【诗63:3】因你的慈爱比生命更好，我的嘴唇要颂赞你。【Psalm 63:3】Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

大卫晚年，亲生儿子押沙龙叛乱，谋士亚希多弗在背后捅刀，大卫再次亡命犹大旷野。王位不保、看似大势已去，离死亡就差一步。在这苦难危机、人生的黑夜里，大卫的反应却与众截然不同。In David’s later years, his own son Absalom rose up in rebellion against him, and Ahithophel, his trusted adviser, betrayed him. Once again, David found himself fleeing into the wilderness of Judah. His throne seemed as good as lost, his kingdom looked like it was collapsing, and death appeared only a step away. Yet in the middle of this suffering, crisis, and dark season, David’s response was completely different from what people would normally expect.

大卫深知，他受这一切是他罪有应得。这一切的源头都是因为他自己的情欲、贪婪、占有别人的妻子、谋杀别人的丈夫。David understood that these troubles were connected to his own sin. The root of it all came from his own lust, greed, taking another man’s wife, and arranging the death of her husband. 这罪所带来的报应，是神公义的彰显。神要刑罚罪恶，伸张公义，方显出神的慈爱。The consequences he was facing revealed God’s righteousness. God must judge sin and uphold justice in order for His lovingkindness to be truly revealed. 大卫认识到：神的慈爱绝不是一个糊涂老人那般体贴人的肉体，神的慈爱是公义圣洁，是要领罪人真实地悔改。David came to understand that God’s lovingkindness is not a soft indulgence that simply comforts human flesh. God’s lovingkindness is holy and righteous, and it leads sinners into genuine repentance.

主啊，感谢祢。为了彰显祢的慈爱，祢用自己那无瑕、圣洁的生命，代替了我们被罪败坏的生命。Lord, thank You. In order to reveal Your lovingkindness, You offered Your own spotless and holy life in place of our lives corrupted by sin. On the cross, You took the punishment upon Yourself that should have fallen on us. 祢在十字架上刑罚了自己，代替了对我们的刑罚。祢既在自己身上刑罚了我们的罪恶，伸张了公义，又把祢的慈爱留给了我们，存留了我们的生命。You judged sin within Yourself and upheld righteousness, yet You also poured out mercy upon us and preserved our lives. 十字架，就是祢公义与慈爱最完美的相交。我们可以悔改得救，是因祢的恩典和慈爱。祢用祢的舍命亲自见证了：祢的慈爱比生命更美好！The cross is the perfect meeting place of Your righteousness and Your lovingkindness. We are able to repent and be saved only because of Your grace and mercy. Through laying down Your own life, You showed us that Your lovingkindness truly is better than life.

主啊，赦免我！过去常常怀疑你的慈爱，不明白祢的慈爱就是，要狠狠地把我从罪中拯救出来；Lord, forgive me. So often I have doubted Your lovingkindness. I did not realise that Your love is determined to rescue me completely from sin. 我不明白那些责备、训诲，那些天天让我背起自己的十字架、否定自己、让我肉体极度难受的环境，恰恰就是祢极大的慈爱！ I did not understand that the rebukes, correction, and daily circumstances where I must carry my cross, deny myself, and endure the pain of the flesh are actually expressions of Your great love.

大卫明白了。祢允许他亲生儿子叛乱、密友背后捅刀，他被丢到旷野受皮肉之苦，周围危机四伏，这正是祢慈爱的彰显。David came to understand this. You allowed his own son to rebel against him and his close friend to betray him. You brought him into the wilderness, surrounded by danger and hardship. Yet all of this became a revelation of Your lovingkindness. 此时他一点也不惧怕死亡，他反而越发地爱祢、亲近祢，全然注视祢、呼求祢、渴想祢……他知道这一切都是祢为了炼净他、除掉他的罪、重新建立他；David was no longer afraid of death. Instead, he loved You more deeply, drew closer to You, fixed his eyes upon You, cried out to You, and longed for You even more. He knew these things were allowed in order to refine him, remove his sin, and rebuild his life. 是为了保守祢给他的应许之约，让他成为真正合神心意的以色列王。因祢的慈爱，他必不动摇。They were also part of preserving the covenant promise You had given him, so that he might become a true king after God’s own heart. Because of Your lovingkindness, he would not be shaken.

主啊，我再次感谢你，让我认识你的慈爱。我愿意降服、拥抱你给我的每一个，让我肉体难受的环境。开我的眼睛，使我真看见，你的慈爱隐藏在你的公义管教后面。Lord, once again I thank You for helping me understand Your lovingkindness. I am willing to surrender and embrace every circumstance You allow that causes discomfort to my flesh. Open my eyes so that I may truly see that Your lovingkindness is hidden behind Your righteous discipline. 我要经历你的信实、我的嘴唇要颂赞，你的慈爱上及诸天，你的公义好像高山。主啊，我愿背起自己的十字架，对付体贴肉体的老我，依靠祢这比生命更好的慈爱，直到永远！ I want to experience Your faithfulness. My lips will praise You. Your lovingkindness reaches to the heavens, and Your righteousness stands firm like mighty mountains. Lord, I am willing to carry my cross, deal with the old self that seeks to please the flesh, and rely on Your lovingkindness that is better than life, forever.

（刘姊妹Sister Liu）