0522 对我们困难的解释
使他们都合而为一。（约翰福音17:21）
如果你正在经历孤单的时刻，似乎孤身一人，请阅读约翰福音第 17 章，那将准确地解释为什么你会处于现在的位置——因为耶稣已经祈求你与天父「合而为一」如祂所是。你是在帮助神回应那个祷告，还是你对你的人生有其他的目标？自从你成为门徒之后，你就不能再像以前那样独立了。
神在约翰福音 17 章中揭示祂的目的不仅是应允我们的祷告，而且是藉着祷告，叫我们能够辨明祂的心意。然而，有一个祷告是神必须应允的，那就是耶稣的祷告——「使他们合而为一，像我们合而为一。」（约翰福音 17:22）。我们与耶稣基督是否像那样亲密呢？
神并不关心我们的计划，祂不问：「你想经历失去所爱的人、这个困难，或这个失败吗？」不，祂允许这些事情是为了祂自己的目的。我们正在经历的事情要么让我们变得更甜美、更好、更高尚的男人和女人，要么让我们变得更加批评、吹毛求疵，且更加坚持自己的方式。发生的事情要么让我们变得邪恶，要么使我们变得更加圣洁，完全取决于我们与神的关系及其亲密的程度。关于我们自己的生活，如果我们祷告是「愿祢的旨意成就」（马太福音 26:42），那么我们就会受到约翰福音 17 章的鼓励和安慰，知道我们的天父正在按照祂自己的智慧行事，成就最好的事。 当我们明白神的心意时，我们就不会变得心胸狭隘和愤世嫉俗。耶稣为我们祈求的，就是与祂自己的绝对合一，正如祂与天父合而为一。我们中的一些人离这种合一还很远；然而神不会撇下我们不管，直到我们与祂合而为一，因为耶稣祷告说：「使他们都合而为一。」
来自章伯斯的智慧
耶稣基督可以承受被误解；我们不能。我们的弱点在于总是想要为自己辩护。《帮助之地》
0522 The Explanation For Our Difficulties
…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us… —John 17:21
If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.
God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?
God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, “…that they all may be one….”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves. —The Place of Help