10月8日

標　　題：相信神的智慧

經　　節：你去告訴希西家說，耶和華─你祖大衛的神如此說︰我聽見了你的禱告，看見了你的眼淚。我必加增你十五年的壽數。（以賽亞書卅八章5節）

基督教有個重要的原則，就是神所知道的一切比我們所知的多得太多了。神是全知的神。當我們正經歷神的祝福時，很容易相信神知道如何做對我們最好。然而，當神容許我們生命中遭受疾病與痛苦時，我們可能會質疑祂的智慧。

主告訴希西家，他的壽命快要結束。神建議他要預備自己，面對死亡，並且安排後事，移交王權。希西家反而懇求延長壽命，求神免除他的死亡（以賽亞書卅八：3）。神愛那義人希西家，因著祂的恩典，加增他十五年的壽數。這十五年的壽命證明神的智慧遠超過人的智慧。在他那被增加的年歲中，瑪拿西出生了。他最後繼承希西家的猶大王位。瑪拿西統治了五十五年，是歷代掌管猶大國最邪惡的國王（列王紀下廿一：1）。瑪拿西鼓勵全國拜偶像。他使自己的兒子經火，去祭拜可憎的偶像。在他統治的時候，流了許多無辜人的血，全國每個角落都忍受他殘暴的統治。瑪拿西的邪惡激起神的憤怒，但瑪拿西漠視神的警告（列王紀下廿一：16；歷代志下卅三：10）。所有的苦難都是由瑪拿西引起。如果希西家當初接受神原本在他生命的旨意，瑪拿西王根本不會出生。除此之外，希西家增加的年歲，導致猶大囯最終被巴比倫人打敗。

希西家不願意接受神的旨意，造成這麼大的傷害。神知道甚麼是最好的。不論你的環境是順利或艱難，你可以完全信賴神的引導。

Trusting God’s Wisdom

Go and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.'" (Isaiah 38:5)

The fundamental premise of Christianity is that God knows what is best better than we do. When we are experiencing God’s blessing, it is easy to believe that God knows what is best. But when God allows sickness and sorrow in our lives, we may be tempted to question His wisdom.

The Lord told King Hezekiah that his life was coming to an end. God advised him to prepare himself for death and to make arrangements to turn over the kingdom. Instead, Hezekiah pled for his life, begging God to spare him from death (Isa. 38:3). God loved the righteous Hezekiah and, in His grace, granted him an additional fifteen years to live. Those fifteen years would prove that God’s wisdom far exceeds human wisdom. During those added years, Mannasseh was born, and he eventually succeeded Hezekiah as king of Judah. Mannasseh, who reigned for fifty-five years, was the most evil king ever to rule over Judah (2 Kings 21:1). Mannaseh encouraged the worship of idolatry throughout the nation. He passed his own son through fire according to the abominable practices of idolatry. He shed much innocent blood during his reign; every part of the nation suffered from his cruelty. Manasseh’s wickedness provoked God to anger, but Manasseh ignored God’s warning (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chron. 33:10). Al l these hardships were caused by Manasseh, a king who would never have been born if Hezekiah had accepted God’s will for his life! Furthermore, Hezekiah’s extended reign led to Judah’s eventual defeat by the Babylonians (2 Kings 20:12–20).

So much suffering resulted from Hezekiah’s unwillingness to accept God’s will for him. God knows what is best. Whether your circumstances are easy or difficult, you can completely trust His guidance.