神的异象
为甚么神不动工？
经文
诗篇十1-18
1耶和华啊，你为甚么站在远处？在患难的时候为甚么隐藏？
2恶人在骄横中把困苦人追得火急；愿他们陷在自己所设的计谋里。
3因为恶人以心愿自夸；贪财的背弃耶和华，并且轻慢他（或译：他祝福贪财的，却轻慢耶和华）。
4恶人面带骄傲，说：耶和华必不追究；他一切所想的都以为没有神。
5凡他所作的，时常稳固；你的审判超过他的眼界。至于他一切的敌人，他都向他们喷气。
6他心里说：我必不动摇，世世代代不遭灾难。
7他满口是咒骂、诡诈、欺压，舌底是毒害、奸恶。
8他在村庄埋伏等候；他在隐密处杀害无辜的人。他的眼睛窥探无倚无靠的人；
9他埋伏在暗地，如狮子蹲在洞中。他埋伏，要掳去困苦人；他拉网，就把困苦人掳去。
10他屈身蹲伏，无倚无靠的人就倒在他爪牙（爪牙：或译强暴人）之下。
11他心里说：神竟忘记了；他掩面永不观看。
12耶和华啊，求你起来！神啊，求你举手，不要忘记困苦人！
13恶人为何轻慢神，心里说：你必不追究？
14其实你已经观看；因为奸恶毒害，你都看见了，为要以手施行报应。无倚无靠的人把自己交托你；你向来是帮助孤儿的。
15愿你打断恶人的膀臂；至于坏人，愿你追究他的恶，直到净尽。
16耶和华永永远远为王；外邦人从他的地已经灭绝了。
17耶和华啊，谦卑人的心愿，你早已知道（原文是听见）。你必预备他们的心，也必侧耳听他们的祈求，
18为要给孤儿和受欺压的人伸冤，使强横的人不再威吓他们。
信息分享
很多人在日常生活中都忽略神，但在困苦或国家有危难时却抱怨说，神似乎从来甚么都不做。哪怕是基督徒也有挣扎的时候，他们也提出像诗人所提出的问题：「为甚么神不介入阻止火车相撞？制止婴孩受虐待？或者是阻止地震将整个社区摧毁？」
这是一个十分古老的问题。它令诗人、先知以及神在每个世代的百姓感到困惑。这个问题也令在客西马尼园中那个可怜的彼得感到困惑。他无助又无力地站在那里，看着士兵押走他那被出卖的老师，几乎陷于崩溃。他知道那是魔鬼的作为，但为甚么基督容许自己承受这事？那些令痲疯病人得医治、令瞎子重见光明、令死人复活的话语，肯定可以摧毁这些恶人的邪恶罪行吧？但这位老师却容许那些人将祂带走。彼得跌跌撞撞地走进黑暗中时，脑里一定回荡着这个问题：「为甚么？……为甚么？……为甚么？」
这个问题的答案只有一个：神并非以我们的方式行事。这也许不能令某些人满意，但这是确切的答案。神的大能的显现不是在伤害的能力上，而是在安抚。祂的能力不是强迫，而是规劝。祂从不损害祂所创造的人性。神要介入地上发生的事情是轻而易举的，但神有另一个目的在发挥，那就是爱的规劝。虽然这对我们来说不容易理解，但是我们必须对神的容忍加以忍耐。
「神并非以我们的方式行事」
进深研究
赛五十五1-11；诗十八30；诗一四五17；何十四9
1. 神对祂自己的话给了我们甚么应许？
2. 何西阿得出甚么结论？
祈祷
天父，求您帮助我明白这个重要的真理：在管理世界的时候您并非以我们的方式行事。我虽然会提问，却不懂得回答。求您在我感到困惑的时候仍然紧紧地抱着我。奉主耶稣的圣名祈求。阿们。
The Vision of God
Why doesn't God do something?
Bible reading:
Psalm 10:1-18
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by[b] him; he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, "Nothing will ever shake me." He swears, "No one will ever do me harm."
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, "God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees."
12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
Message
Many people, most of whom live their normal lives in neglect of God, complain in times of distress or national emergency that God never seems to do anything Even Christians struggle and ask questions similar to the ones raised by the psalmist: "Why doesn't God intervene to prevent rail crashes, stop babies being battered, or prevent earthquakes wiping out whole communities?"
The problem is a very old one. It puzzled the psalmists, the prophets, and it has perplexed the people of God in every age. It baffled poor Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane. When he stood helpless and ineffectual, and watched soldiers march his betrayed Master away, something came nigh to bursting in his heart. He knew that it was devilry, but why should Christ allow Himself to suffer it? Surely the same word that cured the leper, gave sight to the blind, and summoned the dead to life could blast these evil men for their wickedness? Yet the Master allowed men to lead Him away. As Peter stumbled into the darkness, the question must have hammered in his reeling brain: "Why?...Why?...Why?"
There is only one answer to be given to this question: God does not work in our way. This may not satisfy some, but it is an answer nevertheless. His might finds fitting expression not in the power to wound but in the power to woo. His power does not coerce but constrain. Never does He violate the personalities He has made. It would be easy for Him to intervene, but another purpose is at work - the purpose of constraining love. Hard though it may be, we must have patience with the patience of God.
"God does not work in our way"
Prayer
O Father, help me understand this important truth, that in running the world You do not work our way. I am big enough to ask questions but not big enough to know the answers. Hold me fast even when I doubt. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Isaiah 55:1-11
Psalm18:30; 145:17
Hosea 14:9
1. What is God's promise concerning His Word?
2. What conclusion did Hosea come to?
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