8月12日 安息神學

你們這小信的人哪，為什麼膽怯呢？（太八26）

我們恐懼的時候，最不可少的就是向神禱告；可是，我們的主有權要求屬他的人，對他有一種深切瞭解的信任。神期望他的兒女對他大有信心，以致在任何重要關頭仍然站得住。但我們對神的信任往往只止於某一點，就回復禱告初階時的驚惶失措，像那些不認識神的人一樣。在走投無路時，我們表現得對神毫無信心，也不信他掌管全世界；他似乎睡了，我們只看見前面的風浪。

“你們這小信的人哪！”門徒是何等難過－－“又失敗了！”我們也會同樣難過。我們知道其實可以叫主的心歡暢快樂－－只要對他保持絕對的信心，不管前路如何。人生風平浪靜時，我們會安然的盡人的力量做到最好；但當危難一到，就立即顯出倚靠的到底是誰。我們若不斷地學習敬拜神、信靠他，那麼在風浪的日子，對他的信心也同樣至死不移。我們多次的談到成聖的問題－－最終的目的是什麼呢？就是在神裡面安息，與神合一。這合一不但使我們在他眼前成為無可指摘的，更叫我們成為他的喜樂。

祈禱◆主啊，我的快樂全在乎對你的紀念，否則對你那歡愉而單純的信靠，不過是一種輕率的舉動。願你今天讓快樂四面環繞我們。

August 12 The Theology Of Rest

“Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Matthew 8:26

When we are in fear we can do nothing less than pray to God, but Our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His Name should have an understanding confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the reliable ones. Our trust is in God up to a certain point, then we go back to the elementary panic prayers of those who do not know God. We get to our wits' end, showing that we have not the slightest confidence in Him and His government of the world; He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead.

“0 ye of little faith!” What a pang must have shot through the disciples – ‘Missed it again!’ And what a pang will go through us when we suddenly realize that we might have produced down right joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, no matter what was ahead.

There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we do our human best; it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to trust Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go to the breaking point and not break in our confidence in Him.

We have been talking a great deal about sanctification – what is it all going to amount to? It should work out into rest in God which means oneness with God, a oneness which will make us not only blameless in His sight, but a deep joy to Him.