0709 你會審視你自己嗎？
約書亞對百姓說：「你們不能事奉耶和華…」《約書亞記 24:19》
你是否有一丁點依賴除神之外的任何事物或任何人？你是否還殘留着對任何你裡面天然品質或任何特定環境的依賴？關於神擺在你面前的這個新提議或計劃，你是否以任何方式依賴自己？你會藉着提問這些盤根究底的問題來審視自己嗎？說「我無法過聖潔的生活」，那是真的，但你可以決定讓耶穌基督使你聖潔。「你們不能事奉耶和華…」——但你可以將自己置於適當的位置，是神全能的力量透過你流露出來。你與神的關係是否足以讓你期待祂在你身上展示出祂美妙的生命？
百姓對約書亞說：「不然，我們定要事奉耶和華。」（約書亞記 24:21）。這不是一個衝動的行動，而是一個深思熟慮的承諾。我們往往會說：「但是神不可能呼召我做這件事。我太不配了，這不可能指的是我。」它確實指的是你，你越是軟弱無能，就越合適。一個仍然依賴和相信自己內在任何事物的人，是最不可能說「我要事奉耶和華」的人。
我們說：「哦，但願我真的能相信就好了！」問題是：「我願相信嗎？」難怪耶穌基督如此強調不信的罪。「耶穌因為他們不信，就在那裡不多行異能了。」（馬太福音 13:58）。如果我們真的相信神說的話是當真，想象一下我們會變成什麼樣子！我真的敢讓神之於我，就是祂所說的祂必是的嗎？
來自章伯斯的智慧
我們可以通過其他方式了解神的屬性，但我們只能在基督的十字架中了解天父的心。 《至善—禰偉大的救贖》
0709 Will You Examine Yourself?
Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord…” —Joshua 24:19
Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord…”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord!’ ” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”
We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We can understand the attributes of God in other ways, but we can only understand the Father’s heart in the Cross of Christ. –The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 558 L