从迷惘到信靠
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经文
诗篇二十七1-14
1（大卫的诗。）耶和华是我的亮光，是我的拯救，我还怕谁呢？耶和华是我性命的保障（或译：力量），我还惧谁呢？
2那作恶的就是我的仇敌，前来吃我肉的时候就绊跌仆倒。
3虽有军兵安营攻击我，我的心也不害怕；虽然兴起刀兵攻击我，我必仍旧安稳。
4有一件事，我曾求耶和华，我仍要寻求：就是一生一世住在耶和华的殿中，瞻仰他的荣美，在他的殿里求问。
5因为我遭遇患难，他必暗暗地保守我；在他亭子里，把我藏在他帐幕的隐密处，将我高举在磐石上。
6现在我得以昂首，高过四面的仇敌。我要在他的帐幕里欢然献祭；我要唱诗歌颂耶和华。
7耶和华啊，我用声音呼吁的时候，求你垂听；并求你怜恤我，应允我。
8你说：你们当寻求我的面。那时我心向你说：耶和华啊，你的面我正要寻求。
9不要向我掩面。不要发怒赶逐仆人，你向来是帮助我的。救我的神啊，不要丢掉我，也不要离弃我。
10我父母离弃我，耶和华必收留我。
11耶和华啊，求你将你的道指教我，因我仇敌的缘故引导我走平坦的路。
12求你不要把我交给敌人，遂其所愿；因为妄作见证的和口吐凶言的，起来攻击我。
13我若不信在活人之地得见耶和华的恩惠，就早已丧胆了。
14要等候耶和华！当壮胆，坚固你的心！我再说，要等候耶和华！
信息分享
现在让我们来总结一下如何为自己建立属灵处境，以从中思考我们的困难。正如我们说过，秘诀不是专注于眼前的困难，而是要采取间接的手法，以神本性的「定点」──祂永恒的本性，祂的自存，祂的圣洁，祂的信实等等来提醒自己。
这样做时情况会变得怎样呢？你不妨尝试一下吧。如果你对神正在你生命中所做或没做的某些事情感到疑惑的话，我邀请你来应用一下过去几天所讨论的原则：采取间接的手法，不专注自己的困难，而是专注于神的本性和品格。提醒你自己神是谁──祂不能做违背祂品格的事情。逐一深思祂荣耀的属性。要是你按我的建议去做，就会从不同的角度去看你的困难；你会渐渐发觉它缩小到一个恰当的比例。
每个世代的信徒都采用这个方法处理属灵的迷惘，而且从没有失败。如果生命的旅程需要某些定点来决定方向，那么我们基督徒有最可靠的定点，那就是神的良善和仁慈。正如惠蒂尔（John Greenleaf Whittier）说：
在这令人疯狂的混乱中，
当被暴风和海浪翻动的时候，
我的灵紧抓一个固定的据点，
我知道神是美好的。
「你的困难会缩小到一个恰当的比例」
进深研究
诗五十七1-7，一零八1，一一二7
1. 诗人的心固定在甚么上面？
2. 你的心固定在甚么上面？
祈祷
天父，我因您的美好而敬畏，求您帮助我更认识和明白您的美好，以及您那伟大和荣耀的品格。奉基督的名祈求。阿们。
From Confusion to Confidence
Put it to the test
Bible reading:
Psalm 27:1-14
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Message
We now summarise what we have been saying over the past few days in relation to the need to establish for ourselves a spiritual context in which to think through a problem. The secret, as we have seen, is not to focus on the immediate problem, but to take the indirect approach and remind ourselves of the "fixed points" in God's nature - His eternal nature, His self-existence, His holiness, His faithfulness, and so on.
What happens when we do this? Well, try it for yourself. If you are confused about something that God is doing - or not doing - in your life, then I invite you to apply the principles we have been discussing over these past days. Take the indirect approach - focus not so much on your problem as on the nature and character of God. Remind yourself of who and what He is - and that He can do nothing contrary to His character. Gaze one by one upon His glorious attributes. If you do exactly as I suggest, I promise you that you will see your problem from a different perspective. Gradually you will find it shrinking to its rightful proportions.
Believers in every age have been using this method of handling spiritual confusion - and it has never failed. If, on the voyage of life, we need fixed points from which to take our bearings, then we Christians have the most reliable of them all - one of them being the goodness and graciousness of God. As John Greenleaf Whittier put it:
Here in this maddening maze of things,
When tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed ground my spirit clings,
I know that God is good.
"Your problem will shrink to its rightful proportions"
Prayer
O Father, I stand in awe of Your goodness. Help me to know it and understand it more and more. And not only this, but every other aspect of Your great and glorious character. In Christ's Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 57:1-7; 108:1; 112:7
1. Where was the psalmist's heart fixed?
2. On what is your heart fixed?
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