0210 你看見神的能力被蒙蔽了嗎？
你們向上舉目，看誰創造這萬象，按數目領出，祂一一稱其名；因祂的權能，又因祂的大能大力，連一個都不缺。《以賽亞書 40:26》
在以賽亞時代，神的子民因仰望偶像的臉，他們的心思被蒙蔽而無法看到神。但以賽亞讓他們仰望天空；也就是說，他讓他們開始運用自己的力量來正確思考和想象。如果我們是神的兒女，我們在大自然中擁有一份巨大的寶藏，並且會意識到它是神聖並是神的。只要我們開始用我們盲目失明的思維去視覺化，我們就會看到神在每一陣吹過的風中、每一次日出和日落、天空中的每一朵雲、每一朵盛開的花朵，和每一片凋謝的葉子中向我們伸出手來。
靈性專註的真正考驗是你能夠控制你的心志和想法。你的心志是聚焦在偶像的臉上嗎？偶像是你自己嗎？是你的工作嗎？是你對僕人應該是什麼樣子的看法？或是你對救贖和成聖的經歷？如果是這樣，那麼你看到神的能力是被蒙蔽了。當面對困難時，你將無能為力，並被迫在黑暗中忍受。如果你的視力被蒙蔽了，不要回顧你自己的經歷，而要仰望神。你需要的是神，超越你自己，並遠離你偶像的臉，以及其他已經蒙蔽你思想的東西。甦醒吧，接受以賽亞對他的百姓的嘲笑，並刻意地將你的思想和目光轉向神。
我們在禱告中感到徒勞的原因之一是我們失去了想象的能力，我們甚至無法想象將自己刻意地置於神面前。在代禱領域裡，成為被擘開破碎餅和被傾倒澆奠的酒，其實比我們與他人的個人接觸更重要。視覺化的力量是神賦予聖徒的，使他能夠超越自己，並被堅固地置身於他從未經歷過的關係中。
來自章伯斯的智慧
如果在我們裡面所有敗壞中只有一根信心的繩索，神也會抓住那一根。《不知往何處去》
0210 Is Your Ability to See God Blinded?
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things… —Isaiah 40:26
The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.
The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.
One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
If there is only one strand of faith amongst all the corruption within us, God will take hold of that one strand. –Not Knowing Whither, 888 L