阅读经文 

在《出人意外的恩典A Grace Disguised》这本书中，杰瑞·席哲叙述他的妻子、母亲和女儿在交通意外中逝世的悲剧，他很想知道，透过这个可怕的考验，他可以从中学到什么功课。结果他选择用救赎这个字带来盼望：“（神）希望使用（生命中）恶劣的环境来塑造我们并最终塑造整个世界，好让我们变得异常美丽。救赎所应许要带来的改变，是何等完美啊。”

在成为以色列第二任君王、并且经历宁静祥和的岁月之前，大卫曾忍受了家庭不和、死亡的威胁和许多的战争。在这一切事上，他知道“耶和华与他同在。”现在，耶和华更应许大卫，他的国必永远坚立，他的位也必稳固，直到永远。这位君王知道，他必须选择顺服神的话和寻求跟从神的旨意，并且引领他的百姓如此每一步跟随前行。大卫知道，“耶和华……救赎（以色列民）作自己的子民……显出祂的大名。”（参撒下 7:23）为了成就祂对万国的美好旨意，神不断在作工，好叫大卫的一生和以色列民在他们的世代有所作为。

同样，如今我们总离不开大卫的后裔耶稣的救赎工作，祂也期望我们能够在我们的世代有所作为。

In the book A Grace Revealed Jerry Sittser tells about the tragic deaths of his wife, mother, and daughter in an auto accident. He wondered what could come out of such a horrific ordeal. He settled on redemption as the word that brought him hope: “[God] wants the harsh conditions [of life] to shape us and eventually the whole world into something extraordinarily beautiful. Redemption promises to transform, so completely.”

David endured family squabbles, death threats, and many military battles before he experienced a time of rest and peace as Israel’s second king. Through it all, he knew “the Lord was with him.” And now the Lord had made a promise that his kingdom would endure and his throne would be established forever. The king knew he had to obey God’s Word and seek to follow God’s will, reminding his people every step of the way. David knew that Israel was “the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself and to make a name for himself.” God was working to make something out of David’s life and out of this nation for his good purposes all the nations.

Similarly, we are never beyond the redemptive work of David’s descendant Jesus in his desire to make something out of us today.