這樣做時情況會變得怎樣呢？你不妨嘗試一下吧。如果你對神正在你生命中所做或沒做的某些事情感到疑惑的話，我邀請你來應用一下過去幾天所討論的原則：採取間接的手法，不專注自己的困難，而是專注於神的本性和品格。提醒你自己神是誰──祂不能做違背祂品格的事情。逐一深思祂榮耀的屬性。要是你按我的建議去做，就會從不同的角度去看你的困難；你會漸漸發覺它縮小到一個恰當的比例。

每個世代的信徒都採用這個方法處理屬靈的迷惘，而且從沒有失敗。如果生命的旅程需要某些定點來決定方向，那麼我們基督徒有最可靠的定點，那就是神的良善和仁慈。正如惠蒂爾（John Greenleaf Whittier）說：
在這令人瘋狂的混亂中，
當被暴風和海浪翻動的時候，
我的靈緊抓一個固定的據點，
我知道神是美好的。

「你的困難會縮小到一個恰當的比例」

進深研究
詩五十七1-7，一零八1，一一二7

1. 詩人的心固定在甚麼上面？
2. 你的心固定在甚麼上面？

祈禱
天父，我因您的美好而敬畏，求您幫助我更認識和明白您的美好，以及您那偉大和榮耀的品格。奉基督的名祈求。阿們。

From Confusion to Confidence

Day 87

Put it to the test

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (v.13)

Bible reading:
Psalm 27:1-14

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Message

We now summarise what we have been saying over the past few days in relation to the need to establish for ourselves a spiritual context in which to think through a problem. The secret, as we have seen, is not to focus on the immediate problem, but to take the indirect approach and remind ourselves of the "fixed points" in God's nature - His eternal nature, His self-existence, His holiness, His faithfulness, and so on.

What happens when we do this? Well, try it for yourself. If you are confused about something that God is doing - or not doing - in your life, then I invite you to apply the principles we have been discussing over these past days. Take the indirect approach - focus not so much on your problem as on the nature and character of God. Remind yourself of who and what He is - and that He can do nothing contrary to His character. Gaze one by one upon His glorious attributes. If you do exactly as I suggest, I promise you that you will see your problem from a different perspective. Gradually you will find it shrinking to its rightful proportions.

Believers in every age have been using this method of handling spiritual confusion - and it has never failed. If, on the voyage of life, we need fixed points from which to take our bearings, then we Christians have the most reliable of them all - one of them being the goodness and graciousness of God. As John Greenleaf Whittier put it:
Here in this maddening maze of things,
When tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed ground my spirit clings,
I know that God is good.

"Your problem will shrink to its rightful proportions"

Prayer
O Father, I stand in awe of Your goodness. Help me to know it and understand it more and more. And not only this, but every other aspect of Your great and glorious character. In Christ's Name I ask it. Amen.

Further study
Psalm 57:1-7; 108:1; 112:7

1. Where was the psalmist's heart fixed?
2. On what is your heart fixed?

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