3月10日

標　　題： 試煉顯露你的內心

經　　節： 你也要記念耶和華─你的神在曠野引導你這四十年，是要苦煉你，試驗你，要知道你心內如何，肯守祂的誡命不肯。祂苦煉你，任你饑餓，將你和你列祖所不認識的嗎哪賜給你吃，使你知道，人活著不是單靠食物，乃是靠耶和華口裡所出的一切話。（申命記八章2∼3節）

神允許我們面對困境是有原因的。神讓祂的以色列兒女在曠野漂流四十年，是為了試煉他們，使他們謙卑。以色列百姓當年拒絕順服地進入迦南地，他們暴露出自己並不是真的認識祂。如果以色列百姓真的認識祂，他們的信心會大得多。神花了四十年去試煉祂百姓的心，看看他們是否能勝任下一個任務。

試煉顯露出你內心的實際情況，並且熬煉出不屈不撓的信心（雅各書一：3、12）。神允許祂的百姓面對饑餓，好叫他們能經歷祂的供應，創建更深的信心。當人們與神同行，他們漸漸地瞭解自己是靠祂的話語而活，他們知道神的話是他們擁有最重要的資產。當他們靠著神在沙漠生活四十年之後，他們聽從神的話，並且相信神。當他們終於進入神的應許之地，與敵人交戰，以色列百姓清楚知道，神的話意味著生與死。他們預備好要聆聽，結果神帶領他們得到盛大的勝利。

神正試煉你生命的哪一部分？祂的測試顯露出甚麼？你是否因為所處的環境，而對神滿懷苦毒？還是你因而更信任祂？

Testing Reveals Your Heart

"And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

God allows us to suffer difficulties and hardships for a purpose. God led the children of Israel to wander through the wilderness for forty years in order to humble them and test them. When they refused to obey Him and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites revealed that they did not really know Him. If they had, they would have had more faith. God spent the next forty years testing the hearts of His people to see if they were prepared for His next assignment.

Testing reveals what is in your heart and produces a robust faith (James 1:3, 12). God allowed His people to hunger so they could experience His provision and develop a deeper level of trust in Him. As the people walked with God they came to understand that their lives depended upon His Word. They learned that God’s Word was the most important thing they had. After depending on God for forty years while living in the desert, the people listened when God spoke, and they believed. When they finally entered the Promised Land and waged war against their enemies, the Israelites knew that God’s word meant life and death. They were prepared to listen to Him, and as a result He led them to an astounding victory.

Is God presently testing you in some area of your life? What has His testing revealed? Have you become bitter toward God because of where He has led you? Or have you come to trust Him more as a result of what you have gone through?