昨天我們結束時說在基督徒的生命中，等候神的計劃實現是常規而非例外。這是否表示，在我們大部分基督徒的生命中，我們甚麼都不用做，只等候神的行動？不是！基督徒生命明顯有某些方面是須要我們立即注意和每天注意的，因為我們已經有了所需要的指引。例如，我們無須等候神也知道我們應該饒恕那些傷害我們的人，或者與未信的人分享我們的信仰。神的這些旨意是標準的行為準則，清楚寫明在祂的話語中。

我在這裡指的不是神的一般旨意，而是祂的個別計劃──祂想透過我們個人來實現的特別計劃。每個基督徒都有責任來到神面前，找出神要透過自己的生命來實現甚麼。我們忠心地閱讀神的話、服從神的命令、在禱告中與神交通，便可以期望神顯明祂對我們生命的計劃。

以我們今天的經文為例，尼希米忠心地服侍王，但當他聽到神的聖城耶路撒冷那可悲的境況時，他看到了重建城牆的異象。接著神在王的心裡動工，讓他渴望幫助尼希米實現這個異象。你有沒有看到類似的異象，從而明白神想透過你在世的生命和見證以實現甚麼？如果你沒有看到異象，為甚麼會沒有呢？

「神的話語列出了標準的行為準則」

進深研究
創十五1-21，二十一1-5；來二3；箴二十九18

1. 神給亞伯拉罕甚麼異象？
2. 那異象要多久才實現？

祈禱
慈愛的天父，求您讓我清楚地看見，您想透過我個人的生命和見證為您實現甚麼。我在黑暗中耽延太久了，現在我想步入您的光明裡面。阿們。

The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die

Day 259

Catching a vision

"If it pleases the king...let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (v.5)

Bible reading:
Nehemiah 2:1-10

1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,

2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,

3 but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it."

6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

7 I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Message

We ended yesterday with the thought that waiting for God's purposes to come to pass is more the rule than the exception in the Christian life. Does this mean that for most of our Christian life we should do nothing but wait for God to move? No. Clearly there are certain aspects of the Christian life which require immediate and daily attention, and for which we have all the guidance we need. We don't need to wait on God, for example, to know what we should do about forgiving those who have hurt us, or sharing our faith with the unconverted. Those purposes of God are to be seen as standard operating procedure and are clearly set out in His Word.

I am referring here, not so much to His general purposes, but to His individual purposes - those special plans which He wants to achieve through us personally. Every Christian has the responsibility of coming before God to seek to discover just what it is that the Lord wants to achieve through his or her life. And as we are faithful in reading His Word, obeying His commands, and communing with Him in prayer, we can expect Him to reveal those special plans for our lives.

Take our reading today: Nehemiah served the king faithfully, but when he heard about the disgraceful condition of God's city, Jerusalem, he caught a vision of rebuilding the walls. God then worked in the king's heart to give him a desire to assist Nehemiah in achieving that vision. Have you caught the vision of what God wants to achieve through your own individual life and witness on this earth? If not, why not?

"Standard operating procedure is set out in God's Word"

Prayer
Gracious Father, give me, I pray, a clear picture of what You want to achieve through my own personal life and witness for You. I have kept myself in the dark too long; now I want to step out into the light - Your light. Amen.

Further study
Genesis 15:1-21; 21:1-5
Hebrews 2:3
Proverbs 29:18

1. What vision did God give Abraham?
2. How long did it take to be fulfilled?

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