0328 難道沒有誤解嗎？
「我們再往猶太去吧。」門徒對他說：「…你還往那裡去嗎？」《約翰福音 11:7-8》
僅因為我不明白耶穌基督所說的話，我就沒有權利斷定祂所說的話一定是錯誤的。那是危險的觀點，認為我順服神的指示會帶給耶穌羞辱，這永遠是不對的認定。唯一會帶來羞辱的，是不順服祂。將我對祂尊榮的看法置於祂明確引導我的事之前，那永遠是不對的，儘管那可能是出於想要防止祂被公開羞辱的真實慾望。我知道神的指示何時臨到，是因為它們的默默堅持。但當我開始權衡利弊，懷疑和辯論進入我的頭腦時，我就引進了一個不屬於神的元素；那隻會導致我得出這個結論：祂給我的指示是不正確的。我們很多人都忠於自己對耶穌基督的想法，但有多少人是忠於耶穌本人呢？對耶穌忠誠意味着我必須跨出去，甚至在我看不見之時和看不見之處（見馬太福音14:29）；但忠於我自己的想法意味着我首先要清除思想上的道路。然而，信心並不是理智上的理解，而是對耶穌基督這一位的刻意委身，即使我看不見前方的道路。
你正在爭論是否應該邁出相信耶穌的一步，還是你應該等到你能清楚地看見如何去做祂所要你做的事嗎？只要懷着無拘無束的喜樂順服祂即可。當祂告訴你一些事情而你開始爭論時，那是因為你對什麼是尊榮祂、什麼是不尊榮祂有所誤解。你是忠於耶穌，還是忠於你對祂的看法？你是忠於祂所說的話，還是你試圖以從來不是來自祂的想法來妥協祂的話？ 「祂告訴你們什麼，你們就做什麼。」（約翰福音 2:5）。
來自章伯斯的智慧
「是我揀選了你們」（約翰福音 15:16）。記下這偉大的的信條。不是你擁有了神，而是神擁有了你。《竭誠為主》， 10月25日
0328 Isn’t There Some Misunderstanding?
“Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “…are You going there again?” —John 11:7-8
Just because I don’t understand what Jesus Christ says, I have no right to determine that He must be mistaken in what He says. That is a dangerous view, and it is never right to think that my obedience to God’s directive will bring dishonor to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonor is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honor ahead of what He is plainly guiding me to do is never right, even though it may come from a real desire to prevent Him from being put to an open shame. I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence. But when I begin to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate enter into my mind, I am bringing in an element that is not of God. This will only result in my concluding that His instructions to me were not right. Many of us are faithful to our ideas about Jesus Christ, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself? Faithfulness to Jesus means that I must step out even when and where I can’t see anything (see Matthew 14:29). But faithfulness to my own ideas means that I first clear the way mentally. Faith, however, is not intellectual understanding; faith is a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even when I can’t see the way ahead.
Are you debating whether you should take a step of faith in Jesus, or whether you should wait until you can clearly see how to do what He has asked? Simply obey Him with unrestrained joy. When He tells you something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a misunderstanding of what honors Him and what doesn’t. Are you faithful to Jesus, or faithful to your ideas about Him? Are you faithful to what He says, or are you trying to compromise His words with thoughts that never came from Him? “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you. –My Utmost for His Highest, October 25, 837 R