1016 主人命令的關鍵
所以，你們當求莊稼的主打發工人出去收他的莊稼。《馬太福音 9:38》
傳道者艱難任務的關鍵在神手中，而這個關鍵是禱告，不是工作——也就是說，不是今天常用的「工作」這個詞，工作常常導致我們的焦點從神身上轉移。傳道者艱難任務的關鍵，也不是常識的關鍵，也不是醫學、文明、教育甚至傳福音的關鍵。關鍵是聽從主人的命令——關鍵就是禱告。「求莊稼的主…」在自然界中，禱告是不切實際，而是荒謬的。我們必須認識到，從常理的角度來看，禱告是愚蠢的。
從耶穌基督的角度來看，沒有國家，只有世界。我們當中有多少人禱告時不考慮任何人，而只考慮一位——耶穌基督？祂擁有莊稼，是通過苦難和知罪而產生的莊稼；這就是我們必須禱告工人被派遣出去收莊稼。我們忙着工作，而周圍的人都成熟可被收割，我們甚至沒有收割他們中的一個人，而只是將主的時間浪費在過度耗盡精力的活動和計劃中。假設一個危機臨到你父親或兄弟的生活——你是否在那裡作為工人，為耶穌基督收莊稼呢？你的反應是「哦，但我有一項特別的工作要做」嗎？沒有基督徒有特別的工作要做。基督徒被稱為耶穌基督的僕人，「僕人不能大於主人」（約翰福音13:16），並且不會命令耶穌基督他打算做什麼。我們的主並沒有呼召我們去做什麼特別的工作——祂呼召我們歸向祂自己。「求莊稼的主」，祂就會策劃你的處境，打發你作為祂的工人出去。
來自章伯斯的智慧
無論神的旨意將我們扔到哪裡，無論是貧民窟、商店還是沙漠，我們都必須沿着祂的指示努力工作。永遠不可有「我在這裡毫無用處」的想法，因為如果你不在所在之地，你當然是毫無用處！無論祂在哪裡發動了你的環境，就是禱告。 《故我差遣你》
1016 The Key to the Master’s Orders
Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. —Matthew 9:38
The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work— that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary’s difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master’s orders— the key is prayer. “Pray the Lord of the harvest….” In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.
From Jesus Christ’s perspective, there are no nations, but only the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person— Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord’s time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father’s or your brother’s life— are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, “a servant [who] is not greater than his master” (John 13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work— He calls us to Himself. “Pray the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Wherever the providence of God may dump us down, in a slum, in a shop, in the desert, we have to labour along the line of His direction. Never allow this thought—“I am of no use where I am,” because you certainly can be of no use where you are not! Wherever He has engineered your circumstances, pray. So Send I You, 1325 L