害怕死去的麥子
來自神聖的國度
經文
詩篇二十七1-14
1（大衛的詩。）耶和華是我的亮光，是我的拯救，我還怕誰呢？耶和華是我性命的保障（或譯：力量），我還懼誰呢？
2那作惡的就是我的仇敵，前來吃我肉的時候就絆跌仆倒。
3雖有軍兵安營攻擊我，我的心也不害怕；雖然興起刀兵攻擊我，我必仍舊安穩。
4有一件事，我曾求耶和華，我仍要尋求：就是一生一世住在耶和華的殿中，瞻仰他的榮美，在他的殿裡求問。
5因為我遭遇患難，他必暗暗地保守我；在他亭子裡，把我藏在他帳幕的隱密處，將我高舉在磐石上。
6現在我得以昂首，高過四面的仇敵。我要在他的帳幕裡歡然獻祭；我要唱詩歌頌耶和華。
7耶和華啊，我用聲音呼籲的時候，求你垂聽；並求你憐恤我，應允我。
8你說：你們當尋求我的面。那時我心向你說：耶和華啊，你的面我正要尋求。
9不要向我掩面。不要發怒趕逐僕人，你向來是幫助我的。救我的神啊，不要丟掉我，也不要離棄我。
10我父母離棄我，耶和華必收留我。
11耶和華啊，求你將你的道指教我，因我仇敵的緣故引導我走平坦的路。
12求你不要把我交給敵人，遂其所願；因為妄作見證的和口吐凶言的，起來攻擊我。
13我若不信在活人之地得見耶和華的恩惠，就早已喪膽了。
14要等候耶和華！當壯膽，堅固你的心！我再說，要等候耶和華！
信息分享
昨天我們說過在我們最孤單、除了神以外沒有其他人的時候，我們就學會完整地認識神。我十多歲信主後不久，有一位我十分仰慕的傳道人來我家居住，所以我有機會經常和他一起，問他一些一直困擾著我的屬靈問題。有一次討論時我問他說：「您那偉大和有力的事奉的秘訣是甚麼？」
他想了一會兒才回答，而我在等待他回答時心裡在揣測他的答案，他會不會說：「秘訣在於我很會使用說話」，或是「我擅於創造吸引人的句子」，又或是「我對聖經有深入的認識和理解」？結果完全不是，他只是簡單地說：「如果我的事奉有甚麼能力的話，那是來自在孤單的幽谷中與神同行。」
我一生從沒有聽過比這更令人信服和感人的話。它讓我明白一個我要學習的真理──通往認識神的道路往往要經過深邃孤單的幽谷。透過孤單培養出來的個性的深度，不但能令個人的生命變得豐富，也能影響別人的生命。在孤單的日子，主吸引我們進入祂的同在，以致往後我們對別人說話的時候，他們能夠感到我們的說話好像是來自神聖的國度。
「與神走過孤單的幽谷」
進深研究
王上十九9-21；書一5；賽五十四10
1. 以利亞對自己的孤單有甚麼錯誤的想法？
2. 神怎樣使用他的孤單？
祈禱
神啊，求您幫助我降服您的心意，不是要忍受，而是要成就。如果認識您──真正認識您──表示需要走過孤單的幽谷，那麼，親愛的主，求您引導我吧，我願跟隨。阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
From holy ground
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 said yesterday it is in times of deepest loneliness, when there is no one there but God, that we learn to know Him most fully. Not long after my conversion in my mid-teens, a preacher I greatly admired came to stay in our home. I had the opportunity to sit with him for many hours asking him some of the spiritual questions which, up until then, had greatly perplexed me. During one period of discussion I said to him: "Tell me, what is the secret of your great and powerful ministry?"
It was quite a while before he answered, and as I waited I pondered what his answer might be. Would he say, "It is the way I use words", or "My skill at chiselling attractive and appealing phrases", or perhaps, "My insight and understanding of the Scriptures"? It was none of these. He said quite simply: "If there is any power in my ministry, it has come out of walking with God through the valley of loneliness."
I cannot remember in the whole of my life ever hearing a more compelling and moving statement than that. It introduced me to a truth. that I myself had to learn - that the route to knowing God often passes through the valley of profound loneliness. The depth of character that is developed through loneliness is something that not only enriches the life of the individual concerned, but spills over into the lives of many others also. In periods of loneliness, the Master draws us into His presence so that later, when we speak to others, they sense we are speaking to them from holy ground.
"Walk with God through the valley of loneliness"
Prayer
O God, help me to commit my will to Your will, not to be borne but to be done. If knowing You - really knowing You - means walking through the valley of loneliness, then lead on, dear Lord - I will follow. Amen.
Further study
1 Kings 19:9-21
Joshua 1:5
Isaiah 54:10
1. What did Elijah wrongly believe in his loneliness?
2. How did God use his loneliness?
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