以色列國並不是這樣看事情，他們對神抱不同、甚至是反叛的態度。他們說：「不，受到威脅的是我們的榮耀。」我們不是也有類似的行為嗎？當我們的困難顯得嚴重、我們的利益受到威脅，而神卻說：「我的榮耀受到威脅」的時候，我們會與祂爭辯，並反駁說：「不，神啊，不是你的榮耀受到威脅，是我的榮耀受到威脅。」這是多麼的狂妄！多麼的荒唐！我告訴你，如果要在自己的生命裡培養某個程度的屬靈成熟，就必需要重視神的榮耀多於自己的利益。否則，我們永遠都不會明白約伯說：「雖然他殺我，我仍會因他而有指望」（伯十三15）時所表現出的深刻信靠。

「神的榮耀比我們的利益重要」

進深研究
賽四十二1-9；代上十六28-29 ；詩二十九1

1. 神不給予別人的是甚麼？
2. 大衛勸人將甚麼歸給耶和華？

祈禱
天父，求您幫助我明白，我應把您的榮耀放在我的利益之前，讓我知道，我這樣做並沒有貶低自己，反是培養自己。因為在榮耀您的時候，我也得到榮耀。求您幫助我理解這個道理。奉主耶穌的名求。阿們。

The Vision of God

Day 26

"See His glory down come"

"I will not yield my glory to another." (v.11)

Bible reading:
Isaiah 48:1-11

1 "Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness—

2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the Lord Almighty is his name:

3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

4 For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.

5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.'

6 You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? "From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.

7 They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.'

8 You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.

9 For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely.

10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.

Message

Why do we find it difficult to draw the "bottom line" concerning God at the level of His justice? Perhaps we are able to do it when things are going well, but immediately disaster strikes we draw the line at a different level - at the level of His compassion, His ability to heal or His power to deliver. We then tend to demand from God not real justice but justice on our own terms - our terms being deliverance, healing or divine protection.

Now I am not saying that God is disinterested in us, but we must never put our well-being before His. There is a much higher value in this universe than our glory - it is God's glory. This is why we read over and over again in the book of Ezekiel words to the effect that "My glory is at stake."

The nation of Israel didn't see things that way and took a different, even a rebellious attitude toward God, saying "No, it is our glory that is at stake." Don't we do something similar? When our problems loom large, and our welfare is under threat, we tend to argue with God when He says, "My glory is at stake," and retort, "No, Lord, it is not Your glory that is at stake, it is mine." What arrogance! What insanity! I tell you, if we are to develop any degree of spiritual maturity in our lives we have to put a higher value on God's glory than our own well-being. If we don't, then we will never come to know the depth of trust that Job exhibited when he said: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13:15).

"God's glory is more important than our well-being"

Prayer
Father, help me understand that in putting Your glory before my well- being I do not demean myself but develop myself. For in glorifying You! too am glorified. Help me grasp this. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Further study
Isaiah 42:1-9
1 Chronicles 16:28-29
Psalm 29:1

1. What will God not give to another?
2. What did David exhort to be ascribed to the Lord?

本文英文版權屬 CWR 所有，承蒙允准刊載。
背景音樂版權屬讚美之泉音樂事工所有，承蒙允准使用。