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"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest belive, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40.)
MARY and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Both of them said to Him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Back of it all, we seem to read their thought: "Lord, we do not understand why you have stayed away so long. We do not understand how you could let death come to the man whom you loved. We do not understand how you could let sorrow and suffering ravage our lives when your presence might have stayed it all. Why did you not come? It is too late now, for already he has been dead four days!"
And to it all Jesus had but one great truth: "You may not understand: but I tell you if you believe, you will see."
Abraham could not understand why God should ask the sacrifice of the boy; but he trusted. And he saw the glory of God in his restoration to his love. Moses could not understand why God should keep him forty years in the wilderness, but he trusted; and he saw when God called him to lead forth Israel from bondage.
Joseph could not understand the cruelty of his brethren, the false witness of a perfidious woman, and the long years of an unjust imprisonment; but he trusted, and he saw at last the glory of God in it all.
Jacob could not understand the strange providence which permitted the same Joseph to be torn from his father's love, but he saw the glory of God when he looked into the face of that same Joseph as the viceroy of great king, and the preserver of his own life and the lives of a great nation.
And so, perhaps in your life. You say, "I do not understand why God let my dear one be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to smite me. I do not understand the devious paths which the Lord is leading me. I do not understand why plans and purposes that seemed good to my eyes should be baffled. I do not understand why blessings I so much need are so long delayed.
Friend, you do not have to understand all God's ways with you. God does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect your child to understand, only believe. Some day you will see the glory of God in the things which you do not understand.
─J. H. McC.
"If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God's working see,
We might interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.
"But not today. Then be content, poor heart;
God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold.
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart─
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.
"And if, through patient toil, we reach the land,
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,
When we shall clearly know and understand,
I think that we shall say, `God knew best.'"
「在信的人凡事都能。」馬可福音九章23節
在聖經中,基督一再強調:無論是門徒或是求祂幫助的人,都需要具備凡事都能做的信心,若我們沒有單純而絕對的信靠神,要成全祂的應許,那我們就無法經歷聖經中的教訓。內住的生命必須有不止息的信心。
想一想每時刻信心的特徵!首先.要信靠神必成全一切的應許,單單對祂存有期望,不要滿足於支取某些應許。神所賜的應許都有其最大而最完全的意義,值得我們去尋求;我們必須承認自己一無所有,並無能亦無力為之,乃是依靠全能神的大能內住在我們心中所作奇妙的工作。
如此,使得我們全心滿有能力,信服並期望神,祂必將祂的應許,在日後用默示來成全在我們身上。神的應許和命令是與我們的降服、完全依靠,有不可分割的關係。
追求信心生命所產生的能力,往往也要有無法理解的信心,這是隨著開始看見的信的信心,等候期待神所要做成的,使我們有決志的行動,在神的話語上抓住祂、注視祂成全其應許,即使現在有多麼黑暗,祂也會照祂所說的變得光明。
整個內住,必須要以完全的信心生活來開始,假如基督在凡事上成為賜福給我們的朋友和同伴,是我們生命的喜樂和亮光,那就有特別有福氣的體驗基督的內住,並且日夜保守我們。這樣的信心,能使我們期待體驗主所說:「我要永遠與你們同在」的應許。
「所以你們要完全,像你們的天父完全一樣。」馬太福音五章48節
這幾節聖經,是我們的主勉勵我們,要我們對於人取寬大的態度。並且在靈性生活中,切勿跟著朋友親戚的步伐亦步亦趨。我們各人都有親戚朋友,有些人我們喜歡,有些人我們不喜歡,但是絕不可讓我們喜歡和我們不喜歡的人們來支配我們的生活。「我們若在光明中行,如同神在光明中,」(約壹一7)神將使我們與非親屬的人發生友誼的關係。
我們的主所給予我們的模範,不是一個好人的模範,甚而也不是一個好基督的模範,乃是神本身的模範。「所以你們要完全,像你們的天父完全一樣」──將神向你們所表明的,向人表明,神必給予我們充足的機會,在實際生活上表證我們是否像我們的天父完全一樣。基督徒對於人的興趣,是自願與神對於別人的興趣表示一致。「你們要彼此相愛,像我愛你們一樣……。」(約十五12)
基督徒的特性,不是行善,卻是像神。如果神的靈改變了你的內心,你必在你的生活上表現神的特性。不是好人的特性,乃是我們裡面的神的生命。將自己表明出來。這種生命絕不是人力所能求達的生命。做基督徒的祕訣,是藉著神在他裡面的恩典,將超然變作自然。這種經驗,不但與神同在時,實行出來,也在實際的活動上實行出來。我們在混亂的時候,能保持心靈的安靜,就是這個緣故。
「……等候我的必不至羞愧。」以賽亞書四十九章23節
神常常在我們工作一陣之後,把我們呼召到一旁,要我們休息;在回到事奉岡位之前,要我們學些功課。特別是當我們在工作上受到一些嚴重的傷害、突然的失敗,或是重大錯誤的時候。
古代騎士在逃離他敵人的過程中,總會慎重地為他們的馬釘上馬蹄鐵。雖然繼續快跑顯然是逃命的上策,但是他更高的智慧教導他,要先到鐵匠那裡休息片刻,並且重新為他的馬釘上馬蹄鐵。儘管他能聽到後面追兵的馬箭步而飛的聲音,但他還是安靜等候,直到他的戰馬裝好了馬蹄鐵,能帶他逃亡。然後他跳上馬鞍,在追兵彷彿只離他箭步之遠時,風馳電掣般從敵人面前飛奔而去。這個騎士知道他中途停下來,是有益於他的逃亡。
同樣道理,神也經常要我們等候,直到我們全然復原,能面對下次旅程和工作中更大的挑戰。
主呀!請教導我休息,知道您是我的神。請讓我終日與您同行。