0604 永不离弃的神
主曾说:「我总不撇下你,也不丢弃你。」《希伯来书13:5》
我的思想采取什么思路?我是转向神所说的还是转向我自己的惧怕?我只是重复神所说的话,还是学习真正倾听,并且在听到祂说的之后做出回应?「因为主自己说:『我总不撇下你,也不丢弃你。』 所以我们可以放胆说:主是帮助我的,我必不惧怕;人能把我怎麽样呢? 」(希伯来书13:5-6)。
「我总不撇下你…」— 不为任何理由;无论我的罪、自私、固执、或任性。我真的有让神对我说祂永远不会离开我吗?如果我还没有真正听到神的这个保证,那么,就让我再度倾听吧。
「我也不丢弃你。」有时不是生活的困难,而是生活的单调让我觉得神会丢弃我。当没有重大的困难要克服,没有来自神的异象,没有什么奇妙或美丽的事,只是生活中的日常活动时,我在其中听到神的保证了吗?
我们认为神会做一些非凡的事情,祂为了未来的一些非凡工作,正在准备和装备我们。但当我们在祂的恩典中成长时,我们发现神正在荣耀祂自己,此时此地,就在这个时刻。如果我们有神的保证在我们后面,最惊人的力量就成为我们的,我们学会即使在生活的平凡日子和方式中也歌唱荣耀神。
来自章伯斯的智慧
新约根本不容许那些声称他是靠着恩典得救却未生出恩典的好果子的人。耶稣基督以祂的救赎可以使我们的实际生活与我们的宗教信仰相符合。《登山宝训研读》
0604 The Never-forsaking God
He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5
What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
“I will never leave you…”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.
“I will never…forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession. –Studies in the Sermon on the Mount