0427 你想要什麼？
你為自己圖謀大事嗎？ 《耶利米書 45:5》
你是在為自己圖謀大事，而非追求成為一個偉大的人嗎？神要你與祂自己建立更親密的關係，多過只是接受祂的禮物——祂要你認識祂。即使我們想要的一些大事也只是偶然發生的，它來了又去了。但神從來不給我們任何偶然之事物；沒有什麼比與神建立正確的關係更容易的了，除非你所尋求的不是神，而是祂能給你的東西。
如果你只向神祈求一些東西，你從來就沒有理解降服的真正含義；你已經根據自己的條款成為基督徒。你抗議說：「我向神祈求聖靈，但祂沒有給我所期望的安息和平安。」神立刻指出了原因：你根本沒有尋求主，你是在為自己尋求某些事物。耶穌說：「你們祈求，就給你們。」（馬太福音 7:7）。向神祈求你想要的東西，不要擔心祈求錯誤的東西，因為當你越來越親近祂時，你就會完全停止祈求事物。 「你們沒有祈求以先，你們所需用的，你們的父早已知道了。」（馬太福音 6:8）。那你為什麼應該求呢？為了你可以認識祂。
你在為自己圖謀大事嗎？你曾否說過：「主啊，請以袮的聖靈完全充滿我」？如果神沒有這樣做，那是因為你還沒有完全降服於祂，還有些事情是你仍然拒絕去做的。你預備好問自己你想從神那裡得到什麼以及為什麼要得到嗎？神總是無視你目前的完全性，而偏好你未來終極的完全。祂並不關心讓你現在蒙福和快樂，而是不斷地為你實現祂的終極完全——「使他們合而為一，像我們合而為一。」（約翰福音17:22）
來自章伯斯的智慧
我們在黑暗中才是真實的我們；其他一切都是名譽。神看的是我們在黑暗中的所是：我們思維中的想象，內心的思想，身體的習慣；這些是在神眼中標記我們的事情。《神的愛——不被注意的事工》
0427 What Do You Want?
Do you seek great things for yourself? —Jeremiah 45:5
Are you seeking great things for yourself, instead of seeking to be a great person? God wants you to be in a much closer relationship with Himself than simply receiving His gifts— He wants you to get to know Him. Even some large thing we want is only incidental; it comes and it goes. But God never gives us anything incidental. There is nothing easier than getting into the right relationship with God, unless it is not God you seek, but only what He can give you.
If you have only come as far as asking God for things, you have never come to the point of understanding the least bit of what surrender really means. You have become a Christian based on your own terms. You protest, saying, “I asked God for the Holy Spirit, but He didn’t give me the rest and the peace I expected.” And instantly God puts His finger on the reason– you are not seeking the Lord at all; you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7). Ask God for what you want and do not be concerned about asking for the wrong thing, because as you draw ever closer to Him, you will cease asking for things altogether. “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should you ask? So that you may get to know Him.
Are you seeking great things for yourself? Have you said, “Oh, Lord, completely fill me with your Holy Spirit”? If God does not, it is because you are not totally surrendered to Him; there is something you still refuse to do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores your present level of completeness in favor of your ultimate future completeness. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy right now, but He’s continually working out His ultimate perfection for you— “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God’s sight. The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 669 L