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Scripture Reading        : Gen 21

Theme                             : Family Joy and Sorrow

Family joys (1–7).

Family sorrows (8–21).

Abraham reaped the sad consequences of forgiven sin. He had lived with Ishmael for perhaps seventeen years, and he loved the lad, so the parting was painful. There comes a time when we must “cut off” the past and make a new beginning. The apostle Paul saw this as a picture of law and grace (Gal. 4:21–31). For Abraham’s sake, God blessed the lad and made him a great nation.

Family testimony (22–34).

Praying the Scripture

1. Relationships can be messy. The same people who bring us joy can also bring us sorrow. Relationships can also change overnight. The arrival of Isaac brought both sorrow and joy to the family. Joy because the burden of childlessness was a really heavy burden in that culture and finally it came to an end. It is ironic that the name Abraham means “father of a multitude” yet he had no child of his own. This made him a laughing stock for many years. Yet Abraham believed in God and waited on him. So the arrival of Isaac was a promise fulfilled and a reward to Abraham who waited on God. Let’s pray that we will learn from Abraham in trusting God no matter what others say about us or our God.

2. It was also a time of sorrow because Abraham had to accept the consequences of his sin. It was time to say goodbye to Hagar and Ishmael. Sin is messy especially it has to do with family. Let’s pray that we love our family and pray for them that whatever we do will bless them rather than pain them. We might be a victim of someone’s sin but let’s pray that the vicious cycle stops with us. Let’s pray that we bring God’s grace, salvation and blessing to our family rather than curse and pain to them.

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 21:1.

经文：创21章

主题：家庭的欢乐与悲伤

家庭的欢乐 (1–7)

神按着自己的时间遵守了祂的承诺，没有失败的。这一次，撒拉的笑声是公开和真诚的，并不是隐藏和怀疑的。（创18:12）以撒这个名字的意思是“笑声”，而这男孩为这对高龄夫妇带来许多的欢乐。通过他，快乐已来到这世上。神“按其时成为美好”。（传3:11）

家庭的悲伤 (8–21)

虽然亚伯拉罕的罪已被原谅了，但他仍然承担罪所带来悲惨的后果。他与以实玛利生活了17年，他爱这小伙子，所以离别时必定是痛苦的。有时，我们必须“切断”过去，才能迈入新的未来。使徒保罗认为这代表了律法和恩典。（加4:21-31）由于亚伯拉罕的缘故，神赐福给这小伙子，使他成为大国。

家庭的见证（22-34）

亚伯拉罕未得救的邻居们看得出他是一个蒙神祝福的人。亚伯拉罕并没有试图以谎言来脱离责任；他大胆地说出实情，并相信神的工作。拥有水源在东方是一件重要的事，人们会为了泉源而打起来。神的子民必须小心对待他们与在信心之“外”的人的关系。（西4:5；帖前4:12）。

人生有悲欢离合、有问题、也有祝福。我们必须学会接受神所赐给我们的，并在信心里行事为人。

用经文祷告

1. 人际关系是可以很复杂的。带来给我们欢乐的人，同样的也能带给我们悲伤。关系也可以在一夜之间有所改变。以撒的出生带给这家庭欢乐，也带来了悲伤。欢乐，因为他们的社会文化里，无子女是一个非常沉重的担子，这烦愁终于结束了。最讽刺的是，亚伯拉罕这名的意思是“多国之父”，但他自己却没有孩子。这使他这几十年成为一个笑柄。然而，亚伯拉罕坚信神，并等候祂。因此，以撒的到来是这应许的实现，也是亚伯拉罕等候神的奖赏。让我们祷告，我们学习亚伯拉罕一样，不管别人如何说我们或我们的神，我们依然信靠神。

2. 这也是一个悲伤的时刻，因为亚伯拉罕不得不接受自己罪的后果。这时候是与夏甲和以实玛利说再见的时候了。罪可以很复杂，尤其是牵涉到家人。让我们祷告神使我们爱我们的家人并为他们祷告，无论我们做什么都能成为他们的祝福，而不使他们痛苦。我们可能成为别人罪的牺牲品，但让我们祈祷这恶性循环将在我们这里停止。请祷告我们能把神的恩典、救恩和祝福带到我们的家庭里，而不是带给他们诅咒和痛苦。

Scripture Reading        : Gen 20

Theme                            : The Way of Sanctification

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Revelation.

God spoke to the heathen king but not to His own friend, Abraham! Although God kept the king from sinning, He allowed Abraham to lie! God called Abraham to be a blessing, but now he had become a curse in the land. God was protecting Sarah, Isaac, and His great plan of salvation.

Rebuke.

What a humiliating thing to be openly rebuked by a pagan king. God sometimes uses the unsaved to chasten the saved. The fact that Abraham was a believer did not give him license to sin. Unfortunately, years later, Abraham’s son Isaac would imitate his father’s sin (Gen. 26).

Restoration.

Praying the Scripture

1. Yes, Abraham fell again. Temptations come in many different sizes and shades. Just when we think everything is safe and sound, we fall into it. Let’s pray that we keep watching and praying that we may not enter into temptation. (Mat 26:41)

2. If we walk uprightly, God will protect us from sinning. This is what we learn from Genesis 20:6, “Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. (Gen 20:6) Let us pray that we’ll walk in righteousness and obey God from our hearts. The Lord will be faithful and protect us from sinning.

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 20:1.

经文：创20章

主题：成圣的道路

复发。

当信徒开始凭眼见行事时（11节）、就会担心受惊（箴29:25），开始心里谋算。（创12:10）这一次，连撒拉也说谎了！（5节）无论我们从旧生命里带来什么（13节），它都将使我们新的生命产生问题。承认自己的罪是一回事，把罪带到神前来受审并离弃它们又是另一回事。（箴28:13）当婚姻必须由一个谎言来维护时，那这家必会处在危险之中。

启示

神向外邦的异教国王说话，也不与自己的朋友亚伯拉罕说话！虽然神阻止异教国王犯罪，但祂却允许亚伯拉罕说谎！神呼召亚伯拉罕成为别人的祝福，但他却导致这片土地受到诅咒。但神却是正在保护撒拉、以撒和祂伟大的救赎计划。

训斥

在公开场合上被一个异教国王斥责是多么丢脸的事啊。神有时会使用不信徒来教训真信徒。事实上，亚伯拉罕身为信徒并不代表他就可以犯罪。不幸的是，在多年以后，亚伯拉罕的儿子，以撒，也犯下父亲同样的罪。（创26）

恢复

在当时支付大笔钱是“赎罪”的方法；然而，犯罪从来就不会得到好处。神没有离弃祂的朋友（诗105:15；2摩2:12 – 13），反而尊重他并回应他的祷告。在金钱上，亚伯拉罕更富裕了；但在属灵上，他更贫穷了。他失去见证和荣耀神的机会。

用经文祷告

Scripture Reading        : Gen 19

Theme                            : The homosexual sin

Abraham was visited when it was light, but Lot received the angels at evening (1 John 1:5–10). Abraham’s household obeyed his word as he served the Lord, but Lot’s family only laughed at Lot’s words. Abraham hastened, but Lot lingered and had to be dragged out of the city. Abraham, who lived outside Sodom, had more influence than Lot, who lived in the city. Lot tried first to plead with the men at the door, and then to bargain with them. God’s approach was to judge them. They loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19).

God did not find ten righteous people, but He spared Lot and his wife and daughters for the sake of Abraham. While we may hate the sins of Sodom, keep in mind that all those people went to eternal judgment. (See Jude 23.)

Praying the Scripture

1. What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? What did Lot mean when he said, “Do not act so wickedly. (Gen 19:7)? It was the sin of homosexuality. According to Jude 7 it was sexual immorality and unnatural desire. The men in the city want the two men who just arrived despite the two daughters of Lot. This is perversion to the extreme. Look at verse 4, “But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, ALL the people to the last man, surrounded the house. (Gen 19:4) Their sin has reached the maximum. Their sin was worse than the generation of Noah, “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen 6:5; see also 6:11-12) Let’s pray for ourselves and our nation that we will not end up in this predicament.

2. Lot’s family was attracted to the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah. When the family was told about God’s punishment, they laughed. The angels had to take them by force to save them. As they were fleeing, Lot’s wife was still not ready to sever her desires for the fleshly lifestyle. When she turned back to have her last look, she became a pillar of salt. (Gen 19:26) Let’s pray that we take sin seriously. Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. (Mat 5:29)

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 19:1.

经文：创19章

主题：同性恋的罪

主耶稣不喜悦罗得在所多玛的生活，所以他派了两个天使去实地考察。天使没有到街上逛或到娱乐场所去。他们去了一个自称信徒的家，看看他家是什么样子的。罗得的妻子和家人已经都远离主了。盐已经失去了它的味道（太5:13），所以这个城市还有什么希望呢？

天使是在早晨拜访亚伯拉罕时，但罗得迎接天使时已是傍晚的时候了。（约翰一书1:5-10）当亚伯拉罕事奉主时，他的家人听从他的话，但罗得的家人却耻笑罗得的话。 亚伯拉罕加快脚步的服侍，但罗得却游离徘徊而被拖出城。居住在所多玛以外的亚伯拉罕，比住在市内的罗得更有影响力。罗得首先尝试在门口恳求的他们，然后再与他们交涉。但神的方法是审判。他们不爱光 ，倒爱黑暗。（约翰福音3:19）

神没能找出十个义人，但因亚伯拉罕的缘故，赦免了罗得和他的妻子、女儿。虽然我们可能会憎恨所多玛的罪，但请记住这些人已在永恒的审判里。 （见犹23）。

用经文祷告

Scripture Reading        : Gen 18

Theme                            : The Friend of God

Resting  (1).

Resting in the afternoon is a normal practice in the East, and don’t forget that Abraham was nearly a hundred years old. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap! The believer’s body is God’s temple and must be cared for (1 Cor. 6:19–20). (See Mark 6:31.)

Serving (2–8).

Abraham had no trouble noticing the pilgrims because it was unusual for people to travel in the heat of the day. The visitors were two angels and the Lord Jesus Christ, in one of His preincarnation appearances. Even though he had 318 servants, Abraham served Him personally, and fourteen times he called Him “Lord.” Abraham ran from place to place to make certain the meal they were preparing was the very best.

Listening (9–15).

Abraham stood nearby as the visitors ate, ready to serve them whatever they wanted. But the Lord gave Abraham something better than food: He announced that the promised son would be born within the year. “Where is Sarah your wife?” is the last of three key questions in Genesis (3:9; 4:9; 18:9). The question “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” has been answered by Job (Job 42:2), Jeremiah (Jer. 32:17), and Gabriel (Luke 1:37).

Interceding (16–33).

Praying the Scripture

1. When Abraham and Sarah were “as good as dead,” God gave them a child. At that time, it was crystal clear that there is nothing they could do but to trust God. How many times does the Lord have to bring us to such a situation in order for us to learn the lesson of trusting God? The Bible asks, “Is anything too hard for the LORD? (Gen 18:14) Obviously not. Let’s pray that we don’t have to be in this dire situation to learn this lesson.

2. Sometime we wonder why God chose Abraham to be the father of faith? Gen18:19 gives us the reason: “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” (Gen 18:19) The Lord chose Abraham and wanted him to COMMAND his children and household to keep God’s command. Abraham is willing. How about us? Let’s pray that we are willing.

3. How did Abraham pray for the city God was going to punish? He knew God and relied on God’s nature, character (righteousness) and promise to pray for them. (Gen 18:25) Do you know God enough to pray for the people around you?

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 18:1.

经文：创18章

主题：神的朋友

休息（1）

午休，在东方是常见的，不要忘了此时亚伯拉罕已近一百岁了。有时，最属灵的事莫过于睡一个小觉！信徒的身子就是圣灵的殿，我们必须好好照顾自己。（林前6:19-20；可6:31）

事奉 (2–8)

亚伯拉罕轻易地就注意到这些旅客，因为人们在大热天出行是一件不寻常的。这拜访者就是两位天使和主耶稣基督（基督降世之前的化身）。尽管亚伯拉罕有318个仆人，亚伯拉罕仍然自己接待客人，更称他们为“主”14次。亚伯拉罕忙忙碌碌就是为了确保为他们所准备的饭菜是最好的。

聆听 (9–15)

亚伯拉罕站在旅客的身边随时侍候他们。但主赐给亚伯拉罕比食物更好的东西：祂宣告，神所承诺的儿子将在一年内诞生。 “你妻子撒拉在那里？”是创世记三个关键问题的最后一个。（3:9，4:9，18:9） “耶和华岂有难成的事？”这个问题已通过约伯（伯42:2）、耶利米（耶32:17）、加百列（路加福音1:37）解答了。

祈求 (16–33)

因为亚伯拉罕是神的朋友和仆人，所以神与他分享心事。 （见诗25:14；约15:15；雅2:23）罗得曾经因亚伯拉罕而获救（14章）；现在他将因亚伯拉罕的祷告而再次获救。亚伯拉罕按神的公义为全城祷告，但神却因着祂自己的怜悯和恩典拯救了罗得。（19:16）为迷失和有需要的圣徒祈祷，是我们不能忽视的一个崇高和神圣的特权。

用经文祷告

Scripture Reading        : Gen 17

Theme                            : New Life

New revelations.

As far as the record is concerned, God waited thirteen years before He revealed Himself again to Abram. During those quiet intervening years, Abram continued to walk with God and serve Him. He did not need constant special revelations to do God’s will, nor do we. God reaffirmed His covenant and then gave Abram the sign of circumcision as the mark of that covenant. How unfortunate that many of the Jews trusted in the sign rather than in the Lord (Acts 15:5; Rom. 4:10; Gal. 5:6)! God wanted an inward change of the heart, not just surgery on the body (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4).

New names.

New joy.

Praying the Scripture

1. It is very difficult for us to wait on the Lord. Yet God’s way is not our way (Isa 55:9). Why would God want Abraham to wait for thirteen years? Because the Lord wanted Abraham to know that God is all-sufficient and all-powerful, and that nothing is impossible for Him. After Abraham’s battle with the four kings, God came to him as a warrior and told him He was Abraham’s “shield.” When Abraham wondered about Sodom’s wealth, God told him He was his “exceedingly great reward” (Gen. 15:1). Now when Abraham and Sarah were “as good as dead,” God assured them that He was more than sufficient to bring about the miracle birth. Yes, God is going to bless us but the obstacle is that we still rely on our own way and not his way. A father will not give his son his fortune unless the son knows how to handle it. Let’s pray that we grow in Christ to know Him and His way quickly.

2. New name means new character. After 13 years Abram finally learned the lesson and now his name is changed to Abraham. Sarai’s name also changed to Sarah. If we claim to know God and yet there is no change in our lives, we don’t really know Him at all. If theology cannot change you, you have no theology at all. Pray that our theology is not head knowledge but coming face to face with the living God.

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 17:1.

经文：创17章

主题：新生

新的启示

从圣经的记录里，神经过了13年后才再次向亚伯兰显现自己。在这沉默的期间里，亚伯兰仍然与神同行并事奉祂。他无需神不间断的特殊启示才可以行神的旨意，我们也一样。后来，神与亚伯兰重申所立的约，并给予亚伯兰割礼的记号作为此约的标记。但许多犹太人却选择相信这约的记号，而不相信主，这是多么的不幸！（徒15:5；罗4:10；加拉太书5:6）神想要的是心里内在的改变，不只外在手术带来的改变。（申10:16，耶4:4）

新的名称

新的喜悦

用经文祷告 

Scripture Reading        : Gen 16

Theme                            : Waiting upon the Lord

Faith and patience always go together (Heb. 6:12; James 1:1–5). Isaiah declared, “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isa. 28:16). We must trust God not only for His plan but also for His timing. Before He could send the promised son, God had to wait until Abram and Sarai were as good as dead (Rom. 4:19–21; Heb. 11:11–12). Sarai leaned on human understanding instead of God’s promises (Prov. 3:5–6). She trusted a woman from Egypt instead of the God of heaven.

When we walk by sight and not by faith, we get impatient; we scheme and blame others. Then when things go wrong, we try to get rid of our mistakes. God sent Hagar and Ishmael back to Abram and Sarai, and they had to live with their mistake for at least another seventeen years.

Praying the Scripture

1. One of the hardest things in spiritual pursuit is waiting upon the Lord. The Lord is never late and he knows when the best time is. Our problem is we can’t wait. We want it and we want it NOW. Let’s pray that we’ll not only trust God but also His timing.

2. Proverb says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (3:5) How did Sarai lean on her own understanding instead of trusting God? After she waited for a long time, she ran out of patience. Instead she “helped” God by her own scheming. She gave her servant Hagar to Abraham and let her bear him a child. Her action not only brought problems to her family but contributed to the mess we face today in the world. How great a mess can be created by a person’s impatience! Let’s pray that we submit to God and wait upon Him.

3. Although Hagar was ill-treated yet the Lord wanted her to return to Sarai and submit to her. Interestingly, although Hagar has no clue why must it be so, she obeyed. There are times we have no clue why things happen the way they do, pray that we’ll just trust God’s goodness and obey His Word (Bible).

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 16:1.

经文：创16章

主题：等候主

信心和忍耐总是要并肩而行。（希6:12；雅1:1-5）以赛亚宣告说：“信靠的人必不着急” 。（赛28:16）我们不仅必须相信神的计划，也必须相信祂的时机。神在实现祂给亚伯兰的应许之前，神不得不等到亚伯兰和撒莱如同死了一样。（罗4:19-21，希11:11-12）撒莱靠自己的智慧，而不是依靠神的应许。（箴3:5-6）她愿意相信一位来自埃及的女人，也不相信天上的神。

撒莱不是一个坚强的信徒，而是善于责怪他人的信徒。她指责神使她不能生育，然后又为夏甲的问题指责亚伯兰。从神而来的智慧是清洁、和平的，但是人的智慧却导致分争。（雅3:13-18）亚伯兰放弃自己在家里属灵领袖的责任，其结果就是家庭混乱。

当我们凭眼所见而不是凭信心时，我们就会开始感到不耐烦；我们为自己谋算并指责别人。当事情出差错的时候，我们就试图想要摆脱责任。神让夏甲和以实玛利回到亚伯兰和撒莱身边，他们两还有至少17年的时间继续面对自己所犯下的错误。

亚伯兰和撒莱令夏甲受到极大的委屈，而他们自己也因此受苦；但神却介入并照顾夏甲和她的儿子。亚伯兰听从神的话，为自己的儿子取名为：“以实玛利神 – 神必听见”。如果亚伯兰和撒莱愿意等候神，而不跑在神前头，他们也就无需承受这些痛苦了。

Scripture Reading        : Gen 15

Theme                             : God’s Covenant with Abraham

Abram’s reward was not the applause of the people he rescued but the approval of the God he served. This is the first of many “fear nots” in the Bible. Fear after a battle is not unusual, but fear and faith cannot live very long in the same heart (Matt. 8:26). Abram’s fears were quieted by three revelations from God.

What God is  (1).

God is our protection and provision, so we need not fear the enemy without or our feelings within. God is the great I AM, and He can meet every need. With Him, we have everything; without Him, nothing we have is sufficient.

What God says  (2–7).

What God does (8–21).

Praying the Scripture

1. Abraham believed the LORD, and God counted it to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6). Yes, to Abraham and his wife it is impossible but nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) If we keep looking at our own situation, we will have hard time believing in God. But if we look to the God of Almighty, we CAN believe because He is the one who calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Rom 4:17). Let’s pray that we fix our eyes on God, not our circumstances.

2. Besides the promise that Abraham’s offspring will be numerous, second promise God made with Abraham was the promise of the land (Gen 15:7). Abraham asked God how could he know that he shall possess it?” (Gen 15:8) The Lord basically said to Abraham, “You just have to trust My Word for it.” So God made a covenant with Abraham by passing between the animals that cut into half (Gen 15:17). So this covenant is a unilateral covenant made by God alone and there is nothing Abraham can do to nullify it. Today we still have not seen this covenant being fulfilled. But from the data of NT, this covenant will be fulfilled during the millennium. That’s why we take the stand of pre-millenniumism. Let’s pray that we take every word of God seriously and believe that it will come to pass.

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary  (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 15:1.

经文：创15章

主题：神与亚伯拉罕立约

亚伯兰的奖励不是从他所救出的人中得到的掌声，而是从他所事奉的神得到认可。圣经中许多 “不要惧怕”的句子中，这里的出现是第一个。战争后而感到惧怕并不稀奇，但恐惧和信心不能共存在一个颗心里太长的时间。（太8:26）亚伯兰的恐惧由神三个启示而平息下来。

神是什么 (1)

神是我们的保护和我们的需要，所以我们不必惧怕外在的敌人或内在的担忧。神是伟大的“我是”，他能满足一切所需。有了他，我们就拥有一切；没有他，无论拥有什么，我们仍不满足。

神说什么 (2–7)

亚伯兰看看自己，就意识到自己年事已高。然后，他看看他的管家以利以谢，并想也许神可以使用他。但神告诉他要停止看自己和其他人，要注视神。这是他第二次举目看神给他定的计划。（创13:14；亦见13:10）第6节清楚说明亚伯兰在因信神的话语而得救，（罗4:3；加3:6；雅2:23）这也是得救的唯一途径。

神做什么 (8–21).

神按自己的诺言立约。当时，走在被分割的动物之间是立约的方式之一。但神是唯一行在动物之间立约的那一位！亚伯兰已经睡着了！神的契约是满有恩典，（弗2:8-9）而我们的行为只是信心的凭据。

用经文祷告

Scripture Reading        : Gen 14

Theme                            : Abraham’s Three Victories

When you enroll in the “school of faith,” you never know what may happen next. Visit Abraham one day and you find him settling a boundary dispute. Visit him another day and you see him gearing up for a battle. Why is this so? For one thing, God wants us to mature in every area of life, but maturity doesn’t come easily. There can be no growth without challenge, and there can be no challenge without change. If circumstances never changed, everything would be predictable; and the more predictable life becomes, the less challenge it presents. Let’s see what awaits Abraham.

A victory over Lot.

It would have been easy for Abram to let Lot suffer the sad consequences of his own foolish decision. But a man of faith is called “to be a blessing,” so Abram went to the rescue. Lot was not a very dedicated believer, but he was still a brother and needed help. When a brother or a sister creates problems for you, remember Abram and the words of Romans 12:21. Lot went right back into Sodom, but Abram did what he did for the Lord; and that’s what really counts.

A victory over the kings.

Abram the pilgrim would never have gotten involved in the war except to rescue Lot. Abram did not have a large army, but he battled by faith; that is what gave him the victory (1 Sam. 14:6; 1 John 5:4–5).

A victory over himself.

“Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle,” said Andrew Bonar. Abram was tempted to use God’s victory for personal gain, but he refused the offer. The king of Sodom came with a bargain, but the king of Salem (a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ [Heb. 7:1–3]) came with a blessing. Even a shoelace from Sodom would have defiled Abram’s godly walk!

Praying the Scripture

1. The Bible says, “Bad company ruins good morals.”(1 Cor 15:33) Lot lived near Sodom and Gomorrah and when they got into troubles, Lot was not spared (Gen 14:12). If we are keep bad company, we will be affected by their sinful outlook and desires as well. Let’s pray that we choose our friends and companies wisely. This is also the reason the Lord wants us to join a local church and surround ourselves with God’s people.

2. The Lord chosen Abraham and blessed him (12:1). God’s intention wasn’t to bless only Abraham but to bless others through him as well (Gen 12:3). Although Lot is not a very spiritual or committed believer yet Abraham went to rescue him and became his blessing. Let’s pray that we will be a blessing to the people around us especially Christian brothers and sisters.

3. Abraham was an upright man with a pure motive. His motive was not material gain but to rescue Lot. When the Lord granted him victory he did not take credit nor take advantage of the situation. Let’s pray that we serve God with one single motive: to glorify Him and Him alone.

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary  (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 14:1.

经文：创14章

主题：亚伯拉罕的三场胜利

当你加入“信心的学校”时你不知道接下来会发生什么事。这天亚伯拉罕在解决边界的争端。另一天你会看到他正在摩拳擦掌准备迎战。为什么会这样呢？就因为，神希望我们在生活的各个方面能够成长起来，但想要成熟并不容易。没有挑战就不能成长，没有改变就没有挑战。如果情况从不改变，那一切就可预见；一个越是可预见的生命，其挑战就越少。让我们来看看有什么挑战等待着亚伯拉罕。

战胜罗得

亚伯兰本来可以轻易的让罗得因自己愚蠢的决定而遭受悲惨的后果。但是，一个有信心的人应该是别人的 “祝福”，因此亚伯兰就前往救援。罗得不是一个虔诚的信徒，但他仍然是一位需要帮助的弟兄。当一个弟兄或姊妹给你添麻烦时，请记得亚伯兰和罗马书12:21的话。虽然罗得随后马上回去所多玛，但亚伯兰已做他该做的了，这才是真正重要的。

战胜国王

要不是为了拯救罗得，亚伯兰作为世界的客旅绝不会卷入战争中。亚伯兰并没有一支庞大的军队，但他凭信心作战，这便使他得胜了（撒上14:6；约翰一书5:4-5）。

战胜自己

安德鲁·博纳说：“战斗胜利后让我们如战前一样保持警惕”。亚伯兰受到诱惑，就是使用神的胜利来满足个人的利益，但他拒绝了这诱惑。所多玛王前来交易，但撒冷王却带着祝福前来（代表我们主耶稣基督 [希7:1-3]）。就算是所多玛的一条鞋带也会玷污亚伯兰虔诚的脚步！在每场战斗结束后，请把荣耀归于神；并且提防魔鬼的交易。如果你不小心，你有可能赢得战争却输掉胜利。

用经文祷告

1. 圣经说，“滥交是败坏善行的” 。（林前15:33）罗得居住在所多玛和蛾摩拉的附近，当他们陷入重重困境时，罗得也不被幸免。（创14:12）如果我们与滥交的为伍，我们将受到他们罪恶和欲望的影响。让我们祈求神让我们能明智地选择身边的朋友。这也是为什么主希望我们加入一个教会，常常以神的子民为伍。

2. 耶和华拣选亚伯拉罕并赐福他。（12:1）神的心意不单只要祝福亚伯拉罕，祂也要亚伯拉罕成为别人的祝福。（创12:3）虽然罗得不是非常属灵或虔诚，但亚伯拉罕仍前去营救他，并成为罗得的祝福。让我们祷告，我们能成为周围人的祝福，尤其是基督里的弟兄姊妹。

3. 亚伯拉罕是一个纯洁正直的人。他的动机并不是物质利益，而是为要拯救罗得。当神赋予亚伯拉罕胜利时，他没有将功劳归于自己或利用当下的情况来利己。让我们祷告神使我们有单一的动机来事奉神：单一心志的来荣耀祂。

Scripture Reading        : Gen 13

Theme                            : A New Beginning

A new beginning (1–4).

God chastened Abram in Egypt, and Abram returned to the land he never should have left. He was a very wealthy man, but his tent and altar were the most valuable things he possessed. When we fail, the Lord is ready to forgive and restore (1 John 1:5–2:2). “The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings,” said Alexander Whyte.

A new burden (5–13).

A new blessing (14–18).

Praying the Scripture

1. Yes, faithful men sometimes failed and fell. But the Lord is gracious to bring them out of their difficult situations. Abraham learned his lesson, repented, and “went up” out of Egypt (13:1). Let’s pray that we quickly repent and return to God when we realized we have failed and fell.

2. Because of Abraham’s sin, Lot developed a taste for the world. He liked Jordan Valley because it was “like the land of Egypt” (Gen 13:10) and later Lot moved his tent closer and closer to Sodom. (Gen 13:12). Yes, the Lord does forgive us and save us from His future judicious punishment but we still have to bear the consequences sin brings. An AIDS patient can be forgiven of his sin yet he’ll still died of AIDS. A gambler can be forgiven yet he cannot get back the fortune he gambled away. Let’s pray that we do not treat sin lightly but see the truth and consequences that sin brings.

3. Abraham is truly a man walked by faith not by sight. Of course Abraham, like Lot, saw that Jordan Valley was well watered, like the garden of the LORD (Gen 13:10). Yet he gave up the material gain. Can you give up material gains for the sake of holiness? Let’s pray that our eyes are not attracted to the world but by the Lord who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. (1Ti 6:17)

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 13:1.

经文：创13章

主题：全新的开始

一个全新的开始 (1–4)

神在埃及惩罚了亚伯兰，亚伯兰就回到了他原来不应该离开的地方。他是一个非常富有的人，但他的帐篷和祭坛是他最宝贵的东西。当我们跌倒的时候，主必原谅和恢复我们（约壹1:5-2:2）。亚历山大·怀特说：“真正得胜的基督徒生活是一系列新的开始”。

一个全新的负担 (5–13)

罗得在埃及获得财富并接触到了世俗的环境。他对世俗的兴趣，亚伯兰也有责任。神是赦免了亚伯兰的罪，但祂并没有阻止悲剧的后果。种瓜得瓜，即使我们被神赦免，我们也必须承担后果。亚伯兰第一次信心的试炼就是自饥荒，第二试炼却是来自他自己的家庭。家庭的试炼是最严峻的考验。亚伯兰因信心是一个和事使者；罗得却是一个闹事者，因为他凭着眼所见的。亚伯兰选择一个的天上的城邑（希11:13-16）；罗得却选择了一个世俗和邪恶的城市。那城市表面看似理想，但它正朝着被销毁的命运。您可以将你的帐篷越扎越靠近罪，但你不能把你的祭坛带去。罗得最终背离神，最后也摧毁了自己的家。

一个全新的祝福 (14–18).

信心的人在经过试炼后，必从神得到话语。让别人拿走他们想要的吧，我们的神所赐的是远远超乎人所能想像的（诗16:5；33:12）。亚伯兰抬起头看见了土地。他举起他的脚，凭信心得到了那土地（书1:3）。然后，他高举自己的心来敬拜神。罗得的确使亚伯兰悲伤，但神却赐福亚伯兰的心，并使亚伯兰成为别人的祝福。

Scripture Reading        : Gen 12

Theme                            : Walk by Faith not by Sight

God’s Word leads to faith (1–3).

Abram was an idolater when God called him (Josh. 24:2), revealed His glory to him (Acts 7:2), and spoke to him. Abram turned from vain idols to walk with the Lord, and all of this was by God’s grace. The hearing of the Word creates faith (John 5:24; Rom. 10:17). Again God’s creative Word is at work.

Faith leads to obedience (4–6).

The New Testament states, “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Heb. 11:8). “I will show you, I will make you, I will bless you!” were God’s promises, and Abram believed. It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence; it is obeying in spite of consequences. The proof of faith is obedience, for true faith always leads to works (James 2:14ff.). Hearing leads to heeding.

Obedience leads to blessing (7–9).

 Blessing leads to testing (10–20).

Faith is always tested for at least three reasons: to prove whether our faith is real; to help our faith grow; and to bring glory to the Lord (1 Pet. 1:6–9; James 1:1–8). Imagine a famine in the very land where God led him! We can be in the will of God and still suffer trials. It has been said that “faith is living without scheming,” but Abram began to scheme. He was walking by sight and not by faith, and it cost him his testimony—and almost his wife! Note that Abram had neither a tent nor an altar in Egypt. “Going down to Egypt” is OT language for getting out of the will of God.

God blessed Abram that he might be a blessing. Through Abram and his descendants, the whole world has been blessed. Whenever God gives you a blessing, it’s so that you might be a blessing to others. God’s blessings are not luxuries; they are opportunities.^[1]

Praying the Scripture

1. The Word of the Lord came to Abram and asked him to leave whatever he is doing, his home and his comfort zone because the Lord wants to bless him. If you were Abram, would you believe God and leave your comfort zone? Let’s pray that we will believe and trust God’s word and leave.

2. Abram lived in the same rebellious and disobedient lifestyle as the world. However, the Lord called Abram to come out from his lifestyle of idol worship (Josh 24:2) and separate himself from the world. This is what holiness means. Let’s pray that you be willing to be separated from the world, it’s the culture and value as Abraham.

3. When Abraham believed God he stepped out in faith. He walked by faith, not by sight. However, when he was tested, he returned to walk by sight. So he lied and sinned. We need to focus on the Lord rather than our situations and problems. Pray that we fix our eyes on him and trust him always.

^[1] Edited from the work of Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 12:1.

经文：创12章

主题：凭信心不是凭眼见

从神的话语到信心 (1–3).

当神呼召亚伯兰时他还是拜偶像的人（书24:2），神向他显现并且和他说话（徒7:2）。亚伯兰就悔改并与主同行，这一切都是神的恩典。信心是通过听从神话语而产生的。（约5:24；罗10:17）这也是神创造的话语在我们里面动工。

从信心到顺服 (4–6).

新约圣经指出，“亚伯拉罕因着信”就顺服了（希11:8）。 “我会让你看见，我会就成你，我必赐福你！”是神的应许，亚伯兰因此就相信了。信心不是因证据而相信，它是不顾后果的顺服。顺服是信心的明证，真正的信心必须有行为（各2:14 FF）。听从使我们有行动。

从顺服到祝福 (7–9)

我们对于亚伯兰的路途一无所知，但想必一定是非常艰苦的；但我们知道，当亚伯兰抵达时，神给了他一个新的承诺。神总是走在我们前面，并准备好祂的话语来鼓励我们。从现在起，亚伯兰的生命将以帐篷（世上的旅者）和祭坛（天上的子民）为标记。

从祝福到试炼 (10–20).

我们要面对信心的试炼有至少三个原因：证明我们的信心是真实的；帮助我们的信心增长以及荣耀主（彼前1:6-9；雅1:1-8）。设想一下，神竟带领亚伯兰到一个闹饥荒的地方！是的，我们可以活在神的旨意下仍然遭受到试炼。曾经有人说：“信心的生活没有自己的打算”，但亚伯却兰开始靠自己计划了。他凭眼见而不是凭着信心，这使得他失去了见证，甚至差一点连自己的妻子也失去！我们需要注意的是亚伯兰在埃及地既没有帐篷也没有祭坛。“走出埃及”在旧约的意思是在行走“神旨意之外”的意思。

神赐福给亚伯兰说，他将成为是一个祝福。通过亚伯兰和他的后裔，整个世界会被祝福。是的，每当神给你祝福时，祂是要叫你成为别人的祝福。神的祝福并不是奢侈品；它们是我们祝福别人的机会。

用经文祷告