4月4日 不信的邊緣

看哪，時候將到，……你們要分散。（約十六32）

耶穌不是在責備門徒，他們的信心是真實的，只不過受到困擾；以致在實際的事情臨到時，信心沒有發生果效。他們分散，各顧各的事，而這些事不是屬基督的。我們與神有了分別為聖的關係後，就必須在實際行動上活出信心來。我們被解散，不是到工廠上去，而是到個人內心的絕境裡，叫我們體會什麼叫做向神的賜福死去。我們準備好嗎？這不是我們所揀選的，乃是神所安排的環境，帶我們進入這經歷裡去。

除非我們有了這樣的經歷，否則，我們的信心不過是建立在感覺與福氣之上，為二者所支撐而已。一旦我們到了這個地步，不論神放我們在哪裡，也不論落到怎樣的絕境，我們仍然可以讚美神，知道一切都盡善盡美，這才是信心真實地發揮出來。

“……留下我獨自一人。”我們有沒有因著追逐個人的嗜欲，偏離神旨，留下耶穌獨自一人？這是因為我們在所遇的環境裡看不見神嗎？黑暗來臨，也是出於神的全能。我們預備讓神照他的心意對待我們嗎？就是甘願拋棄我們能察覺的福氣嗎？除非等到耶穌基督作我們的主，否則我們總會去爭取自己的目標；我們的信心是真實的，卻仍未堅固。神從來不草率行事；只要我們等候，神必要指明。但我們所專注的不是神，而是他的賜福。只意識到神的賜福，乃是靈程的初階。“你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。”我們需要屬靈的剛毅。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！求你今天以豐盛的能力，臨到我們實際的環境中。

April 4 Those Borders Of Distrust

“Behold, the hour cometh . . . that ye shall be scattered.” John 16:32

Jesus is not rebuking the disciples, their faith was real, but it was disturbed; it was not at work in actual things. The disciples were scattered to their own interests, alive to interests that never were in Jesus Christ. After we have been perfectly related to God in sanctification, our faith has to be worked out in actualities. We shall be scattered, not into work, but into inner desolations and made to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is not that we choose it, but that God engineers our circumstances so that we are brought there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is bolstered up by feelings and by blessings. When once we get there, no matter where God places us or what the inner desolations are, we can praise God that all is well. That is faith being worked out in actualities.

“. . . and shall leave Me alone.” Have we left Jesus alone by the scattering of His providence? Because we do not see God in our circumstances? Darkness comes by the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do as He likes with us – prepared to be separated from conscious blessings? Until Jesus Christ is Lord, we all have ends of our own to serve; our faith is real, but it is not permanent yet. God is never in a hurry; if we wait, we shall see that God is pointing out that we have not been interested in Himself but only in His blessings. The sense of God’s blessing is elemental.

“Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Spiritual grit is what we need.