從迷惘到信靠
神永恆的本性
經文
詩篇一一八1-21
1你們要稱謝耶和華，因他本為善；他的慈愛永遠長存！
2願以色列說：他的慈愛永遠長存！
3願亞倫的家說：他的慈愛永遠長存！
4願敬畏耶和華的說：他的慈愛永遠長存！
5我在急難中求告耶和華，他就應允我，把我安置在寬闊之地。
6有耶和華幫助我，我必不懼怕，人能把我怎麼樣呢？
7在那幫助我的人中，有耶和華幫助我，所以我要看見那恨我的人遭報。
8投靠耶和華，強似倚賴人；
9投靠耶和華，強似倚賴王子。
10萬民圍繞我，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。
11他們環繞我，圍困我，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。
12他們如同蜂子圍繞我，好像燒荊棘的火，必被熄滅；
我靠耶和華的名，必剿滅他們。
13你推我，要叫我跌倒，但耶和華幫助了我。
14耶和華是我的力量，是我的詩歌；他也成了我的拯救。
15在義人的帳棚裡，有歡呼拯救的聲音；耶和華的右手施展大能。
16耶和華的右手高舉；耶和華的右手施展大能。
17我必不致死，仍要存活，並要傳揚耶和華的作為。
18耶和華雖嚴嚴地懲治我，卻未曾將我交於死亡。
19給我敞開義門；我要進去稱謝耶和華！
20這是耶和華的門；義人要進去！
21我要稱謝你，因為你已經應允我，又成了我的拯救！
信息分享
我們要繼續討論前幾天的主題，那就是：如何建立一個能思考問題的屬靈處境。鍾馬田（Martyn Lloyd-Jones）博士在談及類似的事情時說：「在你開始思考任何問題時，都不能只顧眼前的困難，而是需要運用『間接手法的策略』來著手於問題的開始」。
「間接手法的策略」是一個軍事用語，可以用盟軍在第二次世界大戰戰勝德國來說明。有一段時間，盟軍的軍事力量不是集中在德國，而是德國在北非的力量。德國在那裡被打敗──透過間接手法的策略，那時正是結局的開始。屬靈迷惘這個問題也必須以同樣的方式對付──我們必須從較前的，而不是眼前的困難開始。我們該怎麼做？我們必須做哈巴谷所做的事，用絕對肯定、完全沒有疑問的事情來提醒自己，換句話說，就是那些定點。例如神永恆的本性是一個定點。「你不是從亙古而有嗎？」（哈一12）。哈巴谷專注於神永恆的本性時，他暫時忘記自己的燃眉之急，而向自己保證神與列國所敬拜的神不同，它們只是列國製造的偶像，但神是從亙古到永恆，無始也無終。因此，神先於歷史，並會超越歷史繼續下去。正如有人說，歷史其實是神的故事。
「神先於歷史，並會超越歷史繼續下去」
進深研究
詩一四五1-13；申三十三27；啟一8
1. 耶穌向約翰宣告甚麼？
2. 這對你有甚麼意義？
祈禱
天父，求您今天以您永恆本性的意識充滿我。您沒有開始，也沒有終結的時候。求您幫助我將我的錨放在這給人保證的啟示上。奉耶穌的名求。阿們。
From Confusion to Confidence
God's eternal nature
Bible reading:
Psalm 118:1-21
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a]; he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
Message
We continue looking at how to establish a spiritual context in which to think through a problem. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, when speaking on a similar matter, said: "When you start to think about any particular difficulty, you must not focus on your immediate problem. Begin further back. Apply the strategy of the indirect approach."
The phrase, "strategy of the indirect approach" is a military one, and can be illustrated by the way the Allies overcame Germany in World War II. For a while the military campaign of the Allies focused, not on Germany, but on German forces in North Africa. When Germany was defeated there - through the strategy of the indirect approach - it was the beginning of the end. The problem of spiritual confusion must be dealt with in the same way - we must begin, not so much with the present problem, but further back.
How do we do that? We must do what Habakkuk did and remind ourselves of the things about which we are absolutely certain, things which are entirely beyond doubt. In other words - the fixed points. For example, the eternal nature of God is a fixed point. "Are you not from everlasting?" (Hab. 1:12). As Habakkuk focuses on God's eternal nature, he forgets for a moment his immediate problem and reassures himself that God is not like the gods whom the heathen nations worship - idols they have made themselves - but He is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and without end. By reason of this, He has preceded history and will continue beyond it. In fact, as it has been said, history is really His-story.
"He has preceded history and will continue beyond it"
Prayer
O Father, fill my heart today with the consciousness of Your eternal nature. There was never a time when You began and there will never be a time when You will end. Help me drop my anchor in this reassuring revelation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 145:1-13
Deuteronomy 33:27
Revelation 1:8
1. What did Jesus declare to John?
2. What does this mean for you?
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