孩子们还小的时候，总会一再地问我：“还有多久才是圣诞节啊？”虽然我们每天都使用基督降临节日历倒数圣诞节，但对他们而言，等待实在是一种折磨。

We can easily recognize a child’s struggle with waiting, but we might underestimate the challenge it can involve for all of God’s people. Consider, for instance, those who received the message of the prophet Micah, who promised that out of Bethlehem would come a “ruler over Israel” (5:2) who would “stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the ” (v. 4). The initial fulfillment of this prophecy came when Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1) —after the people had waited some 700 years. But some of the prophecy’s fulfillment is yet to come. For we wait in hope for the return of Jesus, when all of God’s people will “live securely” and “his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth” (Mic. 5:4). Then we will rejoice greatly, for our long wait will be over.

我们了解等待对孩子来说很难熬，但我们却忽略了等待对上帝子民而言，是何等巨大的挑战。举例来说，先知弥迦预言将来伯利恒必出一位掌权的（5章2节），这位掌权者“必起来，倚靠耶和华的大能，……牧养祂的羊群”（4节）。这个预言首次应验是耶稣降生在伯利恒之时（马太福音2章1节），那时上帝子民已等待了七百多年。但这预言还未完全实现，因为我们正带着盼望等候耶稣再来，那时所有上帝的子民“要安然居住”，并且“祂必日见尊大，直到地极”（弥迦书5章4节）。到那日，我们将大大地欢呼喜乐，因为我们长期的等待终将结束。

Most of us don’t find waiting easy, but we can trust that God will honor His promises to be with us as we wait (Matt. 28:20). For when Jesus was born in little Bethlehem, He ushered in life in all its fullness (see John 10:10)—life without condemnation. We enjoy His presence with us today while we eagerly wait for His return.

我们大都认为等待是不容易的事，但我们能确信上帝必持守祂的应许，在我们等候之际祂必常与我们同在（马太福音28章20节）。因为耶稣降生于小伯利恒，就是要赦免我们的罪，赐给我们丰盛的生命（参阅约翰福音10章10节），让我们可以一边热切等候祂的再来，一边享受祂与我们同在！

We wait, Father God, and we hope. We wait, dear Jesus, as we long for peace to break out. We wait, comforting Spirit, for all the world to experience Your love.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

弥迦书 5:2-4Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

2 “伯利恒以法他啊，你在犹大诸城中为小，将来必有一位从你那里出来，在以色列中为我做掌权的。他的根源从亘古，从太初就有。” 3 耶和华必将以色列人交付敌人，直等那生产的妇人生下子来。那时，掌权者[a]其余的弟兄必归到以色列人那里。

国权日大至于地极

4 他必起来，倚靠耶和华的大能并耶和华他神之名的威严，牧养他的羊群。他们要安然居住，因为他必日见尊大，直到地极。

灵粮透视

新约圣经有好几段经文，都是以基督的第二次降临为主题。当基督升天时，有天使告诉门徒说：“你们见祂怎样往天上去，祂还要怎样来”（使徒行传1章11节）。耶稣说，祂何时会再来没有人知道，而且祂随时都可能会再来，所以我们要“谨慎”、“警醒”（马可福音13章33-37节）。早期的基督徒认为，耶稣再来的时候“将近”（罗马书13章11-14节）。雅各也曾鼓励信徒说：“当忍耐，坚固你们的心，因为主来的日子近了”（雅各书5章8节；另参阅启示录1章3节）。那时，因着耶稣随时会再来的这种期待，让有些帖撒罗尼迦的基督徒变得懒惰，不肯工作，一心只等着耶稣再来。但保罗劝诫他们回去做工，并要活出有意义的生活（帖撒罗尼迦后书3章11-13节）。

我们不但要“等候所盼望的福”（提多书2章13节），就是耶稣再来的美好日子，同时也要祈求圣灵帮助我们，活出圣洁、敬虔的生活，以至我们“没有玷污，无可指摘，安然见主”（彼得后书3章11、14节）。

在等候耶稣再来之际，你会如何享受现今上帝的同在呢？