昨天我們看到詩人採取的第一個步驟，這個幫助他脫離屬靈災難的步驟使人十分驚訝。在令人懾服的試探中，詩人對自己說：「如果我表達我的疑惑，從我那嫉妒、沮喪的心說話，我便會在別人的路徑上放下絆腳石，因此我甚麼話也不會說」（這是我的演繹）。正如我們昨天所說的，有很多人可能會覺得難以接受這是他復元的第一步，但是它卻是挺有效的。

讓我們來聽聽一位解經家是怎麼看這第一步的，他說：「我們對他復元過程中第一步的反應，是我們自己屬靈理解力的一個測試。」這是甚麼意思呢？他的意思是，如果我們不理解信心的步伐有時不過是相當平凡的話，我們便不如自己想像般的屬靈。我們的頭腦不清醒的話沒有關係，但是雙腳必須牢牢地站在地上才行！

所以，要謹記停止詩人的靈性趨於軟弱的事情其實十分簡單和平常，那只是他決定不說自己口中想說的話。他要停下來思考；他沒有散播他的不信，而是決定閉口不言；他沒有挑戰別人的屬靈生命，而是決定不衝動行事。這也許在屬靈生命的成長上不是甚麼高招，但它卻能夠防止他跌倒。

Yesterday we saw that the first step the psalmist took, the step which helped to save him from spiritual disaster, was most surprising. In the midst of overwhelming temptation, he says to himself. "If I give expression to my doubts and speak out of my envious, discouraged heart, I will put a stumbling-block in someone else's path - hence I will not say anything at all" (paraphrase mine). Now as we said yesterday, many people may find it difficult to accept this as the first step on the road to recovery - but it worked, nevertheless.

Listen to what one commentator says about this first step: "Our reaction to the discovery of what his first step was in his process of recovery will be a very good test of our spiritual understanding" What does he mean? He means that if we fail to see that the steps of faith are sometimes very ordinary, then we are not as spiritual as we imagine. It's all right to have your head in the clouds, but make sure your feet are firmly planted on the earth!

Keep in mind, then, that the thing which stopped the spiritual slide of the psalmist was very simple and ordinary he made a decision not to say what was on the tip of his tongue. He stopped to think. Rather than spread his unbelief, he determined to keep his mouth shut, rather than threaten someone else's spiritual understanding, he resolved not to act on impulse. It might not have been a particularly high spiritual motive, but it was the thing that prevented him from falling.