This Spiritual Waimai is a part of a series entitled, “Christmas Interrupted”. When God’s plan and your life plan intersect, there will interruptions that lead to participating in God’s glorious plan.
本文是“中断的圣诞节”系列文章之一。当你的人生计划遭遇神的计划，你的计划会中断，这中断将要带你参与神的荣耀计划中。
中文和英文版本语音
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Christmas is a time for wishes and wonder. But what happens when your wish doesn’t come true?
圣诞节是一个满有愿望和奇迹的日子。但是，如果你的愿望没有实现，那会怎样呢?
Christmas is a dreamy time of the year when we love to make Christmas wishes and hope for that special Christmas present we’ve been waiting for. But what if you don’t get your Christmas wish? What if there is no present for you under the Christmas tree? Can it still be a Merry Christmas?
圣诞节是一年中最梦幻的日子，我们喜欢许下圣诞愿望，盼望着期待已久的特别圣诞礼物。但是如果你的圣诞愿望尚未实现，如果圣诞树下没有送给你的礼物该怎么办? 还能称之为快乐的圣诞节吗?
As Christians, we sometimes have the wrong idea that if we do everything right, God will not just give us our Christmas wish, but also give us everything we dream for in life. WellWell, the truth is, people who are righteous and serve God still have unfulfilled dreams. The true Christmas story in the Bbible is a story of people who had to give up their own wishes and dreams in order to surrender to God’s plan. The story begins with the unmet dreams of an elderly couple.
作为基督徒，有时我们会冒出有错误的想法，认为如果我们把每件事都做对了，神不仅会满足赐予我们的圣诞愿望，也会把我们梦想得到的一切生活所需都赐给我们。可事实上，正公义的人和事奉神的人仍然会有尚未未能实现的梦想。圣经中真正的圣诞故事里，是关于人们为了降服于遵行神的计划而舍弃自己我的愿望和梦想。这个故事开头说的就是一对老夫妇未能实现的梦想。
The unmet dreams of a righteous couple
一对义人夫妇尚未实现的梦想
Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous in the sight of God. As husband and wife they observed God’s commands and decrees. They had lived long and faithful lives yet they had a life-long hope that was left unmet. They were childless. They both desired children, but God had not yet answered their heart cry. Zechariah prayed for children. Elizabeth felt the disgrace of barrenness. Yet they continued to serve never walking away from God’s laws.
撒迦利亚和伊利莎白伊利沙伯在神眼中看为义。这对夫妻都遵守神的命令和法度。他们忠心耿耿得享长寿，却仍有一个终生尚未未能实现的愿望。他们没有孩子。他们极渴望生儿育女，但神还没有回应他们内心的呼求。撒迦利亚为得儿女向神祈求。伊利沙伯伊利莎白也觉得不能生育很羞耻。然而，他们继续事奉神，从不偏离神的律法。
Do you have a inner heart-hope that is yet left unfulfilled? It could be in the realm of family, ministry or your profession. Is there something that you have asked God for but He has yet to answer your prayer?
你心里有没有一个尚未实现的心底愿望? 可以出现在可能是关于家庭、事奉或你的职业等领域的愿望。你有没有向神求什么，而衪却还没有回应你的祷告呢?
Our God is purposeful. There is nothing random or forgotten with Him. There was a purpose in the unmet dreams of the childless marriage of Zechariah and Elizabeth. For many years they trusted and served. Like Abraham and Sarah, they were advanced in years when God finally brought a child into their lives. But unlike Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth had no promise to hold on to. Just a home empty of children. Yet they remained faithful. Because we have the advantage of seeing their whole story from beginning to end, we know that there was an incredible child that God was preparing for them. We know that their son John was going to be a purposeful and unusual man. So his unusual birth makes sense to us. But to Zechariah and Elizabeth, they had no idea what the holdup was and no idea what God had in store for them. But they continued to serve.
我们的神行事皆有目的。衪不会让事情随机的发生或被遗忘。撒迦利亚和伊利沙伯伊利莎白的婚姻中没有孩子，这个尚未实现的梦想是有目的的。多年来，他们信靠神、事奉神。就像亚伯拉罕和撒拉一样，在他们年纪老迈的时候神最终赐给了他们一个孩子。但与亚伯拉罕和撒拉不同的是，撒迦利亚和伊利沙伯伊利莎白并没有可持信守的应许。只有一个空空的、没有孩子的家。却是家中无孩。然而他们仍然大有信心。因为我们可以看到他们整个故事的来龙去脉，就知道神正在为他们准备一个不可思议伟大的孩子。我们知道他们的儿子约翰将成为一个有使命神赋予旨意的非凡之人。所以他不寻常的降生对我们来说是完全可以理解的。但撒迦利亚和伊利沙伯伊利莎白并不知道如此耽延的原因，也不知道神要给他们带来什么。但他们继续事奉神。
The day when Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life plan crossed God’s plan
撒迦利亚和伊利沙伯伊利莎白的人生计划与神的计划相交之日
At God’s appointed moment in history, the angel Gabriel who stands in the presence of God was dispatched to deliver an important message to Zechariah. Zechariah was at the right place, at the right time standing before the altar of incense in the presence of God in the temple.
在神命定的历史时刻，站在神面前的天使加百列奉差去给撒迦利亚传一个重要的信息口信。撒迦利亚正好在合适所定的时间和地点，站在神殿的香坛前立于神前。
The altar of incense was the place where the priests met with God. Twice a day they burned incense for the Lord. We know that in the Bbible, incense is a symbol of the prayers of the people of God.
香坛是祭司与神会面的地方。他们每天两次为耶和华烧香。我们知道，在圣经中，香象征着神的子民献上的祷告。
I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalms 141:1-3 NIV
耶和华啊，我曾求告你，求你快快临到我这里！我求告你的时候，愿你留心听我的声音！愿我的祷告如香陈列在你面前；愿我举手祈求，如献晚祭。耶和华啊，求你禁止我的口，把守我的嘴。
诗篇141:1-3
Zechariah was standing in the holy temple, meeting with God in a place of prayer when the most incredible moment of his life took place. An angel appeared. In our modern culture, we think of angels as cute or beautiful. But true angels must be terrifying. Because the first thing they always have to say to the people they visit is: “Do not be afraid.”
撒迦利亚站在圣殿，在一个祷告的地方与神相遇，这是他生命中最不可思议的时刻。一位天使出现了。在我们的现代文化中，我们认为天使都是可爱或美丽的。但真正的天使一定让人感到害怕。因为他们必须对造访之人所说的第一句话总一件事就是:“不要害怕。”
But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”
Luke 1:13-14 NIV
天使对他说：“撒迦利亚，不要害怕，因为你的祈祷已经被听见了。你的妻子伊利沙伯伊利莎白要给你生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫约翰。你必欢喜快乐；有许多人因他出世，也必喜乐。
路加福音1:13-14
When the angel appeared to Zechariah he was both startled and fearful. Unfortunately his reaction and response to the angel revealed the unbelief in his heart. Despite the fact that Zechariah was a righteous man serving God and praying for his wife, he just couldn’t believe and it came out of his mouth at a really bad time.
天使向撒迦利亚显现的时候，撒迦利亚又惊又怕。不幸的是，他对天使的反应和回话暴露了他内心的不信。尽管撒迦利亚是一个义人，事奉神，为他的妻子祷告，他还是不能相信，并且在一个非常不恰当的时候说了出来。
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Luke 1:18-20 NIV
撒迦利亚对天使说：“我凭着什么可知道这事呢？我已经老了，我的妻子也年纪老迈了。”天使回答说：“我是站在神面前的加百利，奉差而来对你说话，将这好信息报给你。到了时候，这话必然应验。只因你不信，你必哑巴，不能说话，直到这事成就的日子。”
路加福音1:18-20
Because of his unbelief, Zechariah was mute for over 9 months. That is a long time to not be able to communicate.
因着他的不信，撒迦利亚要沉默禁声9个月。很长一段时间不能说话。
Focusing on our lack rather than God’s abundance leads to unbelief
关注定睛于我们的缺乏而不是神的丰盛，会导致不信
Zechariah was looking at his immediate circumstance, not looking at God’s big plan. Even after Gabriel gave Zechariah a very detailed description of his son John, Zechariah did not look at God’s big plan. He only looked at his own limitations and lack. He did not look at God’s eternal greatness and abundance. Zechariah kept his eyes on his own problems and the result was unbelief and he had nothing to say. For over 9 months he could not speak.
撒迦利亚关注的是他当下的境况，而不是神的大计划。即使在加百列给撒迦利亚非常详细地描述了他的儿子约翰之后，撒迦利亚他还是没有看到神的大计划。他只看到了自己的局限和不足。他没有看到神永恒的伟大和丰盛。撒迦利亚定睛于自己的问题，导致的结果就是不信，而且他无话可说。他有9个多月不能说话。
In the meantime, his wife Elizabeth had something to say.
与此同时，他的妻子伊利沙伯伊利莎白说了这些话：
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Luke 1:25 NIV
“主在眷顾我的日子，这样看待我，要把我在人间的羞耻除掉。”
路加福音1:25
She knew that the Lord has done this for her personally, and she received this gift. She believed her husband Zechariah’s story of his angel encounter and agreed to name the child John.
她知道神为她亲自行了这事，她接受了这份礼物。她相信丈夫撒迦利亚遇到天使的故事，同意给孩子起名叫约翰。
A proclamation of faith
宣告信心
The long-awaited baby was born and on the 8th day of his life, Zechariah and Elizabeth gratefully presented the baby to the Lord in the temple. When asked the child’s name both Elizabeth and Zechariah said that he wouldill be named John according to the angel’s message. When Zechariah proclaimed the name of the baby, he is finally proclaiming his belief in the prophecy and his mouth is opened. The first words he speaks are remarkable and speak of God’s salvation.
期待已久的孩子终于出生了，在他生命的第8天，撒迦利亚和伊利沙伯伊利莎白在殿内满怀感激地把孩子献给了主。当被问及孩子的名字时，伊利沙伯伊利莎白和撒迦利亚都说，会按照天使的信息给孩子取名约翰。当撒迦利亚宣布这个婴儿的名字时，他终于宣布他相信这个预言，于是他能开口说话了。他所说的第一句话意义非凡，讲的是神的救恩。
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:76-79 NIV
“孩子啊！你要称为至高者的先知；因为你要行在主的前面，预备他的道路，叫他的百姓因罪得赦，就知道救恩；因我们神怜悯的心肠，叫清晨的日光从高天临到我们，要照亮坐在黑暗中死荫里的人，把我们的脚引到平安的路上。”
路加福音1:76-79
Waiting for God’s plan is purposeful and worth it
等候神的计划是有意义且值得的
The personal lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth were difficult and full of longing and disgrace. They had to wait for years with a dream unfulfilled. Yet they continued to serve not knowing what God’s big plan was. In the end, their waiting had a great purpose. Even though Zechariah had fear and unbelief in his heart, God still used him. He had 9 months to develop faith in God’s plan and when his mouth was finally opened, he spoke with faith the powerful words of salvation. All unbelief was gone.
撒迦利亚和伊利莎白艰难的个人生活，充满了渴望和羞耻。他们不得不怀揣尚未实现的梦想，等待多年。然而，他们尽管不知道神的大计划是什么，但仍然继续事奉。最后，他们的等待意义极大。虽然撒迦利亚心里惧怕不信，神仍然使用他。他有9个月的时间来对神的计划建立信心，当他终于开口时，他带着信心说出救恩的大能话语。所有的不信都消失了。
“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.”
“多年来的希望和恐惧，今晚终于在你里面实现了。”
Zechariah and Elizabeth lived for years with hopes that seemed to never be met. But when their personal life plans intersected with God’s epic plan to save the world, everything changed. They were given the honor of bringing into the world and raising John the Baptist. Their incredible position in God’s plan of salvation meant for an unusual life and personal suffering. But what a glorious place they have in God’s history. His plan for their lives was much greater than what they could ever dream of.
撒迦利亚和伊利莎白多年一直活在似乎永远无法实现的希望之中。但当他们的个人生活计划遭遇神拯救世界的宏伟计划时，一切都改变了。他们得着荣耀，把施洗约翰带到世间并养育他。他们在神救赎计划中的非凡地位意味着不寻常的生活和个人的痛苦。但是他们在神的历史之中有多么光荣的地位。神对他们人生的规划比他们所能梦想的要伟大得多。
All of our Christmas wishes, hopes and life dreams are met in Jesus as we surrender our lives to Him and follow His glorious plan. As it says in the beloved Christmas carol, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem”:
我们所有的圣诞愿望、希望和生活梦想都在耶稣里实现了，因为我们将生命交托给衪，跟随衪荣耀的计划。就像那首著名的圣诞颂歌“哦，伯利恒小镇”里唱的那样:
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The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.
多年来的希望和恐惧今晚都在你里面实现了
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
神能照着运行在我们心里的大力，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。但愿他在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，得着荣耀，直到世世代代、永永远远。阿们！
以弗所书3:20-21
