神为何收回祝福？
以赛亚书五十九章1至9节
1耶和华的膀臂并非缩短，不能拯救，耳朵并非发沉，不能听见，
2但你们的罪孽使你们与神隔绝；你们的罪恶使他掩面不听你们。
3因你们的手被血沾染，你们的指头被罪孽沾污，你们的嘴唇说谎言，你们的舌头出恶语。
4无一人按公义告状，无一人凭诚实辨白；都倚靠虚妄，说谎言。所怀的是毒害；所生的是罪孽。
5他们菢毒蛇蛋，结蜘蛛网；人吃这蛋必死。这蛋被踏，必出蝮蛇。
6所结的网不能成为衣服；所做的也不能遮盖自己。他们的行为都是罪孽；手所做的都是强暴。
7他们的脚奔跑行恶；他们急速流无辜人的血；意念都是罪孽，所经过的路都荒凉毁灭。
8平安的路，他们不知道；所行的事没有公平。他们为自己修弯曲的路；凡行此路的都不知道平安。
9因此，公平离我们远，公义追不上我们。我们指望光亮，却是黑暗，指望光明，却行幽暗。
信息分享
第1节清楚表明：「问题不在于神」。享利(Matthew Henry)在注释中指出：「神的能力不会因为时间太长，或敌人太强，或所用的工具太弱而减退。」
我们曾否说过类似的话：「我不明白，神为何不像以往那样的祝福我？」若你然曾经有这种想法，那么，你就得静下来反问自己：「是甚么原故导致神收回祂的祝福？神是不会改变的，问题一定是出在我的身上。」
以赛亚直截了当地表明：「是的，问题确实是你的身上。神是永不改变的，祂很想祝福你，但你是否做了甚么神不喜悦的事情，妨碍了圣灵赐福给你？」
我们可能在哪方面犯错？以赛亚在第3节提到舌头。基督徒同样是最难控制舌头。我们很容易说了伤害别人的话，很容易为求解困而撒谎。一个性情暴躁的人，经常会口没遮拦地骂人，结果带来很多纷争和伤害。
以赛亚还提到许多其他的罪，例如，不公义、不诚实和恶毒的人；他也逐一列出了犯罪的结果。
我们必须用神的话语来检视我们的所言所行，并求圣灵显明我们的过错。
让我们今天都静心在神面前反思，并祈求圣灵向我们显明，我们犯了甚么过错，导致神收回祂的祝福。
当我们知道自己的罪以后，又该怎样行呢？圣经已为我们提供了一条明确的出路：「人若承认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义」(约壹一9)。
祷告：
「主啊，我渴望得到你的一切祝福。我若有任何不讨你喜悦的地方，求你向我显明，使我能够向你认罪和寻求赦免。阿们。」
WHAT CAN HOLD BACK BLESSING?
Isaiah 59:1-9
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
Message
The first statement (v. 1) says plainly 'There is nothing wrong with God'. Matthew Henry commented 'Neither length of time nor strength of enemies, nor weakness of instruments, can shorten the power of God'.
Have we ever said 'I don't know why God isn't blessing me like he used to'? Stop and ask 'What can hold back blessing? God hasn't changed. It must be me.'
Isaiah says just as plainly 'Yes it is you. God is still the same. He is waiting to bless you but the things you have been doing have prevented his Spirit from doing it?'
What could some of those things be? Isaiah mentions their tongues in verse 3. This is one of the greatest problems Christians face. It is so easy to say the wrong words. It is so easy to lie when lying would get us out of a bad situation. Bad temper often goes along with a bad tongue and that can lead to all kinds of wrong actions and attitudes.
Isaiah mentions other sins and he lists the results. He speaks about lack of right living, of dishonesty, and of planning mischief.
We need to bring our lives under the light of God's Word and let the Spirit of God reveal what is wrong.
Can we ask God today to show us by his Holy Spirit if there is anything in our lives that is holding back blessings?
Then what? The way is clear. 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9).
'Lord I want all the blessings you have for me. If anything is standing in the way, show me and I will confess it and seek your forgiveness. I will trust you to do it. Amen.' This should be our prayer today.