【诗89:8】耶和华万军之神啊，哪一个大能者像祢耶和华？祢的信实是在祢的四围。【Psalm89:8】Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD , are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

诗篇89篇写于公元前500多年，耶稣未诞生以前，围绕着神与大卫及其后裔所立的约展开。诗人以探，一位圣殿诗班的领袖，正面对着以色列王权的衰落、国家的覆灭、仇敌的兴旺。Psalm 89 was written more than five hundred years before Christ was born. It centres on the covenant God made with David and his descendants. The psalmist, Ethan, a leader among the temple musicians, was witnessing the decline of Israel’s monarchy, the downfall of the nation, and the triumph of its enemies. 大卫王朝似乎走向了终结，神昔日所立的大卫之约，仿佛被现实彻底推翻。眼前的一切，都在发出质疑：神还记念祂的应许吗？祂的信实还在吗？The house of David seemed to be coming to an end, and the covenant the LORD had once established with David appeared to have been overturned by reality. Everything before his eyes seemed to raise the same question: Does God still remember His promise? Is His faithfulness still the same?

但诗人被圣灵感动，没有停留在环境里，用现实来定义神的信实。相反，他爆发出极具力量的赞美，全力俯伏高举这位至大、无可比拟之立约的神。Yet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the psalmist refused to remain focused on his circumstances or to define God’s faithfulness by what he could see. Instead, he broke forth in powerful praise, bowing before and exalting the great and incomparable covenant-keeping God. 就着神所应许给大卫的誓言：（4节）诗篇 89:4 我要建立你的后裔，直到永远；要建立你的宝座，直到万代。（细拉）宣告：哪一个大能者像祢耶和华？祢的信实是在祢的四围。Concerning the oath God had sworn to David, he declared:“I will establish your line for ever and make your throne firm through all generations.” (Psalm 89:4) He then proclaimed: “O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” (Psalm 89:8)

为了让大卫之约成就，神自己亲自道成肉身，成为大卫肉身的后裔，来到地上，用自己的生命，为万民流血舍命，亲自成全了这约。正如路加福音 1:32-33 天使对马利亚所预言的：“主神要把祂祖大卫的位给祂……祂的国也没有穷尽。” In order to fulfil His covenant with David, God Himself became flesh. As a descendant of David according to the flesh, He came into the world and laid down His life, shedding His blood for all people, thereby fulfilling the covenant Himself. Just as the angel foretold to Mary: “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32–33)神与大卫立的约、以及神对我们生命中的一切应许，之所以完全靠得住，不是因为我们有多好，而是因为这应许的背后，建立在神自己那不可动摇的神性：慈爱与信实之上的。祂的慈爱和信实永恒不变，存到万代。The covenant God made with David, and every promise He has spoken over our lives, is utterly trustworthy—not because of our faithfulness, but because every promise rests upon God’s own unchanging nature: His unfailing love and His faithfulness. His love and faithfulness never change; they endure through all generations.

上面这节经文，让我再次明白，祢做任何事都以自己的信实为边界。提摩太后书 2:13：“我们纵然失信，祂仍是可信的，因为祂不能背叛自己。”即便人眼见的环境彻底荒凉、看似应许落空，祢的四围依然被祢的信实充满。These verses remind me once again that everything You do is governed by Your own faithfulness. As it is written:

“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV 1984)

Even when everything visible appears desolate and Your promises seem to have failed, Your faithfulness still surrounds You. 祢对自己说过的话和立过的约绝对负责，断不改变。但今天我选择不再看环境，而选择信靠，让祢的信实成为我祷告的根基和动力。You are completely faithful to every word You have spoken and to every covenant You have made. You will never change. Therefore today I choose not to look at my circumstances, but to trust in You. I choose to make Your faithfulness the foundation and the confidence of my prayers. 只要我安息在祢的同在里，不论何等的风浪，绝境，祢既然应许，祢的信实就在祢四围，也必然环绕我。因祢的信实，万事都要互相效力，为了让祢的约和应许成就。As long as I rest in Your presence, no matter how fierce the storm or how impossible the situation may seem, because You have spoken, Your faithfulness—which surrounds You—will also surround me. Through Your faithfulness You will work all things together to accomplish Your covenant and fulfil Your promises.

主啊，我经历了祢应许大卫的话：“耶和华是我的牧者，我必不至缺乏”……这么多年，我没有去工作赚钱，我回应祢的呼召，去全职服事，没有工资……完全凭信心生活，我真的什么都不缺。Lord, I have personally experienced the truth of Your promise through David’s words:“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1) For many years I have not worked to earn a living. I responded to Your call to serve You full-time, receiving no salary and living entirely by faith. Yet I have truly lacked nothing. 当我银行户口上的钱眼看就不够了，眼看明天什么时候就需要一笔钱的时候，就有一笔钱不知道从哪里就到了我手上，从来就没有耽误过……Whenever my bank account seemed about to run out, and I knew I would soon need a particular sum of money, You faithfully provided. Somehow the provision always arrived, often from places I could never have expected. Not once have You ever been late.

我深信祢的话语绝不徒然返回（以赛亚书 55:11）。我为祢的教会祷告，为祢的仆人正在照着祢的应许植堂祷告：祢开了门，无人能关闭；祢关了门，也无人能开（启示录 3:7）。哥林多后书 1:20：“神的应许不论有多少，在基督都是是的。”I firmly believe that Your word will never return to You empty (Isaiah 55:11). I pray for Your church, and for Your servants who are planting churches according to Your promises. You have declared: “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Revelation 3:7)And Your Word also says: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)祢所应许的，无论人看着多难，都必然成就。愿祢借着这环境，磨练祢子民的信心和忍耐。到时，不光事情做成，教会被建立，也借着这些环境，让我们长大成人，满有基督神儿子长成的身量（以弗所书 4:13），让我们身上成熟的生命品格，成为祢荣耀的基业（以弗所书 1:18）。Whatever You have promised, no matter how impossible it may appear to human eyes, You will surely bring to pass. May You use these circumstances to refine the faith and perseverance of Your people. Then, not only will the work be accomplished and the church be built, but through these very trials You will bring us to maturity, “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NIV 1984), so that the mature character You form within us may become “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18, NIV 1984), all for the praise of Your glory.

(刘姊妹与写经团队Sister Liu and the Daily Devotional Team)