祂不喜悅馬的力大、不喜愛人的腿快（詩147篇）

他不喜悅馬的力大、不喜愛人的腿快。耶和華喜愛敬畏他、和盼望他慈愛的人。（詩 147：10-11）

大家都喜歡聰明、能力強的人，若外觀漂亮、俊秀更是受眾人吹捧，甚至為非作歹也不忍苛責。但這些都只是外貌，只佔體重的一小部分，因為只是那薄薄的一層皮。一個人除了皮之外，還有廣大的內在，如同冰山一角一樣，不是膚淺的世人所能全盤了解的。「馬的力大」、「人的腿快」沒錯，是優秀的定義，只是擁有世人認為的這些優秀的人，從聖經歷史可知，相對比較容易驕傲。

你們年幼的、也要順服年長的。就是你們眾人、也都要以謙卑束腰、彼此順服．因為神阻擋驕傲的人、賜恩給謙卑的人。（彼前 5：5）

人一驕傲，就會成為神阻擋的對象；人只要願意謙卑下來，就會蒙恩。神是看人內心的神，神不在乎人外觀上那層薄薄的外貌、名聲、聰明，祂看的是一個人廣大的內在，祂不受外貌的影響，左右祂對一個人的判斷。

耶和華卻對撒母耳說：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大、我不揀選他、因為耶和華不像人看人、人是看外貌、耶和華是看內心。」（撒上 16：7）

曾經遇到一位被教會推選、也蒙總會通過的新任負責人，但是他拒絕接受這個職份。我問他原因，他說：「要負責的這方面，比我優秀的人，還有某某人（他在我面前細數了好幾位人選），可以選這些人啊！不要選我。」

是啊！他說的這些人，的確很優秀。但是，聖經告訴我們，神並不是以這樣的條件在選擇工人的。「馬的力大」、「人的腿快」就是凡人以為的優秀，但這些卻不是神的標準與條件，因為神明白地對這些人世間認為的優秀條件說「他不喜悅」、也「不喜愛」啊！

特別是神必定與祂的工人同工。因此，神其實可以不在乎祂工人能力的優秀與否，因為教會本身就是「自動駕駛的車」，是神在駕駛，不是「你」在駕駛。神的工人只需照神的旨意，在神所命定的位子上坐好，剩下的，車子自己會前進、轉彎、煞車，是不需我們擔心的。今天市面上自動駕駛的車子，靠的是ＡI（人工智慧）在控制；然而教會的發展，靠的卻是GI（神的智慧）在前進。

若我們對神有信心，就不會對所託付的使命感到害怕，去接就是了；會對所託付的使命感到害怕，就表示對神沒有信心。

像今天（2026.2.27)一年一度的石牌教會全家福活動，氣象報告是鋒面通過，越靠北海岸就會越冷，雨也越大，而我們舉開的地點，就是在北海岸的八斗教會，這時該怎麼辦？今天很多兄姊見面時就說：我們聽到氣象預報後，就開始很認真地在禱告。結果雖然前一夜大雨直到天亮，在活動開始的今天早上，八斗教會那裡竟然出了太陽。

經常事奉的人都知道，其實煩惱都是多餘的，這些外在的不利因素，都是為了使「神必同在」的這件事得到證明的鋪陳。沒有逆境，就看不出神的同在。

曾經被質疑自己明明不優秀，也非名校畢業，憑什麼承擔現在的職務？當下的確有點傷心，因為這是事實。但是心中的聖經真理親自說話，使悟性因明白而產生莫名的感動。是啊！我不優秀，我力不大、腿不快，可是神卻要用我，原因只有一個：祂喜悅我，並且祂以行動證明祂的認可，認可我的敬畏、與我對祂慈愛的盼望。

於是大衛王進去、坐在耶和華面前、說：「主耶和華阿、我是誰？我的家算甚麼？你竟使我到這地步呢？主耶和華阿、這在你眼中還看為小、又應許你僕人的家至於久遠。主耶和華阿、這豈是人所常遇的事麼？主耶和華阿、我還有何言可以對你說呢？因為你知道你的僕人。」（撒下 7：18-20)

By Isaiah Kao

He Does Not Delight in the Strength of the Horse,

He Does Not Take Pleasure in the Legs of a Man (Psalm 147)

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.

The LORD favors those who fear Him,

Those who wait for His faithfulness.”

(Psalm 147:10–11, NASB 2020)

People generally like those who are intelligent and capable. If someone is also good-looking and handsome, they are even more admired and praised. Sometimes, even when such people do wrong, others are reluctant to criticize them harshly. Yet all these things are merely outward appearances. They make up only a small portion of a person, just a thin layer of skin.

Beyond the skin, there is a vast inner being, like the unseen mass of an iceberg beneath the surface, a shallow person can never fully understand. “The strength of the horse” and “the legs  of a man” are indeed commonly accepted definitions of excellence. However, from biblical history we learn that those who possess what the world considers excellence are, comparatively, more easy to pride.

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.”

(1 Peter 5:5, NASB 2020)

Once a person becomes proud, he becomes an object of God’s opposition; but as long as a person is willing to humble himself, he will receive grace. God is a God who looks at the heart. He does not care about that thin outer layer appearance, reputation, or intelligence. What He sees is a person’s vast inner life. He is not influenced by outward appearance, nor does it affect His judgment of a person.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his height, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

(1 Samuel 16:7, NASB 2020)

I once encountered a man who had been recommended by the church and approved by the General Assembly to become a new council member, yet he refused the ministry. I asked him why. He said, “There are people who are more outstanding than I am in this area, so-and-so, and so-and-so,” and he listed several names before me. “You can choose them instead. Don’t choose me.”

Indeed, the people he mentioned were truly outstanding. 

But the Bible tells us clearly that God does not choose His workers based on such standards. “The strength of the horse” and “the legs  of a man” represent what humans regard as excellence, yet these are not God’s standards or conditions. God plainly says of these things that “He does not delight in” them and “He does not take pleasure in” them.

Moreover, God always works together with His workers. Therefore, God does not actually need to care about whether His workers are excellent or capable. The church itself is like a “self-driving vehicle.” It is God who is driving, not “you.” God’s workers only need to sit in the position God has appointed for them and follow His will. The rest—the moving forward, the turning, the braking—will happen on its own, without our anxiety.

Today’s self-driving cars rely on AI (artificial intelligence). But the progress of the church relies on GI—the wisdom of God.

If we truly have faith in God, we will not be afraid of the mission entrusted to us; we will simply accept it. If we feel afraid of the mission entrusted to us, it shows that we lack faith in God.

Take today (February 27, 2026) as an example—the annual Shipai Church family event. The weather forecast said a cold front would pass through: the closer to the northern coast, the colder it would be, with heavier rain. And the location of our gathering was the Badou Church, right on the northern coast. What should we do?

Many brothers and sisters said when they met today, “After hearing the weather forecast, we began praying very earnestly.” As a result, although there was heavy rain throughout the night until dawn, when the event began this morning, the sun actually came out over the Badou Church.

Those who serve regularly know that most worries are unnecessary. These unfavorable external conditions exist to pave the way for one thing to be proven: God is surely with us. Without adversity, God’s presence cannot be clearly seen.

I was once questioned: since I am not outstanding and did not graduate from a prestigious school, on what basis do I hold my current position? At that moment, I was indeed somewhat hurt, because it was true. But the truth of the Bible spoke directly in my heart, bringing an unexplainable stirring as understanding dawned.Yes, I am not outstanding. I am not strong; my legs are not fast. Yet God still wants to use me. There is only one reason: He delights in me. And He has proven His approval through His actions—approving my fear of Him and my hope in His faithfulness.

“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, ‘Who am I, Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, Lord GOD. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Lord GOD.’”

(2 Samuel 7:18–20, 

NASB 2020)