“主啊,你世世代代作我们的居所。” - 诗 90:1
在我们教会中,每年在元旦崇拜中唱“千古保障”是一个传统。还有些教会喜欢在年末的最后一天敬拜时唱这首歌。
这首歌是对诗篇90篇的解读。尽管诗篇90篇可以被认为是一首哀歌,但“千古保障”以一种令人振奋的方式概括了这首诗篇的内容。
这一年即将结束,我们要反思一个事实,即神一直是“千古保障”,也是我们的“将来希望”。回顾我们刚刚经历的这一年,我们当中没有一个人可以说我们预知它会变成今日这样。我们无法预知未来。
然而,神一直是我们的帮助,是我们的力量。神“世世代代作我们的居所”。因此,每当我们面对生活的不确定性,我们可以相信,有神同在,我们就能找到应对未知的勇气和力量。
神创造了万物,“在神眼中,亿千万年恍若人间隔宿”。然而,耶和华我们的神将永远信实守约。
在这首歌的最后一节,我们告白我们对神的信靠。我们唱道:“(真神)是我今生的保护者,是我永远家乡。”我们有信心面对未来,因为我们对永生的盼望是在神我们的救主身上。
祷告
亲爱的神,感谢你在过去的一年里与我们同在。我们相信,我们可以永远以你为居所。奉耶稣基督的名祷告。阿们。
诗篇 90篇
1主啊,你世世代代做我们的居所。
2诸山未曾生出,地与世界你未曾造成,从亘古到永远,你是神。
3你使人归于尘土,说:“你们世人要归回。”
4在你看来,千年如已过的昨日,又如夜间的一更。
5你叫他们如水冲去,他们如睡一觉。早晨他们如生长的草,
6早晨发芽生长,晚上割下枯干。
7我们因你的怒气而消灭,因你的愤怒而惊惶。
8你将我们的罪孽摆在你面前,将我们的隐恶摆在你面光之中。
9我们经过的日子都在你震怒之下,我们度尽的年岁好像一声叹息。
10我们一生的年日是七十岁,若是强壮可到八十岁,但其中所矜夸的不过是劳苦愁烦;转眼成空,我们便如飞而去。
11谁晓得你怒气的权势?谁按着你该受的敬畏晓得你的愤怒呢?
12求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子,好叫我们得着智慧的心。
13耶和华啊,我们要等到几时呢?求你转回,为你的仆人后悔。
14求你使我们早早饱得你的慈爱,好叫我们一生一世欢呼喜乐。
15求你照着你使我们受苦的日子和我们遭难的年岁,叫我们喜乐。
16愿你的作为向你仆人显现,愿你的荣耀向他们子孙显明。
17愿主我们神的荣美归于我们身上,愿你坚立我们手所做的工——我们手所做的工,愿你坚立!
O God, Our Help In Ages Past
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." - Psalm 90:1
In our congregation it is a tradition to sing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" during our New Year’s Day worship service. Some other churches like to sing this song as they worship on the last day of the closing year.
This song paraphrases Psalm 90. Even though Psalm 90 can be considered a song of lament, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" summarizes the content of this psalm in an uplifting way.
As we end this year, we reflect on the fact that God has been "our help in ages past" as well as "our hope for years to come." When we look back on the year we have just gone through, not one of us can say we knew it would turn out the way it did. We cannot see into the future.
Yet God has been our help, and he has been our strength. God has "been our dwelling place through all generations." So whenever we face uncertainty, we can trust that, with God, we can find courage and strength.
God has made all things, and "a thousand ages in [his] sight are like an evening gone." Yet the Lord our God will always continue to be faithful.
In the final stanza of the song, we profess our trust in God. We sing, "Still be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home!" We have confidence to face the future because our hope for eternal life is found in God our Savior.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being with us through this past year. We trust that we can always make our dwelling with you. Through Christ we pray. Amen.