The closer we walk with God, the clearer we see His guidance.

越亲近上帝，越明白祂的指引。

Walk in obedience to all that the  your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:33

耶和华你们上帝所吩咐你们行的，你们都要去行。-申命记5章33节

I needed an underground water tank and knew precisely how I wanted it constructed, so I gave clear instructions to the builder. The next day when I inspected the project, I was annoyed when I realized that he had failed to carry out my instructions. He had changed the plan and therefore the effect. The excuse he gave was as irritating as his failure to follow my directives.

我家需要建造一个地下储水槽，我知道自己要怎样的设置，所以清楚地吩咐建筑工人应如何施工。隔天，我检视工程时，却发现建筑工人并没有按照我的指示去做，还擅自改动了计划，导致结果与我想要的不同。他没有遵照吩咐又找藉口，真让我感到生气。

As I watched him redo the concrete work, and as my frustration diminished, a guilty conviction swept over me: How many times have I needed to redo things in my life in obedience to the Lord?

当我看着建筑工人重新砌水泥墙时，怒气逐渐消退，一股罪咎感却油然而生：在我生命中，我不也是常因不顺服上帝，而需要重新按祂的吩咐去做事吗？

Like the ancient Israelites who frequently failed to do what God asked them to do, we too often go our own way. Yet obedience is a desired result of our deepening relationship with God. Moses told the people, “Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you . . . . Walk in obedience to all that [he] has commanded you” (Deut. 5:32–33). Long after Moses, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him and to love one another.

旧约时代的以色列百姓常常没有遵照上帝的吩咐做事，我们也一样经常偏行己路。然而，若我们想要与上帝有亲密的关系，就必须学习顺服祂的旨意。摩西告诉以色列百姓：“所以，你们要照耶和华你们上帝所吩咐的谨守遵行……耶和华你们上帝所吩咐你们行的，你们都要去行”（申命记5章32-33节） 。一千多年后，耶稣也吩咐祂的门徒要遵行祂的教导，信靠祂并彼此相爱。

This is still the kind of surrender of our hearts that leads to our well-being. As the Spirit helps us to obey, it is good to remember that He “works in [us] to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

我们若从心里凡事顺从上帝，必能得祂的喜悦和赐福。圣灵能帮助我们顺服，我们也当谨记，我们“立志行事，都是上帝在[我们]心里运行，为要成就祂的美意”（腓立比书2章13节） 。

Lord, thank You for second and third chances. 

Please help us to want to follow Your ways 

and to follow through in obedience.

主啊，感谢祢再三给我们机会，
求祢帮助我们愿意顺服，
遵照祢的吩咐去行。

Read：Deuteronomy 5:28-33 New International Version (NIV)

28 The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

30 “Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

申命记 5:28-33

28 “你们对我说的话，耶和华都听见了。耶和华对我说：‘这百姓的话我听见了，他们所说的都是。 29 唯愿他们存这样的心敬畏我，常遵守我的一切诫命，使他们和他们的子孙永远得福。 30 你去对他们说：“你们回帐篷去吧。” 31 至于你，可以站在我这里，我要将一切诫命、律例、典章传给你。你要教训他们，使他们在我赐他们为业的地上遵行。’ 32 所以，你们要照耶和华你们神所吩咐的谨守遵行，不可偏离左右。33 耶和华你们神所吩咐你们行的，你们都要去行，使你们可以存活得福，并使你们的日子在所要承受的地上得以长久。

整理：于姊妹