns.
[1] Rachel Hall，
“慈善機構警告：英國學生住房狀況已達‘危機點’與 1970 年代一樣嚴重”，
衛報，2022 年 12 月 26 日，
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/dec/26/
uk-student-housing-reaching-crisis-point-as-bad-as-1970s-charity-warns.
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