神的旨意永远坚立
以赛亚书四十章3至8节
3有人声喊着说：在旷野预备耶和华的路（或译：在旷野，有人声喊着说：当预备耶和华的路），在沙漠地修平我们神的道。
4一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平；高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。
5耶和华的荣耀必然显现；凡有血气的必一同看见；因为这是耶和华亲口说的。
6有人声说：你喊叫罢！有一个说：我喊叫甚么呢？说：凡有血气的尽都如草；他的美容都像野地的花。
7草必枯干，花必凋残，因为耶和华的气吹在其上；百姓诚然是草。
8草必枯干，花必凋残，惟有我们神的话必永远立定。
信息分享
我们若想知道有甚么石头挡路，主必告诉我们。辛普森(A. B. Simpson)曾经说过：「我们若想知道有甚么石头拦路，以致妨碍我们得到完全的祝福，神必向我们显明，更赐我们力量去把它们一一清除。然后，祂便会进入我们的心里，透过我们的心，去把祂丰盛的祝福带进另一个人的心中。」
神首先提到要把一切山谷填平。我们的生命是否有某些方需要提升，以致与神有更好的相交和更能顺服神？此外，有没有一些弯曲、扭曲的地方需要修正？扭曲神的心意来配合自己的意思，正是圣经所指的「罪」。
我们的生命中有没有一些会刺伤别人的尖刺？如果我们愿意，主必帮助我们削平。还有其他的石头拦阻我们得到神的祝福吗？例如是与其他信徒的争竞和嫌隙？忽略神的话语及祷告？在奉献上亏欠神？
当路障一一清除之后，会有甚么后果呢？就是主的荣耀必得显现(5节)。我们如何得知呢？因为它是主自己说的。余下的经文告诉我们，主的话语是永不改变和永远坚立的。草必枯干，花必凋谢，这是宇宙的定理。事实上，属于人世间的一切都会转瞬即逝，然而，请留意最后那节经文的宝贵应许：惟有我们神的话，必永远立定。
WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO
Isaiah 40:3-8
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Message
There is spiritual teaching here for us. If the Lord is going to come in all his fullness into our hearts, there is a work of preparation that must be done. God is waiting to do it, if we will allow him. The stumbling blocks to blessing must be removed and the way for the Lord prepared.
If we want to know what these stumbling blocks are, the Lord will show us. A. B. Simpson said, 'If we want to know, God will show us what hinders the fullness of blessing and he will make us both willing and able to put it aside. Then he will come into our hearts and through our hearts into the hearts of others in the fullness of his blessing.'
God spoke of the valleys first-the low places. Are there places in our lives which should be raised to higher levels of fellowship and obedience? Are there crooked, twisted places which need to be made straight? Twisting the will of God to make it fit our own wills is called iniquity in God's Word.
Are there rough places that rub against other people and which need to be made smooth? The Lord will do this if we let him. Is there strife and strain with fellow- Christians? Is there neglect of the Word of God and prayer? Are we robbing God in our giving? Are any of these the stumbling blocks to blessing?
What would happen if they were taken away? The glory of the Lord would be revealed (v. 5). How do we know this? The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. The remaining verses tell us how wonderful and how faithful is that same Word of the Lord. The grass of our fields and pastures withers away within a year or less. How true this is. Flowers that looked so beautiful yesterday are withered and brown tomorrow. Everything belonging to man is temporary-BUT, and here is the wonderful promise of these verses, THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOR EVER.