生門古法洗髓功

你們要稱謝上主，因祂本為善⋯⋯願上主的贖民說這話。—聖詠107篇1-2節

全年讀經: 以西結書18-19章 雅各書4章

說「謝謝」的唯一理由，乃是要讓送禮人知道，你非常感激他的贈禮。作者史登曾說：「感謝若不表達，就像沒有感激之心。」

當兒子小的時候，我們有時得提醒他：當向人說謝謝時，不可以躲避眼神的接觸，往下看著自己的腳，嘴裡說些含糊不清的話。結婚多年，我和丈夫仍然在學習，持續地相互表達謝意是多麼的重要。每當我們心中充滿感激時，就應該藉著話語將它表達出來，即便同樣的事我們已經說了許多遍了。威廉亞瑟沃德說：「心中充滿感激之情，卻不將它表達出來，就好像把禮物包裝好了，卻沒有送出去一樣。」

顯然地，在人際關係當中，將內心的感激之情表達出來是件重要的事情；但在我們與上主的關係上，這樣的表達更是至關重要。我們可曾在一天中的任何時刻，因著已享有的這許多祝福，向上主表達我們內心的感恩呢？每當想到主耶穌的奇妙大愛，為我們的罪死而復活的時候，我們的心是否因著敬畏與感恩而沸騰了起來？（羅馬書6章23節；格林多後書9章15節）

讓我們每天都要牢記聖詠107篇1節：「你們要稱謝上主，因祂本為善。」

我們對上主的感恩，

應深過浩瀚的海洋！

因救恩永恆的禮物，

珍貴得無法能想像！

上主賜下救贖主，喚醒無限感恩之情。

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 ³¹願他們感謝上主的仁慈，稱頌他給人子顯的奇蹟，³¹Let them thank the Lord for his love and wondrous deeds for humans.

³²在人民的集會中頌揚他，在長老的議席上讚美他。³²Let them extol him in the congregation, praise him in the assembly of the people.

³³上主使河域變為荒灘，使清水泉源變成乾川，³³He turned rivers into wastelands, flowing springs into parched grounds,

³⁴使肥沃土地變為鹹田，都因當地居民的罪愆。³⁴and fruitful valleys into salt-flats, because of the wickedness of their inhabitants.

³⁵他又能使沙漠變成水源，使旱地變成水泉。³⁵Yet he also turned deserts into watersheds and parched land into flowing springs.

³⁶把饑餓的人徙置在那地，使他們興建安居的城邑；³⁶There he let the hungry settle and found a city where they could dwell.

³⁷耕田種地，開闢了葡萄園，因此收穫果實，豐富出產。³⁷They planted vineyards, they sowed fields, and from them got fruitful harvests.

³⁸上主祝福了他們人口繁衍，賞賜他們的牲畜有增無減。³⁸By his blessing their numbers increased, and their herds and flocks did not diminish. ³⁹其後因慘遭災患苦難，人口減少而被棄如前。³⁹But then they dwindled and were humbled through oppression, sorrow and distress.

⁴⁰但上主卻使權貴遭受恥辱，任他們徊徘歧途無路可走。⁴⁰And he who pours contempt upon princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes

⁴¹但拯救貧窮人脫離災難，使他家屬多如羊群一般。⁴¹rescued the needy from their affliction and made their families flourish like flocks.

⁴²正直的人見到必然歡忭，但邪惡的人卻啞口無言。⁴²The upright see it and are glad, but the wicked are silenced.

⁴³那一位賢哲詳察此事，並能體會上主的仁慈！⁴³Let the wise consider all this and understand the Lord's infinite love.

Unexpressed Gratitude

The whole reason for saying thanks is to let the giver of a gift know how much you appreciate something. Author G. B. Stern once said, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”

When our son was young, he sometimes needed to be reminded that avoiding eye contact, looking down at his feet, and mumbling some unintelligible words was not an acceptable “thank you.” And after many years of marriage, my husband and I are still learning that it’s important for us to continually express our gratitude to each other. When one of us feels appreciative, we try to verbalize it—even if we’ve said it many times before about the same thing. William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

Showing our gratitude is obviously important in human relationships, but it’s even more essential in our relationship with God. As we think about the many blessings we have received, do we express our thanks to Him throughout the day? And when we think of the amazing gift of His death and resurrection for forgiveness of our sins, do our hearts bubble over with awe and thanksgiving? (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 9:15).

Take the reminder in Psalm 107:1 to heart each day: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!”

How great should be our gratitude
To God our unseen Friend!
The volume of His gifts to us
We cannot comprehend. —Hess

God’s highest Gift should awaken our deepest gratitude.