“你们的神说，你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓。要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向他宣告说… 他的罪孽赦免了…” - 赛 40:1-2

“要安慰，安慰我的百姓”是一首传达强有力福音信息的老歌。它基于以赛亚书40章1-5节，这段经文给神的百姓带来了盼望。它使我们因终将到来的盼望得安慰。

在这首歌中，我们唱到，一位先知被呼召为即将到来的弥赛亚预备道路。施洗约翰就是那位先知（见可 1:1-11；约 1:19-34）；他来是“为主预备道路”。约翰呼吁人们悔改，为即将到来的救主预备百姓的心。他的事奉更新了我们的盼望，神定要成就祂的应许，安慰祂的百姓。

耶稣诞生时，神成就了祂赐安慰的应许。耶稣来的目的是把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。圣经告诉我们，耶稣在十字架上的死为我们的罪付了代价。正因如此，我们获得了安慰，知道我们可以在祂那里找到真正的和平与安息。每当我们面临挣扎和挑战，我们应当记得，我们在基督里必得安慰。

《海德堡要理问答》问道：“你无论是生是死，唯一的安慰是什么？”它的回答是：“无论是生是死，我的身体、灵魂都不属于我自己，而是属于我信实的救主耶稣基督”。

没有什么能够比在基督里找到的安慰更好的了。

祷告

主耶稣，每当我们灰心、沮丧或悲伤的时候，请帮助我们在你那里，唯独在你里面找到安慰。阿们。

以赛亚书 40:1-5

1你们的神说：“你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓！
2要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向她宣告说，她争战的日子已满了，她的罪孽赦免了，她为自己的一切罪从耶和华手中加倍受罚。”
3有人声喊着说：“在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道！
4一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平，高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。
5耶和华的荣耀必然显现，凡有血气的必一同看见，因为这是耶和华亲口说的。”

Comfort, Comfort Now My People

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her . . . that her sin has been paid for. . . ." - Isaiah 40:1-2

"Comfort, Comfort Now My People" is an old song with a powerful message. It is based on Isaiah 40:1-5, which gives hope to God’s people. It provides hope that our comfort will come.

In this song we sing about a prophet who was called to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist was that prophet (see Mark 1:1-11; John 1:19-34); he came to "prepare the way for the Lord." John called people to repentance, preparing their hearts for the coming Savior. His work renews our hope that God fulfills his promise to comfort his people.

At the birth of Jesus, God fulfills his promise of bringing comfort. Jesus comes for the purpose of saving us from our sins. The Bible tells us that our sin has been paid for by Jesus’ death on the cross. Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we have comfort in knowing that we can find true peace and rest in him. Whenever we face struggles and challenges, we can remember that our comfort is in Christ.

The Heidelberg Catechism asks, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" And it answers, "That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ."

There is no greater comfort to be found than in Christ alone.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, whenever we are discouraged, frustrated, or grieving, help us to find comfort in you, in you alone. Amen.