信心到達上帝

哀歌3:19-22
耶和華啊,求你記念我如茵蔯和苦膽的困苦窘迫。
我心想念這些,就在裏面憂悶。
我想起這事,心裏就有指望。
我們不至消滅,是出於耶和華諸般的慈愛,是因他的憐憫不至斷絕。

如果我們冷淡地呼求和禱告,
上帝以為那是笑話和裝假。
無論禱告是否擊中要害,
我們都將一事無成。
喔!到上帝面前來是多麼困難啊!
要闖過祂的憤怒、刑罰、不悅,
如同穿過荊棘圍牆一般,
是的,心就如同刀割槍刺一般。

雖然,我們的心看到了刑罰,也感受到憤怒,
信心說:就讓上帝刑罰吧!
她決心不看刑罰,拒絕感受憤怒,
她決心要在外表之下
發現恩典,感受良善。

就在聖靈的幫助下,
上帝的憤怒之中,
信心堅定地尋求憐憫。
穿透憤怒的圍牆,
信心抓住了那憤怒的上帝,
就得到了安慰。
——馬丁路德(AE 19:73-74)

Faith In God’s Mercy Penetrating to God

Lamentations 3:19-22

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end.

If we cry and pray indifferently, hit or miss, we accomplish nothing. That is rather mockery and hypocrisy in the sight of God.
Oh, what a difficult task it is to come to God. Penetrating to Him through His wrath, His punishment, and His displeasure is like making your way through a wall of thorns, yes, through nothing but spears and swords.
the heart must be so disposed that it does not want to see and feel punishment and anger, though in reality it does see and feel them, and it must be determined to see and feel grace and goodness, even though these are completely hidden from view.
the heart finds solace when it hastens to the angry God with the aid of the Holy Spirit and seeks mercy amid the wrath, lets God punish and at the same time dares to find comfort in His goodness. (AE 19:73-74)