昨天、今天、明天

“You shall not go out with haste . . . .” As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness.

But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us.

Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us.

It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future.

Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him. 从昨天来的安全感。“……神使已过的事情重新再来。”

（神要我们对已过的事情交账）（传道书3:15）年终的时候，我们对神所带领的将来充满期待，然而，当回想过去，焦虑也会油然而生。

我们今天对神恩典的享受喜乐很容易，因为过去犯罪和犯错的记忆而减少。

但是，神是我们昨天的神，并且祂允许那些记忆转变成为着我们未来灵性成长而效力的。神提醒我们过去是为了保护我们不陷入对今天肤浅的安全感里。

明天的保证。“……耶和华必在你们前头行……” 这是满有恩典的启示——神将在我们曾经失败的地方帮助我们。祂一直看守让我们不至重蹈覆辙，因为若没有祂作“后盾”，同样的事情无疑会再度发生。此外，神的手臂也伸向过去，处理一切对我们良心的控告。

今天的保证。“你们出来必不至急忙……” 当我们向前走进新的一年，让我们不要匆忙急促、不要喜悦地忘记一切，也不要在不假思索的冲动中快速前行。让我们出去的时候是带着忍耐的力量，因为知道以色列的神会在我们前头行。昨天为我们保存了破碎和不可挽回的事情。我们失去的机会确实一去不返了，但是，神能够将这种毁灭性的焦虑转化成为对未来建设性的深思熟虑。让过去安息吧，但是，让它安息在耶稣基督甜蜜的怀抱里。

将破碎的、一去不复返的过去留在祂手里，和祂一同踏入无人能抵挡的将来。

Security from Yesterday. “. . . God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays.

Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders.

But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future.

God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow. “. . . the Lord will go before you . . . .” This is a gracious revelation— that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so.

He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our “rear guard.”

And God’s hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.

Security for Today.