0817 你是沮喪還是委身？
…耶穌聽見了，就說：「你還缺少一件，要變賣你一切所有的…你還要來跟從我。」他聽見這話，就甚憂愁，因為他很富足。《路加福音 18:22-23》
你是否聽過主對你說過一些很困難的事情？如果你沒聽過，我懷疑你是否曾經聽過祂說過任何話。耶穌對我們說了很多話，我們是在聽，但實際上並沒有聽進去。一旦我們真正聽到祂的聲音，祂的話是嚴厲且不妥協的。
耶穌對這個有錢的少年官應否照祂講的去作，並沒有表現出絲毫在乎，耶穌也沒有試圖留住這個人與祂在一起。祂只是對他說：「變賣你一切所有的…還要來跟從我。」我們的主從未懇求他；祂從未試圖誘惑他——祂只是說了一句人耳所聽過最嚴厲的話，然後就離開他了。
我曾否聽過耶穌對我說過些困難和不妥協的話嗎？祂曾否親自對我說些我有意傾聽的事情——不是我可為別人之故而講給別人聽的，而是我聽到祂直接對我說的事情？這個人明白耶穌所說的。他聽得很清楚，明白這話意思的全面影響，這讓他心碎了。他不是像一個反叛的人離開，而是像一個悲傷沮喪的人。他帶着熱情和決心來到耶穌面前，但耶穌的話卻讓他僵住了。那些話沒有激發出對耶穌的熱情委身，反而產生了心碎的氣餒。耶穌並沒有追着他，而是讓他離去。我們的主非常清楚，一旦祂的話被真正聽到，遲早就會結出果實。可怕的是，我們有些人阻止祂的話在我們現在的生活中結出果子。我想知道當我們最終決定在這特定點上向祂委身時，我們會說什麼？有一點是肯定的——祂永遠不會把我們過去的失敗丟在我們臉上。
來自章伯斯的智慧
當一個人的心與神是正確的時候，聖經中神秘的言語對他來說就是靈和生命。屬靈的真理對純凈的心靈是可辨識的，而非對敏銳的智力。這不是智力深度的問題，而是心靈的純潔。《引領兒子進入榮耀》
0817 Are You Discouraged or Devoted?
…Jesus…said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. —Luke 18:22-23
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
When a man’s heart is right with God the mysterious utterances of the Bible are spirit and life to him. Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect. It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart. —Bringing Sons Unto Glory, 231 L