昨天我們結束時提出了一個勸告：「如果你不能忍受那熱力，就更要留在廚房裡，學習以神的力量來應付它。」今天的詩篇在開始時命令我們聆聽：「我的民哪，你們要留心聽我的訓誨。」這篇詩篇開頭的幾節，讓我們看到詩人亞薩正在回想猶太人在曠野飄流四十年期間對神不順服的叛逆，但是接著的一節卻顯得有些奇怪：「以法蓮的子孫帶著兵器，拿著弓，臨陣之日轉身退後」（第9節）。

這些以法蓮人有戰爭所需的一切裝備，但在作戰那天，也就是衝突的第一天，他們卻「轉身退後」。雖然有好的裝備，但在面臨考驗的一刻他們卻被恐懼所勝過。無疑的當他們整裝出去作戰時一定排列得很好，表面看來也相當的英勇，但是當真正面對敵人的時候，他們所使用的唯一武器卻是全體軍人狼狽地臨陣退縮所揚起的塵土。

我聽過一位講員稱這些以法蓮人為「天生的懦夫」。這是多麼嚴重的指控！你知道，「以法蓮人」今天仍然存在於我們各自的教會裡。他們每個主日看起來都很神氣，手裡拿著詩歌集和聖經，但當試探的熱光照射他們的時候就馬上逃跑。他們向試探投降，因為他們從未學會如何降服於神。正如我以前說過，當我們完全向神降服的時候，就沒有對任何其他東西降服的必要。

「向神降服，我們就能夠站穩陣腳」

進深研究
但一1-21；羅六13；弗六13

1. 但以理怎樣抗拒妥協的試探？
2. 抵擋試探有甚麼結果？

祈禱
主耶穌，求您幫助我省察自己，察看我究竟有沒有向您降服。我明白要是我不俯伏在您腳前，我就會俯伏在其他事物和環境之前。求您讓我看到我是俯伏在誰的腳前。奉耶穌寶貴的聖名祈求，阿們。

The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die

Day 294

"The original quitters"

"They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them." (v.11)

Bible reading:
Psalm 78:1-11

1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

8 They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;

10 they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law.

11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.

Message

We ended yesterday with the advice: "If you can't stand the heat, stay in the kitchen - and in God's strength, learn to handle it." The psalm before us today begins by commanding us to listen: "O my people, hear my teaching" You have only to read a few verses of this psalm to see that the psalmist Asaph is recalling the disobedience which characterised the Jews during their forty years' wandering in the wilderness. Then a strange verse appears: "The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle" (v.9).

These Ephraimites were equipped with all they needed for warfare, but on the day of the battle - that is, the first day of the fray - they "turned back". Although well armed, in the moment of testing they were overcome by fear. Doubtless they paraded well and looked fine as they marched out to battle, but when they came face to face with the enemy, the only weapon they used was a cloud of dust as they retreated en masse - and in a hurry.

A preacher I once heard referred to the Ephraimites in this verse as "the original quitters". What an indictment. The Ephraimites live on, you know; they are to be found in the rank and file of many a modern-day congregation. They look fine in church on Sunday mornings with a hymn book and a Bible in their hands, but let the hot rays of temptation beat upon them - and they run. They surrender to temptation because they have never learned how to surrender to God. As I've said before - when we surrender to God, then we need not surrender to anything else.

"Surrendered to God we can stand and fight"

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me clarify to myself whether I am surrendered or not. For I see that if I do not fall at Your feet, then I fall at the feet of things and circumstances. Show me at whose feet I am lying. For Your own Name's sake. Amen.

Further study
Daniel 1:1-21
Romans 6:13
Ephesians 6:13

1.How did Daniel resist the temptation to compromise?
2. What are the results of resisting temptation?

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