神的旨意永遠堅立
以賽亞書四十章3至8節
3有人聲喊著說：在曠野預備耶和華的路（或譯：在曠野，有人聲喊著說：當預備耶和華的路），在沙漠地修平我們神的道。
4一切山窪都要填滿，大小山岡都要削平；高高低低的要改為平坦，崎崎嶇嶇的必成為平原。
5耶和華的榮耀必然顯現；凡有血氣的必一同看見；因為這是耶和華親口說的。
6有人聲說：你喊叫罷！有一個說：我喊叫甚麼呢？說：凡有血氣的盡都如草；他的美容都像野地的花。
7草必枯乾，花必凋殘，因為耶和華的氣吹在其上；百姓誠然是草。
8草必枯乾，花必凋殘，惟有我們神的話必永遠立定。
信息分享
我們若想知道有甚麼石頭擋路，主必告訴我們。辛普森(A. B. Simpson)曾經說過：「我們若想知道有甚麼石頭攔路，以致妨礙我們得到完全的祝福，神必向我們顯明，更賜我們力量去把它們一一清除。然後，祂便會進入我們的心裡，透過我們的心，去把祂豐盛的祝福帶進另一個人的心中。」
神首先提到要把一切山谷填平。我們的生命是否有某些方需要提昇，以致與神有更好的相交和更能順服神？此外，有沒有一些彎曲、扭曲的地方需要修正？扭曲神的心意來配合自己的意思，正是聖經所指的「罪」。
我們的生命中有沒有一些會刺傷別人的尖刺？如果我們願意，主必幫助我們削平。還有其他的石頭攔阻我們得到神的祝福嗎？例如是與其他信徒的爭競和嫌隙？忽略神的話語及禱告？在奉獻上虧欠神？
當路障一一清除之後，會有甚麼後果呢？就是主的榮耀必得顯現(5節)。我們如何得知呢？因為它是主自己說的。餘下的經文告訴我們，主的話語是永不改變和永遠堅立的。草必枯乾，花必凋謝，這是宇宙的定理。事實上，屬於人世間的一切都會轉瞬即逝，然而，請留意最後那節經文的寶貴應許：惟有我們神的話，必永遠立定。
WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO
Isaiah 40:3-8
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Message
There is spiritual teaching here for us. If the Lord is going to come in all his fullness into our hearts, there is a work of preparation that must be done. God is waiting to do it, if we will allow him. The stumbling blocks to blessing must be removed and the way for the Lord prepared.
If we want to know what these stumbling blocks are, the Lord will show us. A. B. Simpson said, 'If we want to know, God will show us what hinders the fullness of blessing and he will make us both willing and able to put it aside. Then he will come into our hearts and through our hearts into the hearts of others in the fullness of his blessing.'
God spoke of the valleys first-the low places. Are there places in our lives which should be raised to higher levels of fellowship and obedience? Are there crooked, twisted places which need to be made straight? Twisting the will of God to make it fit our own wills is called iniquity in God's Word.
Are there rough places that rub against other people and which need to be made smooth? The Lord will do this if we let him. Is there strife and strain with fellow- Christians? Is there neglect of the Word of God and prayer? Are we robbing God in our giving? Are any of these the stumbling blocks to blessing?
What would happen if they were taken away? The glory of the Lord would be revealed (v. 5). How do we know this? The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. The remaining verses tell us how wonderful and how faithful is that same Word of the Lord. The grass of our fields and pastures withers away within a year or less. How true this is. Flowers that looked so beautiful yesterday are withered and brown tomorrow. Everything belonging to man is temporary-BUT, and here is the wonderful promise of these verses, THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOR EVER.