06月08日 一年的第160天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:箴29-31章
第29章主要在講:「受責備的態度.v1」。
提醒人屢次受責罰,仍然硬著頸項;他必頃刻敗壞,無法可治。義人增多,民就喜樂;惡人掌權,民就歎息。王藉公平,使國堅定;索要賄賂,使國傾敗。貧窮人、強暴人在世相遇;他們的眼目都蒙耶和華光照。勉勵沒有異象,民就放肆;惟遵守律法的,便為有福。只用言語,僕人不肯受管教;他雖然明白,也不留意。警告你見言語急躁的人嗎?愚昧人比他更有指望。好氣的人挑啟爭端;暴怒的人多多犯罪。懼怕人的,陷入網羅;惟有倚靠耶和華的,必得安穩。
◎心得分享:有人說:「失敗為成功之母」,其實「失敗為失敗之母」,如果一個人不能從失敗中記取教訓,改變自己錯誤行為,失敗的人一定會繼續失敗,這就是「人屢次受責罰,仍然硬著頸項;他必頃刻敗壞,無法可治」,要避免敗壞,就是第一就是要「要有異象與目標」,第二是「遵守上帝的律法」,第三是「不要急躁暴怒犯罪,要倚靠耶和華」,這樣的人必得安穩,不容易敗壞。
第30章主要在講:「上帝的言語是煉淨,祂作投靠人的盾牌.v5」。
亞古珥的真言。宣導神的言語句句都是煉淨的;投靠他的,他便作他們的盾牌。因此我求神兩件事,在我未死之先,不要不賜給我:求你使虛假和謊言遠離我;使我也不貧窮也不富足;賜給我需用的飲食,恐怕我飽足不認你,說:耶和華是誰呢?又恐怕我貧窮就偷竊,以致褻瀆我 神的名。警告戲笑父親、藐視而不聽從母親的,他的眼睛必為谷中的烏鴉啄出來,為鷹雛所吃。記錄測不透的有四樣:鷹在空中飛的道;蛇在磐石上爬的道;船在海中行的道;男與女交合的道。使地震動共有四樣:就是僕人作王;愚頑人吃飽;醜惡的女子出嫁;婢女接續主母。地上有四樣小物,卻甚聰明:螞蟻是無力,卻在夏天預備糧食。沙番是軟弱之類,卻在磐石中造房。蝗蟲沒有君王,卻分隊而出。守宮用爪抓牆,卻住在王宮。步行威武的有有四樣:獅子、獵狗、公山羊、無人能敵的君王。
◎心得分享:神的言語句句都是煉淨的;投靠他的,他便作他們的盾牌,是的!當神的話在我們心裡,我們就會向神祈求兩件事,第一件是「求神使虛假和謊言遠離我」,第二件事是「求神使我不貧窮也不富足」,雖然有許多事我們「測不透」,但是只我們「單單尋求神、投靠神」,雖然「不懂」,但是我們仍然是有福的人。
第31章主要在講:「要開口按公義判斷,為困苦窮乏人伸冤.v9」。
利慕伊勒王母親教訓他的真言。勸告不要將你的精力給婦女;也不要有敗壞君王的行為。君王喝酒不相宜;王子說濃酒在那裏也不相宜;恐怕喝了就忘記律例,顛倒一切困苦人的是非。你當開口按公義判斷,為困苦和窮乏的辨屈。稱讚才德的婦人誰能得著呢?她的價值遠勝過珍珠。她丈夫心裏倚靠她,必不缺少利益;她一生使丈夫有益無損。她張手賙濟困苦人,伸手幫補窮乏人。她開口就發智慧;她舌上有仁慈的法則。她的丈夫也稱讚她,說:才德的女子很多,惟獨你超過一切。警告艷麗是虛假的,美容是虛浮的;惟敬畏耶和華的婦女必得稱讚。
◎心得分享:本章在講「要有相宜」行為,以弗所書4章1節「我為主被囚的勸你們:既然蒙召,行事為人就當與蒙召的恩相稱」。這個行為就是開口按公義判斷,為困苦和窮乏的辨屈,更重要的是要「娶到才德的婦人」,不要一味的追求外表的艷麗美貌,因為是虛假虛浮的,雖然不是美麗的婦女,只要這位婦女敬畏耶和華,她必會得到人的稱讚與喜愛,結論是夫妻都要敬畏神,才能蒙福。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。