阅读经文 

西密歇根州的冬天有时会很阴沉，到了一月初，我们便会一同缅怀去年春天的青绿、去年夏天的温暖和去年秋天的鲜艳色彩。回顾快乐的日子，能帮助我们忍受黑暗的时光。

诗篇七十七篇的背景是黑暗的日子，然而，回顾比较快乐的时光，能保持希望不致幻灭。最快乐的回忆，就是在数百年前以色列民逃离埃及的时候，特别是神使红海的水分开让他们可以徒步走过这件神迹。（参诗 77:16-18）

这段回忆还另有意义。诗人实际上在说：“神啊，在那些日子，我们看到祢为我们所行的事，但我们没有直接见到祢；潮湿的海底没有祢的脚踪，我们只看见摩西和亚伦像好牧人那样引导我们”。（参诗 77:19-20）

不过多年之后，藉着耶稣降世，神取了人的样式。我们可以亲眼见到神的儿子耶稣——见到祂的脚、手、和整个身体，也看见祂留下的脚踪。当我们见到耶稣时，我们便看见了神，我们看见神在我们前面引路。

耶稣走的是通往黑暗死亡的道路，然而祂没有转离这条路；祂是我们的好牧人，祂甘心为我们舍命，我们也可以见到祂被钉在十字架上的手和脚。当我们见到这一幕时，我们便知道祂是真爱我们，就是在最黑暗的日子里祂也一如既往爱我们。

West Michigan winters can be gloomy. By early January, we're remembering the green of last spring, the warmth of last summer, and the blazing colors of last fall. Memories of bright days can help us to endure dark ones.

Psalm 77 is set during a dark time. But the memory of brighter days keeps hope alive. The brightest memory recalls Israel's escape from slavery in Egypt hundreds of years earlier, and especially how God cleared a path for them through the waters of the Red Sea (vv. 16-18).

But there's something else to that memory. The psalm says, in effect, "God, in those days we saw what you were doing for us. But we didn't see you directly. The damp seabed didn't show your footprints. We could only see Moses and Aaron leading the way like good shepherds" (see vv. 19-20).

Well, many years later, in the person of Jesus, God took on human flesh. Jesus, the Son of God, was visible—feet, hands, and all. He left footprints. When we look at Jesus, we can see God. We see God going before us, leading the way.

The path that Jesus follows leads to the darkness of death. But he doesn't turn aside. He is our good shepherd. He lays down his life for us. And we can see his feet, and his hands, nailed to the cross. When we see that, we know he loves us, even on the darkest days.