阅读经文 

作为一个牧师，在过去的年日里，我曾多次在病床边陪伴临终的病人。有些人懂得怎样安然离世，但有些却不懂。不能放下这个破碎的世界、伸手来抓住神的手来领我们与祂同住，安然离世是放手最好的一个例子，这个过程甚至能够改变在场的见证人。

大卫晚年时要面对很多困境，其中有些是他咎由自取的，有些甚至带来悲痛和灾难性的后果。然而，大卫知道他做错了，他为自己的罪痛悔，神便对他施怜悯。

从大卫的一生，我们可以学到什么功课呢？首先，大卫的错误是我们应当警惕的，我们要尝试避免他所犯的严重罪行。然而更重要的，就是我们可以信靠神会带领我们，我们也可以呼求神怜悯和赦免我们。

大卫快要离世了，他的儿子所罗门将会继位，大卫把一些重要的告诫传达给所罗门：“遵守耶和华你神所吩咐的……行主的道，谨守祂的……诫命。”

神曾应许会坚定大卫的国位，（参撒下 7:8-16）藉着差遣祂的儿子耶稣从大卫的后裔降生和成为世人的救主，神已履行了祂的诺言。在下一个月，我们将会庆祝耶稣的降生，就让我们谨记，神是信实的，祂爱我们，祂又呼召我们到各处去与人分享这个好消息。

As a pastor, I have been present at many deathbeds over the years. Some people knew how to die well, and others did not. Dying well can be one of the best examples of letting go of this broken world and reaching out for God’s hand to bring us to live with him. People witnessing the transition can be changed by it.

David faced many struggles toward the end of his life, and some of those were problems of his own making. Some of the results were tragic and devastating. But when David realized he had done wrong, he repented of his sin, and God showed mercy.

What can we learn from David’s life? For one thing, we can learn from David’s mistakes and try to avoid the terrible sins he committed. But, more importantly, we can trust God to guide us, and we can call on the Lord for mercy and forgiveness.

As David lay dying, he passed along some important advice to his son Solomon, who would be the next king: “Observe what the Lord requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his … commands.”

God had promised to establish David’s throne (8 Samuel 7), and God kept that promise by sending his Son, Jesus, born as a descendant of David, to be the Savior of the world. As we celebrate Jesus’ coming in the month ahead, let us remember that God is faithful, that he loves us, and that he calls us to share this good news everywhere!