1002 屈辱之地
你若能做什麼，求你憐憫我們，幫助我們。 《馬可福音 9:22》
每次提升的欣喜過後，我們會突然被帶下來，回到生活的真實所是，既不美麗，也無詩意，和興奮。山頂的高度是以山谷的沉悶勞動來衡量，但在山谷中，那是我們必須為神的榮耀而活之處。我們在山上看到祂的榮耀，但我們從未在那裡為祂的榮耀而活。正是在羞辱卑微之處，我們發現自己對神的真正價值——那就是我們忠誠體現所在。如果我們總是保持某種英雄般的強度，我們大多數的人是能做事的，那只是因為我們內心天然的自私。但神要我們在日常單調水平，按照我們與祂的個人關係生活在山谷中。彼得認為他們留在山上是很美好的事，但耶穌基督帶着門徒下山，進入山谷，異象的真正含義在那裡被解釋出來（見馬可福音9:5-6，馬可福音 9:14-23）。
「你若能做什麼…」要消除我們的懷疑，須經歷羞辱谷。回顧你自己的經歷，你會發現，直到你認識耶穌真正所是之前，你對祂的能力一直是個嫻熟懷疑者。當你在山頂時，你能相信任何事，但當你面對山谷的現實時，又如何呢？你或許能夠為你的成聖作見證，但對於現在你感到羞辱的事，你又如何呢？上次你在山上與神同在時，你看到天上地下所有的權柄都屬於耶穌——只因為現處羞辱谷，你就會懷疑嗎？
來自章伯斯的智慧
神設計環境要看我們如何行事。我們會成為天父的孩子？或會再次回到卑鄙、常識的態度？我們會冒一切風險並忠於祂嗎？「你要至死忠心，我就賜給你生命的冠冕。」生命的冠冕意味着我將看到我的主最終獲得了勝利，甚至在我身上也是。《至善—朝聖者歌集》
1002 The Place of Humiliation
If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. —Mark 9:22
After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God— that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are always at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday level, where we live in the valley according to our personal relationship with Him. Peter thought it would be a wonderful thing for them to remain on the mountain, but Jesus Christ took the disciples down from the mountain and into the valley, where the true meaning of the vision was explained (see Mark 9:5-6, Mark 9:14-23).
“If you can do anything….” It takes the valley of humiliation to remove the skepticism from us. Look back at your own experience and you will find that until you learned who Jesus really was, you were a skillful skeptic about His power. When you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of the valley? You may be able to give a testimony regarding your sanctification, but what about the thing that is a humiliation to you right now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all the power in heaven and on earth belonged to Jesus— will you be skeptical now, simply because you are in the valley of humiliation?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
God engineers circumstances to see what we will do. Will we be the children of our Father in heaven, or will we go back again to the meaner, common-sense attitude? Will we stake all and stand true to Him? “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The crown of life means I shall see that my Lord has got the victory after all, even in me. The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 530