3月2日

標　　題： 現在是回應的時刻

經　　節： 主耶和華的靈在我身上；因為耶和華用膏膏我，叫我傳好信息給謙卑的人，差遣我醫好傷心的人，報告被擄的得釋放，被囚的出監牢；報告耶和華的恩年，和我們神報仇的日子；安慰一切悲哀的人。（以賽亞書六十一章1∼2節）

神對時間的安排總是最好的！當祂向你啟口，就是你以順服回應的時刻。通常我們的言行舉止，總好像自己掌握世界所有的時間，任我們選擇去順服祂！然而，歷史並不等待我們的參與。根本沒有所謂的向神延遲一個決定。我們不是選擇順服，就是選擇不順服。信與不信、順服與不順服，兩者不可能共立。

當神宣告現在是祂的恩年時，你的下一步行動是極重要的。當神向人們開口時，人們常常自覺尚未預備好。神說：「現在是你回應我的時候。」人們的反應卻是：「我還沒預備好。有些事我得先處理。我太忙啦！」（馬太福音八：21）神對時間的拿捏總是最完美的！祂知道你，祂完全清楚你的環境。祂知道到當前為止，祂在你身上所有的造就。祂向你提出邀請，要知道祂的資源遠遠超過祂所交給你的任務所需。

這就是為甚麼聖經告訴我們，神在乎的是我們的心。如果沒有全心全意愛主，不順服神的邀請，就會影響其他人的生命。神總是以永恆的角度，邀請我們參與祂的事工。我們不需要知道祂邀約的前因後果，只要確定這是全能神口中所發出的話語。「現在」永遠是你回應神的最佳時刻！

Now Is the Acceptable Time

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

God’s timing is perfect! When He speaks, the time to respond in obedience is now. We often act as if we have all the time in the world to obey Him, but history doesn’t wait on our commitments. There is no such thing as postponing a decision with God. Either we obey, or we disobey. It is either faith or unbelief, obedience or disobedience.

When God announces that now is the acceptable time, what you do next is critical. How often people have been unprepared when a word came to them from the LORD. God said, “Now is the time for you to respond to Me” and their response was, “But I’m not ready. I have some things I need to do first. I’m too busy!” (Matt. 8:21). God’s timing is always perfect. He knows you, and He is fully aware of your circumstances. He knows all that He has built into your life until now, and He extends His invitation knowing that His resources are more than adequate for any assignment He gives you.

That is why Scripture tells us God is concerned with our heart. If we do not keep our heart in love with Jesus, our disobedience when God speaks could affect the lives of others. When God speaks it is always out of the context of eternity. We don’t have to know all the implications of what He is asking. We just have to know that it is a word from almighty God. “Now” is always the acceptable time to respond to the Lord!