“你要称颂耶和华，… 他救赎你的命脱离死亡，以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。” 诗 103:2-4
她的名字是Shapia，我在她青涩的眼神中看到恐惧。每当有陌生人来到她所住的孟加拉村庄，她便害怕被他们带走，这样的事情曾发生在她的姊妹身上。Shapia家境非常贫困；他们欠了一个无情的高利债主一笔债。她的姊妹被“交换”来偿还部份的债，但仍然有一部份未清还。
不过，这批新来的访客是来建立一个农村储蓄和贷款计划的人。这个计划能够帮助Shapia的父母和邻居储蓄金钱和获得低利息贷款，这样他们便有能力购买种子和肥料来种植健康的农作物了。这个新的计划更能中止当地那个高利债主的生意，Shapia的家人也不用再欠他的债了。他们从那笔债务中“被救赎”出来。
在圣经中，救赎不单是一个属灵的观念，它也是一个可以由人付代价来“救赎”另一个人的做法。路得记中的故事就是属于这种救赎的做法。同样，因着他们的乡村储蓄和贷款计划的介入，Shapia一家便从他们的债务中被救赎出来。
当然，归根究底，惟有神才能救赎我们脱离罪行和罪疚，衪仁慈地藉着耶稣这份宝贵的礼物救赎了我们，耶稣为我们舍命，好叫我们能与衪一同永远活着。
祷告
亲爱的神，感谢你在基督里救赎我们脱离罪债，我们也为参与帮助人摆脱沉重债务的事工感谢你。主啊！我们全心全意赞美你。奉基督祈求，阿们。
诗篇 103:1-18
1我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华；凡在我里面的，也要称颂他的圣名！
2我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华，不可忘记他的一切恩惠。
3他赦免你的一切罪孽，医治你的一切疾病。
4他救赎你的命脱离死亡，以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。
5他用美物使你所愿的得以知足，以致你如鹰返老还童。
6耶和华施行公义，为一切受屈的人申冤。
7他使摩西知道他的法则，叫以色列人晓得他的作为。
8耶和华有怜悯，有恩典，不轻易发怒，且有丰盛的慈爱。
9他不长久责备，也不永远怀怒。
10他没有按我们的罪过待我们，也没有照我们的罪孽报应我们。
11天离地何等的高，他的慈爱向敬畏他的人也是何等的大。
12东离西有多远，他叫我们的过犯离我们也有多远。
13父亲怎样怜恤他的儿女，耶和华也怎样怜恤敬畏他的人。
14因为他知道我们的本体，思念我们不过是尘土。
15至于世人，他的年日如草一样，他发旺如野地的花。
16经风一吹，便归无有，他的原处也不再认识他。
17但耶和华的慈爱归于敬畏他的人，从亘古到永远；他的公义也归于子子孙孙，
18就是那些遵守他的约，记念他的训词而遵行的人。
Redeemed!
"Praise the LORD . . . who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. . . ." - Psalm 103:2-4
Her name was Shapla, and I could see the fear in her teenage eyes. When strangers came to her village in rural Bangladesh, she feared they would take her away. This had happened to her sister. Shapla’s family was very poor; they had become indebted to a ruthless moneylender. Her sister had been “traded” to pay some of the debt, but part of the debt remained.
These new visitors, however, had come to help launch a village savings and loan program. This would help Shapla’s parents and their neighbors to save money and take low-interest loans so that they could buy seed and fertilizer to grow healthy crops. This new venture would also put the local moneylender out of business and free Shapla’s family from their debt to him. They were “redeemed” from that debt.
In the Bible redemption is not only a spiritual concept but also a practice by which one person can “redeem” another by paying a price. The book of Ruth tells a story about that. Similarly, Shapla’s family was redeemed of their debt by the intervention of their village savings and loan program.
Ultimately, of course, only God can redeem us from sin and guilt, and he graciously does this through the precious gift of Jesus, who gave his life so that we can live with him.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for redeeming us in Jesus Christ. And thank you for programs that liberate people from crippling debt. With our whole being we praise you, Lord! In Christ, Amen.
