0731 變成完全屬祂
但忍耐也當成功，使你們成全完備，毫無缺欠。《雅各書1:4》
我們中的許多人看起來總體上還不錯，但在某些方面我們仍然是粗心和懶惰；這不是罪的問題，而是我們肉體生命的殘餘使我們變得粗心，而粗心是對聖靈的侮辱。我們無論是在敬拜神的方式上，或甚至是在飲食吃喝方面，都不應該掉以輕心。
不僅我們與神的關係必須是正確的，而且這種關係的外在表現也必須是正確的。至終，神不會允許任何事情逃脫；我們生活中每一個細節都在祂的審視之下。神會以無數的方式再三地把我們帶回到同一個點；祂總是不厭其煩地把我們帶回到這一點，直到我們學會教訓，因為祂的目的是要生產出最後成品。這可能是一個源自我們衝動本性而生的問題，但再三地，神以最持久的耐心把我們帶回到這特定的點上；或問題可能出自我們的懶散和飄蕩的思維，或我們的獨立本性和自我專註。通過這個過程，神試圖讓我們對我們生活中那個不完全正確之處感到印象深刻。
我們在學習神所啟示的救贖真理上有一段美好的時光，我們的心是完全向著神。祂在我們身上的奇妙工作讓我們知道，我們總體上與祂的關係是正確的。 「忍耐也當成功…」靈通過雅各說：「現在讓你的忍耐成為成品。」小心不要對生活的小細節變得漫不經心，並說：「嗯，現在這樣就可以了。」無論是什麼，神都會堅持不懈地指出，直到我們完全成為祂的人。
來自章伯斯的智慧
對那些沒有經歷過痛苦的人，耶穌說：「我沒有什麼可以給你的；站穩自己的腳，挺起自己的肩膀（挺身而立）。我是為這樣的人而來：知道自己所面對的遠超出他能應付的，知道有他無法觸碰的勢力；若他放手讓我來，我必為他做一切的事。只要讓一個人承認他有需要，我必出手幫助他。」《痛苦的陰影》
0731 Becoming Entirely His
Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. —James 1:4
Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.
Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to that one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wandering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.
We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God’s redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. “Let patience have its perfect work….” The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, “Now let your patience become a finished product.” Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, “Oh, that will have to do for now.” Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.” The Shadow of an Agony, 1166 R