神為何收回祝福？
以賽亞書五十九章1至9節
1耶和華的膀臂並非縮短，不能拯救，耳朵並非發沉，不能聽見，
2但你們的罪孽使你們與神隔絕；你們的罪惡使他掩面不聽你們。
3因你們的手被血沾染，你們的指頭被罪孽沾污，你們的嘴唇說謊言，你們的舌頭出惡語。
4無一人按公義告狀，無一人憑誠實辨白；都倚靠虛妄，說謊言。所懷的是毒害；所生的是罪孽。
5他們菢毒蛇蛋，結蜘蛛網；人吃這蛋必死。這蛋被踏，必出蝮蛇。
6所結的網不能成為衣服；所做的也不能遮蓋自己。他們的行為都是罪孽；手所做的都是強暴。
7他們的腳奔跑行惡；他們急速流無辜人的血；意念都是罪孽，所經過的路都荒涼毀滅。
8平安的路，他們不知道；所行的事沒有公平。他們為自己修彎曲的路；凡行此路的都不知道平安。
9因此，公平離我們遠，公義追不上我們。我們指望光亮，卻是黑暗，指望光明，卻行幽暗。
信息分享
第1節清楚表明：「問題不在於神」。享利(Matthew Henry)在注釋中指出：「神的能力不會因為時間太長，或敵人太強，或所用的工具太弱而減退。」
我們曾否說過類似的話：「我不明白，神為何不像以往那樣的祝福我？」若你然曾經有這種想法，那麼，你就得靜下來反問自己：「是甚麼原故導致神收回祂的祝福？神是不會改變的，問題一定是出在我的身上。」
以賽亞直截了當地表明：「是的，問題確實是你的身上。神是永不改變的，祂很想祝福你，但你是否做了甚麼神不喜悅的事情，妨礙了聖靈賜福給你？」
我們可能在哪方面犯錯？以賽亞在第3節提到舌頭。基督徒同樣是最難控制舌頭。我們很容易說了傷害別人的話，很容易為求解困而撒謊。一個性情暴躁的人，經常會口沒遮攔地罵人，結果帶來很多紛爭和傷害。
以賽亞還提到許多其他的罪，例如，不公義、不誠實和惡毒的人；他也逐一列出了犯罪的結果。
我們必須用神的話語來檢視我們的所言所行，並求聖靈顯明我們的過錯。
讓我們今天都靜心在神面前反思，並祈求聖靈向我們顯明，我們犯了甚麼過錯，導致神收回祂的祝福。
當我們知道自己的罪以後，又該怎樣行呢？聖經已為我們提供了一條明確的出路：「人若承認自己的罪，神是信實的，是公義的，必要赦免我們的罪，洗淨我們一切的不義」(約壹一9)。
禱告：
「主啊，我渴望得到你的一切祝福。我若有任何不討你喜悅的地方，求你向我顯明，使我能夠向你認罪和尋求赦免。阿們。」
WHAT CAN HOLD BACK BLESSING?
Isaiah 59:1-9
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
Message
The first statement (v. 1) says plainly 'There is nothing wrong with God'. Matthew Henry commented 'Neither length of time nor strength of enemies, nor weakness of instruments, can shorten the power of God'.
Have we ever said 'I don't know why God isn't blessing me like he used to'? Stop and ask 'What can hold back blessing? God hasn't changed. It must be me.'
Isaiah says just as plainly 'Yes it is you. God is still the same. He is waiting to bless you but the things you have been doing have prevented his Spirit from doing it?'
What could some of those things be? Isaiah mentions their tongues in verse 3. This is one of the greatest problems Christians face. It is so easy to say the wrong words. It is so easy to lie when lying would get us out of a bad situation. Bad temper often goes along with a bad tongue and that can lead to all kinds of wrong actions and attitudes.
Isaiah mentions other sins and he lists the results. He speaks about lack of right living, of dishonesty, and of planning mischief.
We need to bring our lives under the light of God's Word and let the Spirit of God reveal what is wrong.
Can we ask God today to show us by his Holy Spirit if there is anything in our lives that is holding back blessings?
Then what? The way is clear. 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9).
'Lord I want all the blessings you have for me. If anything is standing in the way, show me and I will confess it and seek your forgiveness. I will trust you to do it. Amen.' This should be our prayer today.