新视域的力量
发生了甚么!?

经文
哥林多后四7-12
7我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里,要显明这莫大的能力是出于神,不是出于我们。
8我们四面受敌,却不被困住;心里作难,却不至失望;
9遭逼迫,却不被丢弃;打倒了,却不至死亡。
10身上常带着耶稣的死,使耶稣的生也显明在我们身上。
11因为我们这活着的人是常为耶稣被交于死地,使耶稣的生在我们这必死的身上显明出来。
12这样看来,死是在我们身上发动,生却在你们身上发动。
信息分享
今天我们继续昨天的讨论:如果我们能够接受自己不会立刻明白神所做的事情和旨意,那么我们的困惑就会大大的减少。我们必须接受基督徒生命的其中一个基本原则──神的处事方式有很多是与我们认为祂应有的做法正好相反。要是我在早年的基督徒生命过程中有接受过这样的教导,我就能免去很多属灵上的挣扎。我大部分的疑惑都是因为我不明白我是在与一个全能的思维打交道──神的想法跟我的想法不同。
神的道路深不可测,祂的思想是无限和永恒的,祂的目的超乎理解。我们与这么伟大和全能的神相交时,祂容许一些令我们感到困惑的事情发生完全不足为奇。倘若我们坚持生命中的一切都要清楚明白,那么我们就会与诗人处于相同的境况中──充满疑惑、幻灭和恐惧。
不过我们要留意,疑惑不一定就是罪。惟有当我们容许疑惑令我们感到绝望时,疑惑才是错的。正如今天的经文显示,使徒保罗疑惑,但却不至失望。所以你得小心理解这个分别。我们如果说:「我不知道发生了甚么。」这没有甚么不对;但若是说:「神不知道发生了甚么。」那就是极其愚昧无知了。
「神总是知道发生了甚么」
进深研究
书一1-6;赛五十四10;来十三5
1 神给了约书亚和以赛亚甚么应许?
2 神应许我们甚么?
祈祷
天父,当我知道了疑惑不一定会使我跌进罪中,这是何等的安慰。求您帮助我理解这分别。求您现在就把「您总是知道发生了甚么」这真理,放进我的心灵深处。奉耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
The Power of a New Perspective
What's happening!?

Bible reading:
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Message
Today we stay with the thought that half our spiritual perplexities would never arise if we started out by being prepared not to understand immediately the things that God does or allows. We must accept that one of the fundamental principles of the Christian life is the truth that there will be many times when God will work things out in a manner exactly opposite to the way we think He should. If I had been taught this in the early days of my Christian life, it would have saved me from many spiritual struggles. Most of my perplexities arose because I failed to realise that I was dealing with a mind that is omniscient - that God's mind is not like my mind.
The ways of God are inscrutable; His mind is infinite and eternal and His purposes are beyond understanding. When we are dealing with such a great and mighty God it should not surprise us that He allows things to happen which we find perplexing. If we insist that everything in life should be plain, we shall soon find ourselves in the state in which the psalmist found himself - full of doubt, disillusionment and fear.
We should note, however, that perplexity is not necessarily sinful. It only becomes wrong when we allow our perplexity to drive us to despair. The apostle Paul, as our text for today shows us, was perplexed but he was not in despair. Make sure you understand the distinction. It is not foolish or wrong to say: "I don't know what is happening. It is only foolish to say: "God doesn't know what is happening."
"God always knows what's happening"
Prayer
O Father, how comforting it is to realise that I can be perplexed and yet not fall into sin. Help me to keep this distinction clear. Drive the truth deep into my spirit today that You always know what is happening. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
Josh. 1:1-6
Isaiah 54:10
Hebrews 13:5
1. What was God's promise to Joshua and Isaiah?
2. What is God's promise to us?
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