“你要谨慎，免得忘记耶和华─你的神。” – 申 8:11
维护房屋需要付出劳动。无论你是拥有自己的房子还是租住别人的，总会有一些小的维护项目悄然而至：灯泡需要更换、草坪需要修剪、水龙头开始滴水、门需要重新粉刷。有时我们会把这些工作拖到另一天再做，但如果我们等得太久，房子就会变质。房屋总是需要定期维护。
我们也会面临诱惑，把上帝同在的家视为理所当然。在顺境时，我们看看自己的物质财富，看看自己与家人和朋友的关系，或者看看自己的道德品质，就会认为自己过得很好。我们忘记了这些都是上帝赐予我们的恩典。
上帝提醒以色列人，当他们到达应许之地时，需要努力记住上帝。上帝警告说，如果他们不积极尊崇耶和华的赏赐，他们很快就会忘记那位赐恩者。
我曾经读到过，大多数离婚不是因为婚外情或配偶的暴力行为，而是因为冷漠——丈夫或妻子开始认为对方是理所当然的。类似的情况也可能发生在我们与上帝的关系中。我们的神希望我们知道我们的祝福从何而来，尤其是我们在基督里与祂的关系这份礼物。你还记得吗？
祷告
仁慈的上帝，你赐予我们如此之多——而这似乎还不够，你又在基督里赐下赦罪的恩典，和与你同在的永生！求你帮助我们记住并赞美你。阿们。
申命记 8:6-20
6你要谨守耶和华你神的诫命，遵行他的道，敬畏他。
7因为耶和华你神领你进入美地，那地有河，有泉，有源，从山谷中流出水来，
8那地有小麦、大麦、葡萄树、无花果树、石榴树、橄榄树和蜜。
9你在那地不缺食物，一无所缺。那地的石头是铁，山内可以挖铜。
10你吃得饱足，就要称颂耶和华你的神，因他将那美地赐给你了。
11“你要谨慎，免得忘记耶和华你的神，不守他的诫命、典章、律例，就是我今日所吩咐你的。
12恐怕你吃得饱足，建造美好的房屋居住，
13你的牛羊加多，你的金银增添，并你所有的全都加增，
14你就心高气傲，忘记耶和华你的神（就是将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来的，
15引你经过那大而可怕的旷野，那里有火蛇、蝎子、干旱无水之地。他曾为你使水从坚硬的磐石中流出来，
16又在旷野将你列祖所不认识的吗哪赐给你吃，是要苦炼你、试验你，叫你终久享福），
17恐怕你心里说：‘这货财是我力量，我能力得来的。’
18你要记念耶和华你的神，因为得货财的力量是他给你的，为要坚定他向你列祖起誓所立的约，像今日一样。
19你若忘记耶和华你的神，随从别神，侍奉敬拜，你们必定灭亡，这是我今日警戒你们的。
20耶和华在你们面前怎样使列国的民灭亡，你们也必照样灭亡，因为你们不听从耶和华你们神的话。
What Makes Us Forget Our Home?
“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God. . . .” – Deuteronomy 8:11
It takes work to maintain a home. Whether you own your own residence or rent from others, there are always little maintenance projects that creep up: light bulbs need replacing, lawns need mowing, faucets begin to drip, doors need to be repainted. Sometimes we put the work off for another day, but if we wait too long the home will deteriorate. A home always needs regular maintenance.
We can also face temptations to take our home with God for granted. When times are good, we look at our material blessings, at our relationships with family and friends, or at our moral character, and we assume we are doing fine. We forget that these are gifts from God that we receive by grace.
Israel was reminded that when they arrived in the promised land, they needed to make work of remembering God. God warned that if they did not actively honor the Lord for his gifts, they would soon forget the Giver.
I read once that most divorces occur not because of an affair or a spouse’s violence but because of apathy—a husband or wife simply begins to take the other for granted. Something similar can happen in our relationship with God. Our God wants us to know where our blessings come from—and especially the gift of our relationship with him in Christ. Do you remember?
Prayer
Gracious God, you have given us so much—and as if that were not enough, in Christ you offer forgiveness of sins and eternal life with you! Help us to remember and praise you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
