新视域的力量
关键的处境

经文
彼得前书一1-7
1耶稣基督的使徒彼得写信给那分散在本都、加拉太、加帕多家、亚西亚、庇推尼寄居的,
2就是照父神的先见被拣选、借着圣灵得成圣洁,以致顺服耶稣基督,又蒙他血所洒的人。愿恩惠、平安多多的加给你们。
3愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父神!他曾照自己的大怜悯,藉耶稣基督从死里复活,重生了我们,叫我们有活泼的盼望,
4可以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残、为你们存留在天上的基业。
5你们这因信蒙神能力保守的人,必能得着所预备,到末世要显现的救恩。
6因此,你们是大有喜乐;但如今,在百般的试炼中暂时忧愁,
7叫你们的信心既被试验,就比那被火试验仍然能坏的金子更显宝贵,可以在耶稣基督显现的时候得著称赞、荣耀、尊贵。
信息分享
今天我们要来思想另一个问题──虽然诗人的脚不再滑倒,但他内心继续与他的困惑搏斗。请听听他的话:「我思索怎能明白这事,眼看实系为难」(诗七十三16)。显然的,尽管他避免让自己跌倒,但他内心和思想上仍然很痛苦,他仍然因为不敬虔人的兴盛,而他这个属神的孩子却要面对各种困难而感到困惑。他不能忍受冒犯神的家这个想法,然而他的迷惘却依旧令他无所适从。
你在属灵生命中是否也曾经身处这种境况?虽然不致滑倒,但却受到巨大的属灵难题所困扰?你所理解的足以阻止你不致跌倒,但不足以帮助你能够攀爬。这是相当奇怪的情况,不过我自己有多次身处这种景况的经历。也许你现在就正在这种情况下,你双脚停止滑倒,但你里面仍然有着强烈的情绪。
这是一个十分关键的处境,关键是因为这时我们必须面对一个试探,就是我们要以不清晰的答案来平复内心强烈的情绪。我知道有很多身处这种景况的基督徒,由于他们的目标只是要减轻内心的痛苦,而不是寻找困难真正的解决办法,所以他们紧抓表面的答案,可惜那些答案只能够给他们提供短暂的解脱。
「使我远离那不是最好的解决办法」
进深研究
诗十七3;彼后三9;伯十三1-16
1. 诗人的目的是甚么?
2. 约伯宣告甚么?
祈祷
天父,求您帮助我不要满足于那些并非最好的解决办法,尽管那需要与困难和激动的情绪有较长时间的挣扎。求您帮助我关注真正的成熟,而不是短暂的解脱。阿们。
The Power of a New Perspective
A critical position

Bible reading:
1 Peter 1:1-7
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Message
Today we examine the fact that although the psalmist's feet are no longer slipping and sliding, he continues to struggle inwardly with his problem. Listen to what he says: "But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful" (Psa. 73:16, Amplified Bible). It is clear that although he has stopped himself from falling, he is still in great anguish of heart and mind; he is still perplexed over the issue of why the ungodly are prospering while he, a child of God, has to face all kinds of difficulties. He cannot bear the thought of scandalising the family of God, and yet his confusion continues.
Have you ever been in this position in your spiritual life - saved from slipping and sliding but still harassed by a giant-sized spiritual problem? You know enough to stop you falling, but not enough to start you climbing. It is a strange position to be in but one, I must confess, in which I have found myself on many occasions. Perhaps you are there right now - your feet have stopped slipping, but strong emotions continue to rage inside you
This is a very critical position to be in - critical because the temptation at this point is to quieten the raging emotions within by settling for answers that are less than the real ones. I know many Christians who have been in this position, and because their goal has been to alleviate the pain in their heart rather than find the real solutions to their problem, they have grasped at superficial answers that do nothing more than provide temporary relief.
"Save me from settling for less than the best"
Prayer
O Father, save me from settling for less than the best, even though it means struggling a little longer with some difficult and turbulent emotions. Help me be concerned with maturity, not just temporary relief. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 17:3
2 Peter 3:9
Job 13:1-16
1. What had the psalmist purposed?
2. What did Job declare?
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