毫无疑问，以赛亚在圣殿接受的异象改变了他的生命。当时这位年青的先知可能不知道，但在台伯河（River Tiber）边却建立了一个称为罗马的城市。而我们知道，那个城市后来成了一个强大帝国的中心点，它在主前63年推翻了以赛亚所爱的耶路撒冷城。不过，以赛亚所看见「坐在宝座上」的那一位，一直在他整个事奉生命中都与他同在，并令他确信，无论世界舞台的中央站着谁或有些甚么，只有主才是全能的，祂在统管一切。在那个异象之后，每当其他先知退缩，因为惧怕而不敢说出主的话时，以赛亚仍然毫不犹疑地为主发言。今天的经文就是一个这样的例子。

这是给你和我的生命一个重要的教训。我们很容易允许生活中的困难在脑海里逐渐放大，而当我们这样做的时候，很快就会失去正确的方向。由于我们老是困绕在自己的问题里面，几乎将神给遮盖了。也许是你所信任的人伤害了你，而那个问题竟然变得大得无以形容。不过，我今天要告诉你，虽然那个问题确实不小，但它绝对不会比神大，所以不要迷失你正确的方向。

主坐在宝座上，祂在高天尊荣之上。仔细看看神究竟有多伟大，并以这个异象来对照你的困难，你就会发现你的困难其实不大，因为只有神我们的主才是最大的。

「困难不会比神大」

进深研究
太十九16-26；耶三十二17；路一37

1. 耶稣对门徒说甚么？
2. 加百列向马利亚说甚么？

祈祷
天父，求您以您自己来充满我的眼目，因为我发觉当我没有尊您为全能者的时候，我就很容易把自己的困难放大。求您教导我凝视和聚焦在您身上。奉主耶稣的圣名祈求。阿们。

The Vision of God

Day 12

Difficulties are not almighty

"...the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me..." (v.22)

Bible reading:
Isaiah 28:16-29

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.

17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.

18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.

19 As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through." The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.

20 The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.

22 Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.

23 Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

25 When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place,[a] barley in its plot,[b] and spelt in its field?

26 His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick.

28 Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.

29 All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.

Message

There can be little doubt that the vision Isaiah received in the Temple transformed his life. The young prophet might not have known it at the time but on the River Tiber a city was being built which was to be called Rome. As we know, that city became the focal point of a great empire which in 63 BC overcame Isaiah's beloved city of Jerusalem. The vision he saw of the One who was "seated on a throne", however, would remain with him throughout his entire ministry and give within the conviction that, no matter who or what would hold the centre stage of earth's affairs, the Lord alone was sovereign and ruled over all. After that, whenever other prophets drew back from speaking the Word of the Lord because of fear, Isaiah never hesitated. We have an example of this in the passage before us today.

Now that's an important lesson for your life and mine. It is so easy for us to allow the problems of life to loom large in our thinking. When we do so we soon lose the right perspective. Our obsession with our problems can become an issue that almost blots out God. Maybe someone you trusted has hurt you, and that problem has become so large that it reaches almost cosmic proportions. Well, I want to tell you today that, big though it may be, it is not bigger than God. Don't lose your perspective.

The Lord is on His throne, high and exalted. See how big God really is and set your problems over against that vision. Your difficulties are not almighty. The Lord alone is almighty.

"No problem is bigger than God"

Prayer
O God, fill my vision with Yourself for I see that when I do not view You as almighty I can so easily view my problems in that way. Keep my gaze and my focus fully on You. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

Further study
Matthew 19:16-26
Jeremiah 32:17
Luke 1:37

1. What did Jesus say to the disciples?
2. What did Gabriel say to Mary?

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