10月3日 事奉的領域

非用禱告禁食，這一類的鬼總不能出來。（可九29）

“我們為什麼不能趕他出去呢？”這問題的答案在於人與主耶穌的關係。只有集中在主身上，加倍的仰望主，才能把這類鬼趕出去。若不集中靠神的能力去作神的工，只靠自己的主意，就變得無能，像昔日門徒一樣。我們熱心為他作工，卻又不認識他，只會給神帶來羞辱。

當你面臨一件困難的事，外表看來好像沒有什麼改變，可是你卻曉得事情必得以解決，因為你專注在主耶穌身上。這就是你事奉的途徑－－與主之間毫無阻隔。若有任何阻隔的話，就必須挪開，不是因惱怒而置之不理，也不是越過它，而是面對它，把它直接帶到主耶穌面前。那樣，這件事和所有與此相關的，都會榮耀神；你甚至詫異莫名，直到面對面見主那一天才會完全明白。

我們要像鷹一般展翅上騰，但必須知道如何降落。聖徒的能力，就是能降落，能在平地上生活。保羅說：“我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能作。”他所指的事，多半是低賤的事，我們大可拒絕降卑，說：“謝了，我還是喜歡與神在山頂上。”主耶穌是真實的，我能否在這亮光中面對現實？還是讓事情完全抹煞了我對他的信心，以致陷在恐慌中？

祈禱◆主啊，將我高舉至你那裡，以致你救恩那豐富和充滿光輝的喜樂，能為著你的榮耀而面臨我和照亮我。願你使我與你之間的祈禱保持暢通。

October 3 The Sphere Of Ministration

“This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29

“Why could not we cast him out?” The answer lies in a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. This kind can come forth by nothing but by concentration and redoubled concentration on Him. We can ever remain powerless, as were the disciples, by trying to do God's work not in concentration on His power, but by ideas drawn from our own temperament. We slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him.

You are brought face to face with a difficult case and nothing happens externally, and yet you know that emancipation will be given because you are concentrated on Jesus Christ. This is your line of service – to see that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself. Is there? If there is, you must get through it, not by ignoring it in irritation, or by mounting up, but by facing it and getting through it into the presence of Jesus Christ, then that very thing, and all you have been through in connection with it, will glorify Jesus Christ in a way you will never know till you see Him face to face.

We must be able to mount up with wings as eagles; but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and the living down. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” said Paul, and the things he referred to were mostly humiliating things. It is in our power to refuse to be humiliated and to say – “No, thank you, I much prefer to be on the mountain top with God.” Can I face things as they actually are in the light of the reality of Jesus Christ, or do things as they are efface altogether my faith in Him, and put me into a panic?