害怕死去的麦子
让人满有惊喜的神
经文
诗篇十八20-40
20耶和华按着我的公义报答我，按着我手中的清洁赏赐我。
21因为我遵守了耶和华的道，未曾作恶离开我的神。
22他的一切典章常在我面前；他的律例我也未曾丢弃。
23我在他面前作了完全人；我也保守自己远离我的罪孽。
24所以，耶和华按我的公义，按我在他眼前手中的清洁偿还我。
25慈爱的人，你以慈爱待他；完全的人，你以完全待他。
26清洁的人，你以清洁待他；乖僻的人，你以弯曲待他。
27困苦的百姓，你必拯救；高傲的眼目，你必使他降卑。
28你必点着我的灯；耶和华─我的神必照明我的黑暗。
29我借着你冲入敌军，借着我的神跳过墙垣。
30至于神，他的道是完全的；耶和华的话是炼净的。凡投靠他的，他便作他们的盾牌。
31除了耶和华，谁是神呢？除了我们的神，谁是磐石呢？
32惟有那以力量束我的腰、使我行为完全的，他是神。
33他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄，又使我在高处安稳。
34他教导我的手能以争战，甚至我的膀臂能开铜弓。
35你把你的救恩给我作盾牌；你的右手扶持我；你的温和使我为大。
36你使我脚下的地步宽阔；我的脚未曾滑跌。
37我要追赶我的仇敌，并要追上他们；不将他们灭绝，我总不归回。
38我要打伤他们，使他们不能起来；他们必倒在我的脚下。
39因为你曾以力量束我的腰，使我能争战；你也使那起来攻击我的都服在我以下。
40你又使我的仇敌在我面前转背逃跑，叫我能以剪除那恨我的人。
信息分享
如果你仍未掌握我们过去几天所讨论的真理，今天就赶快以双手来紧握它吧──生命最大的孤单是「一粒麦子害怕死去」的孤单。如果我们害怕向自己的目标死去好让神的目标得到高举，我们结果就只会讨自己喜悦，可是却不会喜欢那个自我。我们应当怀着坚定的信心，乐意面对任何境况，并且相信神会令它变成充满意义，使我们能够以内在的坚毅和沉静来面对生命。
明白这个真理，乐意把它应用到任何环境和情况，是其中一个最能够对抗情感和个性问题的保障。事实上我甚至认为它能够最有力地对抗反应性的抑郁。我说「反应性」抑郁，是因为有些抑郁症是因为人体内化学物分泌失调所引起，而反应性抑郁则来自我们如何解释生命中的打击和困境，想想看有甚么困境是比孤单更难对付的呢？
不过，圣经教导我们，神永不会容许祂的孩子陷于祂不能帮助的境况底下──包括孤单在内。有人称我们的天父为「让人满有惊喜的神」。这是多么动人的描述，而且多么真实。在生命最孤单的时刻，神总有方法接近我们，并向我们显明祂自己，这是我们永远都感到难以置信的事情。
「神在我们最孤单的时刻显明祂自己」
进深研究
王上十九1-8；诗九十一11；来一14
1. 神怎样应付以利亚的孤单？
2. 祂派谁去见以利亚？
祈祷
天父，求您让我满有惊喜！求您今天以某些方式来显明您对我奇妙的关注和关心，突破我生活的惯例和责任。求您掀开幔子让我可以一瞥您的脸容。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"God of remarkable surprises"
Bible reading:
Psalm 18:20-40
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop[a]; with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
Message
If you have not yet taken hold of the truth we have been discussing over the past few days, then grasp it with both hands today: the greatest loneliness is the loneliness of "a corn of wheat afraid to die". If we are afraid to die to our own purposes and allow God's purposes to become supreme, then we finish up pleasing ourselves but not liking the self we have pleased. And again, being willing to face any situation that comes with the conviction that God will make it contributive enables us to face life with an inner fortitude and poise.
Understanding this truth and being willing to apply it to all circumstances and situations is one of the greatest safeguards against emotional or personality problems. In fact, I would go further and say that it is one of the greatest defences against reactive depression that I know. I say "reactive" depression because there are some forms of depression which are chemically based and result from malfunctioning of the body's chemical systems. Reactive depression is the depression that comes from the way we interpret the knocks and hardships that crowd into our lives. And what greater hardship can there be than loneliness?
The Bible teaches us, however, that God will never allow one of His children to find themselves in any situation where He is not able to help them - loneliness included. Someone has referred to our heavenly Father as "the God of remarkable surprises". What a fascinating description - and how true. In the midst of life's loneliest moments, God has a way of approaching us and revealing Himself in ways that we would never have conceived possible.
"God reveals Himself in life's loneliest moments"
Prayer
Father - surprise me. In some way today, let the wonder of Your concern and care for me break through the ordered routines and duties of my life. Pull aside the curtain and give me a fresh glimpse of Your face. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
1 Kings 19:1-8
Psalm 91:11
Hebrews 1:14
1. How did God deal with Elijah's loneliness?
2. Whom did He send to him?
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背景音乐版权属 赞美之泉音乐事工 所有，承蒙允准使用。