1111 登峰造极
神说，你带着你的儿子…《创世记 22:2》
神的命令是「现在就带着」，而不是以后。我们如此争论，真是令人难以置信！我们知道某件事是对的，但我们试图找借口不立即去做。如果我们要攀登神所启示的高峰，就绝不能以后再做——必须现在就做。并且在我们真正行动之前，牺牲必须通过我们的意志来实现。
「亚伯拉罕清早起来……就起身往神所指示他的地方去了。」（创世记 22:3）。亚伯拉罕的单纯是多么美好啊！当神说话，他没有「与属血气的人商量」（加拉太书 1:16）。当你想「与属血气的人商量」或甚至是你自己的想法、洞见或理解——任何不基于你与神的个人关系的东西，你要当心，那些都是与神竞争，并阻碍对神顺服的东西。
亚伯拉罕并没有选择要牺牲什么。要时刻警惕防御自我选择为神服事；自我牺牲可能是病态的，损害你的服事。如果神给你甜杯，要感恩地喝下它；或即使祂给你的杯是苦的，要在与祂相交中喝下它。如果神的护理旨意对你意味着艰难困苦的时光，那就走过它；但永远不要决定你自己殉道的地方，好像在说，「我只会到那里，不会再往前走了。」神选择给亚伯拉罕的考验，亚伯拉罕既没有拖延也没有抗议，而是坚定地顺服了。如果你的生活没有与神保持接触，就很容易责怪祂或论断祂。你必须先经历考验，然后才有权做出判断，因为借着通过考验，你学习更加认识神。神正在我们里面作工，以达到祂最高的目标，直到祂的目的和我们的目的合而为一。
来自章伯斯的智慧
我们选择我们的书籍，应该总是如同神选择我们的朋友一样，稍微超出我们一点点，这样我们就必须尽全力以跟上它们。《神手之阴》
1111 The Supreme Climb
He said, “Take now your son…” —Genesis 22:2
God’s command is, “Take now,” not later. It is incredible how we debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later— it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“So Abraham rose early in the morning…and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, “I will only go to there, but no farther.” God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We should always choose our books as God chooses our friends, just a bit beyond us, so that we have to do our level best to keep up with them. —Shade of His Hand, 1216 L