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Dear Ministry Partner,
Each year, when the Jews gather for the Passover seder to commemorate God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, they will sing Psalms 113 to 118 as they partake of the meal. As the evening comes to an end, they will sing Psalm 118, which begins and ends with the refrain, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
This psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for delivering Israel from difficult times (v.5). It serves as a reminder to the nation that God has not forgotten them (v.6), and He will strengthen and sustain them in good and hard times (vv.14-18).
As they recall the answered prayers and the wonderful and mighty things God has done (vv.15-16), they acknowledge that, “the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (vv.23-24).
Notice how the psalmist uses “I will…”. Whether in good or trying times, the psalmist resolves to give thanks and to trust God in His goodness.
As this year comes to an end, let us similarly take stock of the good things and experiences God has blessed us with. May we be ever ready to testify to God’s goodness and give thanks for God’s blessings. Better still, let’s journal them so we do not forget!
As it is in life, we have also had our share of disappointments, hard times, and low points this year. Remember that God is always with us and helping us (v.7), and that His goodness and love never quits (v.29, MSG). Choosing to give thanks in spite of the circumstances and how we may feel, expresses our trust in God. As Henri Nouwen writes in his book, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming:
“Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint…The choice for gratitude rarely comes without some real effort. But each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier, a little freer, a little less self-conscious…There is an Estonian proverb that says: ‘Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.’”
Psalm 118 is a hymn that Jesus would have sung before He went to Gethsemane to pray (Matthew 26:30). He gave thanks and exalted the Father, knowing full well that He was going to be betrayed by one of His own, and that the hour of intense suffering was upon Him.
When we choose to give thanks regardless of how we feel about our situation, we acknowledge that God is sovereign, and He is in control. We can therefore say as Jesus did, “Lord, Your will be done”.
As we approach the end of 2023, let us take time to reflect and give thanks… for He is good.
Grateful for His grace,
Lam Kok Hiang
Leadership Mentor
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Dear Ministry Partner,
Soul Anchors is a monthly devotional I write as a Leadership Mentor of Cru Singapore. My desire is to bring a word of encouragement to our ministry partners and friends.
This devotional series is my own musings about God and life, and the internal wrestling of my heart. Articulating muddled and disorganised thoughts to coherent words on paper is a laborious and, at times, frustrating process—as most writers can attest to. I do suffer from writer’s block where I stare at the blank screen or keep deleting words and sentences.
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Anchored in Christ,
Lam Kok Hiang
Leadership Mentor
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亲爱的事工伙伴，
每年每逢逾越节，犹太人都会聚集守节记念 神曾带领以色列民出埃及。在宴席中，他们会咏唱诗篇第113至118篇。诗篇118篇，其开头和结尾是同一副歌，唱道：“你们要称谢耶和华，因祂本是良善的； 祂的慈爱永远长存”(诗篇118:29， 新译本，下同)。
诗篇118是一首赞美诗歌，感谢 神搭救以色列脱离急难(5节)，记念 神是以色列的帮助(6节)，无论顺境逆境， 神将以大能的手扶持他们(14-18节)。
当他们回想那些曾蒙应允的祷告以及 神所行的神迹奇事(15-16节)，就回应道：“这是耶和华作的，在我们眼中看为希奇。这是耶和华所定的日子，我们要在这一日欢喜快乐”(23-24节)。
注意诗人一再使用“我要(I will)...”词句，这里可以引申为诗人不论时局如何，立定心意要因着 神的良善称谢并信靠祂。
今年已接近尾声，让我们同样地数算一年来 神所赐的各样恩典和际遇。好叫我们随时可以见证 神的信实，为祂所赐的福气赞美称谢祂。不如趁现在记忆犹新，把这些心得经历写下来，免得忘了。
现实归现实，一年来我们或者有些不如意、陷入困境甚至落到谷底的时刻。要记得 神是我们随时的帮助(7节)，并且祂的慈爱永远长存(29节)。不论境况多恶劣、感觉有多糟，选择感谢 神是表达我们对祂的信靠。亨利·卢云（Henri Nouwen）在《浪子回头：一个归家的故事》书里写道：
“感恩作为一种操练，是有意识的抉择。即使满怀伤痛或怨恨，我依然可以选择感恩。奇妙的是有太多情况我可以选择感恩，而非抱怨。…选择常常感恩，不是说说就做得到，是要下足功夫的。每次当我选择感谢，下次需要做选择时或者就容易些、洒脱些，没那么突兀了。…爱沙尼亚人有句俗话说：‘不屑为一点小事道谢的人，也不会为大事感恩。’“
诗篇118有可能是耶稣基督前往客西马尼园祷告前和门徒一同唱诵的诗歌之一(马太福音26:30)。虽然知道自己即将被门徒出卖又得独自面对痛苦的时刻，主耶稣仍选择感谢称颂父神。
我们若学会凡事谢恩，就是承认 神的主权并且祂掌管万有。所以我们可以斗胆效法主耶稣祈求：“我的父啊！可能的话，求祢⋯⋯，但不要照我的意思，只要照祢的旨意”(马太福音26:30)。
2023年关已近，愿我们花些时间反思和感谢 神— 因祂本为善
满心感恩，
蓝国贤
会务导师
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