害怕死去的麥子
等候！等候！等候！
經文
詩篇三十一1-24
1（大衛的詩，交與伶長。）耶和華啊，我投靠你；求你使我永不羞愧；憑你的公義搭救我！
2求你側耳而聽，快快救我！作我堅固的磐石，拯救我的保障！
3因為你是我的巖石，我的山寨；所以，求你為你名的緣故引導我，指點我。
4求你救我脫離人為我暗設的網羅，因為你是我的保障。
5我將我的靈魂交在你手裡；耶和華誠實的神啊，你救贖了我。
6我恨惡那信奉虛無之神的人；我卻倚靠耶和華。
7我要為你的慈愛高興歡喜；因為你見過我的困苦，知道我心中的艱難。
8你未曾把我交在仇敵手裡；你使我的腳站在寬闊之處。
9耶和華啊，求你憐恤我，因為我在急難之中；我的眼睛因憂愁而乾癟，連我的身心也不安舒。
10我的生命為愁苦所消耗；我的年歲為歎息所曠廢。我的力量因我的罪孽衰敗；我的骨頭也枯乾。
11我因一切敵人成了羞辱，在我的鄰舍跟前更甚；那認識我的都懼怕我，在外頭看見我的都躲避我。
12我被人忘記，如同死人，無人記念；我好像破碎的器皿。
13我聽見了許多人的讒謗，四圍都是驚嚇；他們一同商議攻擊我的時候，就圖謀要害我的性命。
14耶和華啊，我仍舊倚靠你；我說：你是我的神。
15我終身的事在你手中；求你救我脫離仇敵的手和那些逼迫我的人。
16求你使你的臉光照僕人，憑你的慈愛拯救我。
17耶和華啊，求你叫我不致羞愧，因為我曾呼籲你；求你使惡人羞愧，使他們在陰間緘默無聲。
18那撒謊的人逞驕傲輕慢，出狂妄的話攻擊義人；願他的嘴啞而無言。
19敬畏你、投靠你的人，你為他們所積存的，在世人面前所施行的恩惠是何等大呢！
20你必把他們藏在你面前的隱密處，免得遇見人的計謀；你必暗暗地保守他們在亭子裡，免受口舌的爭鬧。
21耶和華是應當稱頌的，因為他在堅固城裡向我施展奇妙的慈愛。
22至於我，我曾急促地說：我從你眼前被隔絕。然而，我呼求你的時候，你仍聽我懇求的聲音。
23耶和華的聖民哪，你們都要愛他！耶和華保護誠實人，足足報應行事驕傲的人。
24凡仰望耶和華的人，你們都要壯膽，堅固你們的心！
信息分享
今天我們不妨來思考一下生命裡一些往往令我們從中退縮的深坑。在這些時候，我們就會變成那「害怕死去的麥子」。但正如我們看到的沒有死亡便沒有生命。在深坑外面，我們不錯仍然安全、溫暖、舒適，不過卻沒有收成。
首先，讓我們來思考一個觀念，我把它稱為「神聖的延遲」。生命中有些過程是神帶領著我們但卻好像沒有事情發生，祂彷彿把我們生命的計劃暫時擱置。也許你此刻正處於這種境況，如果是的話，不要恐慌，神的延遲不是祂的拒絕。我們的主人所做的一切都是有祂的目的，你必須要有信心，哪怕你的恐懼給你帶來相反的感受。
在基督徒的生命裡，其中一件最難做的事情是等候神的計劃實現。有時祂的計劃需要很長的時間才顯現，這會令我們感到迷惑和沮喪。你有沒有聽過有基督徒禱告說：「主啊，請給我耐性……但是我現在就要得到我所想要的東西」？你不是寧願做任何事也不願意等待嗎？曾經有人告訴一位我認識的基督徒輔導員說：「我在基督徒生命中面對的最大困難就是等候神的計劃實現；在我裡面有種慾望驅使我寧願做錯事也不願意等候。」由於在基督徒生命中等候神的計劃實現是常規而非例外，我們最好在神的紅燈閃出「等候！等候！等候！」這訊號時，能夠清楚明白神的心意。
「神的延遲不是拒絕」
進深研究
徒一4-8，二1-8；創四十九18；賽二十五9
1. 門徒等候時有甚麼結果？
2. 我們的等候會有甚麼結果？
祈禱
天父，求您教導我，在您對我生命的計劃似乎延遲時要信任您。我承認「沒有耐性」是其中一件我最難對它「死去」的事情，我無法靠自己做得到。我的天父，求您幫助我。奉耶穌的名求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
Bible reading:
Psalm 31:1-24
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,[b] and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side!" They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Message
As we move on we start to think about some of the red furrows of life from which we often draw back. At such times we become "a corn of wheat afraid to die". But as we are seeing, where there is no death, there can be no life. Outside the furrow we remain safe, warm, comfortable - and unfruitful.
First we shall consider what I am calling "divine delays" - those periods of life to which God leads us when it seems that nothing is happening and that His purposes for our lives are temporarily shelved. Perhaps you are at this point at this very moment. If so, don't panic - God's delays are not His denials. Our Master has a purpose in everything He does. You must believe that, even though your fears scream the opposite.
One of the most difficult things to do in the Christian life is to wait for God's purposes to come to pass. Sometimes they take so long to materialise that we find ourselves getting vexed and frustrated. Have you heard about the Christian who prayed: "Lord, give me patience...and I want it right now"? Wouldn't you rather do anything than wait? A man told a Christian counsellor I know: "Waiting for God to bring His purposes to pass is the biggest problem I face in my Christian life; there is something within me that would rather do the wrong thing than wait." As waiting for God to bring about His purposes is more the rule than the exception in the Christian life, we had better learn what God has in mind when His red light flashes out the signal, "Wait! Wait! Wait!"
"God's delays are not His denials"
Prayer
O Father, teach me to trust You when Your plans and purposes for my life are seemingly delayed. I confess that impatience is one of the most difficult things for me to "die" to. I cannot do it on my own. Help me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-8
Genesis 49:18
Isaiah 25:9
1. What was the result of the disciples' time of waiting?
2. What will be the result of our waiting?
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。