1111 登峰造極
神說，你帶着你的兒子…《創世記 22:2》
神的命令是「現在就帶着」，而不是以後。我們如此爭論，真是令人難以置信！我們知道某件事是對的，但我們試圖找藉口不立即去做。如果我們要攀登神所啟示的高峰，就絕不能以後再做——必須現在就做。並且在我們真正行動之前，犧牲必須通過我們的意志來實現。
「亞伯拉罕清早起來……就起身往神所指示他的地方去了。」（創世記 22:3）。亞伯拉罕的單純是多麼美好啊！當神說話，他沒有「與屬血氣的人商量」（加拉太書 1:16）。當你想「與屬血氣的人商量」或甚至是你自己的想法、洞見或理解——任何不基於你與神的個人關係的東西，你要當心，那些都是與神競爭，並阻礙對神順服的東西。
亞伯拉罕並沒有選擇要犧牲什麼。要時刻警惕防禦自我選擇為神服事；自我犧牲可能是病態的，損害你的服事。如果神給你甜杯，要感恩地喝下它；或即使祂給你的杯是苦的，要在與祂相交中喝下它。如果神的護理旨意對你意味着艱難困苦的時光，那就走過它；但永遠不要決定你自己殉道的地方，好像在說，「我只會到那裡，不會再往前走了。」神選擇給亞伯拉罕的考驗，亞伯拉罕既沒有拖延也沒有抗議，而是堅定地順服了。如果你的生活沒有與神保持接觸，就很容易責怪祂或論斷祂。你必須先經歷考驗，然後才有權做出判斷，因為藉着通過考驗，你學習更加認識神。神正在我們裡面作工，以達到祂最高的目標，直到祂的目的和我們的目的合而為一。
來自章伯斯的智慧
我們選擇我們的書籍，應該總是如同神選擇我們的朋友一樣，稍微超出我們一點點，這樣我們就必須盡全力以跟上它們。《神手之陰》
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