0322 火熱之心
我們的心豈不是火熱的嗎？ 《路加福音 24:32》
我們需要學習火熱之心的秘訣。突然，耶穌向我們顯現，火焰被點燃，並我們被賜下奇妙的異象；但接下來我們必須學會保持火熱之心的秘訣——一顆能夠經受一切的心。就是那些簡單、沉悶的日子，伴隨司空見慣的職責和人，會窒息我們火熱的心，除非我們學會了住在耶穌里的秘訣。
我們作為基督徒所經歷的許多痛苦並不是罪的結果，而是因為我們對自己本性的法則無知。例如，我們應該用來決定是否允許某種特定情感在我們生活中發展的唯一測試，乃是檢查該情感的最終結果是什麼。想清楚它的邏輯結論，若結果是神會譴責的，要立即停止。但如果那是一種被神的靈點燃的情感，而你不允許它在你的生活中發揮作用，那麼它會引發更低於神想要的水平的反應。這就是不切實際和過於情緒化的人所形成的方式。情感越高，如果沒有在預期的水平上運用，其腐敗的程度就越深。如果神的靈感動了你，要儘可能地做出不可撤銷的決定，並讓後果順其自然。我們不能永遠停留在「變像山」上，沐浴在我們山頂經歷的光中（見馬可福音9:1-9）。但我們必須順服我們在那裡所得到的亮光，我們必須付諸行動。當神賜給我們異象時，我們必須在那點上與祂互動，無論代價是什麼。
我們不能隨願點燃
心裡已存的火焰
靈吹動又安靜，
我們的靈魂住在神秘之中；
但洞察力之時完成的任務
可在憂鬱之時完成。
來自章伯斯的智慧
聖經是事實的聯繫，其中的真實性必須經過考驗。生活可能會一帆風順一段時間，突然間卻發生喪親之痛，或某個危機；單戀或新戀，災難，生意倒閉，或令人震驚的罪，而我們再次打開聖經，神的話就直接觸動我們心靈，我們會說：「哎呀，我以前在那裡從未見過。」《神手之蔭》
0322 The Burning Heart
Did not our heart burn within us…? —Luke 24:32
We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.
Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don’t allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.
We cannot kindle when we will
The fire which in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our soul abides;
But tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Bible is a relation of facts, the truth of which must be tested. Life may go on all right for a while, when suddenly a bereavement comes, or some crisis; unrequited love or a new love, a disaster, a business collapse, or a shocking sin, and we turn up our Bibles again and God’s word comes straight home, and we say, “Why, I never saw that there before.” –Shade of His Hand, 1223 L