7月6日 異象與現實

發光的沙，要變為水池。（賽三十五7）

在一件事實現以前，我們往往有異象。當我們發現異象雖然真確，但在我們身上卻未實現時，撒旦的試探就來了。我們很容易放棄，認為繼續也無濟於事。異象未能實現，並且來到自卑的山谷中。

“生命不是無人開採的礦藏，乃是地心暗處掘出來的鐵塊，經千錘百煉，為要模造成合用的器皿。”

神給我們異象，然後帶我們到山谷去錘煉，捏成該異象的形狀。不少人就是在山谷中僕倒放棄。只要忍耐，每一個異象都要實現。想想神無窮的閒暇！他從不匆忙，而我們卻總是忙得喘不過氣來。在異象的榮光中，我們一鼓作氣去作工，可是，那異象還未在我們裡面成為真實。所以，神必須帶我們到山谷中，經過水火的模造，直至神可以叫異象確切地在我們身上實現。自從我們有了這異象，神就一直作工，要使我們成為理想的模樣，只是我們一次又一次地從他手中逃脫，想模造成自己的形象。

異象不是空中樓閣，乃是神對你的心意。讓他把你放在旋盤中，照他意思去轉動陶造。這樣，神是神，你是你，你就必然變成與異象一模一樣的形狀。在這過程中，不要灰心。只要真見過神的異象，無論你怎樣設法滿足於次一等的狀況，神也不會放過你。

祈禱◆主啊，願我們全然交在你的手中，幫助我們能夠選擇你的帶領，“就是我們的神以我們配得所受的呼召”。

July 6 Vision And Reality

“And the parched ground shall become a pool.” Isaiah 35:7

We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation.

“Life is not as idle ore,

But iron dug from central gloom,

And batter'd by the shocks of doom

To shape and use.”

God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality. Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to batter ourselves into our own shape.

The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you.