12月7日
标 题：公义如雨降临
经 节：你们要为自己栽种公义，就能收割慈爱。现今正是寻求耶和华的时候；你们要开垦荒地，等祂临到，使公义如雨降在你们身上。（何西阿书十章12节）
在何西阿的时代，百姓们对神的话语非常冷淡。他们早就听过神的话千百回，并且对神的要求无动于衷。神的解决方法是冲破他们没有生机的心田，软化他们冷漠的心灵。当土又干又硬的时候，农夫会犁田松土，好叫种子可以发芽，雨水可以为庄稼带来生机。同样地，神的百姓也要冲破自己生活中罪的拦阻，这些罪阻止了神的话语穿透其心田。何西阿说，神会使公义如雨降下，为他们带来生命及更新他们。
身为基督徒，我们一定要常常浇灌自己的心思意念，好叫我们能够接收神的话。施洗约翰告诫周围的人，要预备耶稣的到来。我们也可以提醒其它人预备自己，好叫神的公义穿透他们，充满他们的生命。当我们看到罪已经渗入人的生命，我们可以激励他们悔改。我们可以分享神的话语带给我们的喜乐，并且鼓励朋友寻求神的旨意。我们可能成为子女们顺服的榜样，我们可以分享自己因顺服而得到的祝福。我们可以帮助周围的人突破心中的硬土。
何西阿劝神的百姓要寻求神，直到神公义的雨降临在他们的身上。当我们的心田开始对神有冶漠的迹象，要立即耕作我们的心田。如果我们随时预备好自己的心田，当神的话临到时，我们会预备好的。
Raining
Righteousness
Sow for
yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is
time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea
10:12)
The
people of Hosea’s day had become hardened to God’s Word. They had heard it many
times before and had grown apathetic to what God required of them. God’s
solution was for them to break up the fallow ground of their hearts. They were
to allow Him to soften their hardened hearts. When the earth was dry and
crusty, the farmer would plow to loosen the soil so it was receptive to the
seeds and the rains that would give life to the crop. Likewise, God’s people
were to break up the sinful barriers in their lives that prevented God’s Word
from penetrating their hearts. Then, said Hosea, God would give life and refresh
them by raining down on them in righteousness.
As
Christians, we must continually cultivate our hearts and minds so that they are
receptive to whatever God tells us. John the Baptist exhorted those around him
to prepare for Jesus’ coming. We, too, can remind others to prepare their lives
so that God’s righteousness will penetrate and fill their lives. We can urge
them to repent when we see sin sinking into their lives. We can share the joy
that God’s Word brings us and encourage our friends to seek God’s will also. We
can model obedience for our children. We can tell of the blessings that have
come to us as a result of our obedience. We can help to break up the fallow
ground in the hearts of those around us.
Hosea
admonished God’s people to seek the Lord until His righteousness rained down
upon them. We should immediately cultivate our heart whenever it starts to
become hardened toward God. If we keep our hearts prepared, we will be ready
when God’s Word comes to us.
