阅读经文 

我独自一人在阿巴拉契亚山道徒步旅行。在我出发之前，一些朋友曾问我：“一个人徒步安全吗？”是的，令我感恩的是，旅途很安全。不过，你需要小心避免与蜱虫接触，这些微小的蛛形网动物会致病。即使我是唯一穿越荒野的人，我也知道自己从不孤单。

在《诗篇》第二十三篇，神应许祂的子民，在他们遇到困难和各样挑战时会保护他们。在这首诗篇的应许中，最主要的是神的同在。神应许我们，当生命的道路是畅通的时候，祂与我们同行，穿过青绿的草场，沿着潺潺的小溪。神也应许与我们一起披荆斩棘，甚至穿过“最黑暗的幽谷”，（参诗 23:4）在那里我们可能面临“死亡的阴影”，就像一些译本所描述的那样。我们一想到这样的路就会忐忑不安，瑟瑟发抖。

神对祂提供的保护给予了什么应许？祂应许说：“我与你同在”。这意味着无论我们走在哪里，无论我们身处何种环境，我们都不会孤独。谁是我们的救赎主？祂名称为以马内利，意思是“神与我们同在”。

《诗篇》二十三篇并没有应许我们轻松安逸的生活。但是，有了神在我们生命中持久同在的应许，无论我们身处何地，我们都可以勇敢地与祂同行，寻求侍奉祂。

I went hiking solo on the Appalachian Trail. Before I left for this trip, some friends asked, “Is it safe to hike alone?” Yes, thankfully, it is. You do, however, need to be careful to avoid the companionship of ticks, those tiny arachnids that can make you very sick. And even if I am the only person traveling through a wilderness area, I know I am never alone.

In Psalm 23, God promises to protect his people in the many challenging, difficult circumstances of life. Chief among the promises here is the assurance of God’s presence. God promises to walk with us through green pastures and along babbling brooks when life’s pathways are clear and smooth. God also promises to be with us through thorny stretches, and even through “the darkest valley,” where we may face “the shadow of death,” as some translations put it. Those are paths that we tremble even to think about.

What assurance does God give of his protection? He promises, “I am with you.” This means that wherever we walk, and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we are never alone. Who is our Redeemer? He is Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

Psalm 23 doesn’t promise that our lives will be easy or even safe. But with the promise of God’s enduring presence in our lives, we can walk boldly with him as we seek to serve him wherever we are.