害怕死去的麦子
来自神圣的国度
经文
诗篇二十七1-14
1（大卫的诗。）耶和华是我的亮光，是我的拯救，我还怕谁呢？耶和华是我性命的保障（或译：力量），我还惧谁呢？
2那作恶的就是我的仇敌，前来吃我肉的时候就绊跌仆倒。
3虽有军兵安营攻击我，我的心也不害怕；虽然兴起刀兵攻击我，我必仍旧安稳。
4有一件事，我曾求耶和华，我仍要寻求：就是一生一世住在耶和华的殿中，瞻仰他的荣美，在他的殿里求问。
5因为我遭遇患难，他必暗暗地保守我；在他亭子里，把我藏在他帐幕的隐密处，将我高举在磐石上。
6现在我得以昂首，高过四面的仇敌。我要在他的帐幕里欢然献祭；我要唱诗歌颂耶和华。
7耶和华啊，我用声音呼吁的时候，求你垂听；并求你怜恤我，应允我。
8你说：你们当寻求我的面。那时我心向你说：耶和华啊，你的面我正要寻求。
9不要向我掩面。不要发怒赶逐仆人，你向来是帮助我的。救我的神啊，不要丢掉我，也不要离弃我。
10我父母离弃我，耶和华必收留我。
11耶和华啊，求你将你的道指教我，因我仇敌的缘故引导我走平坦的路。
12求你不要把我交给敌人，遂其所愿；因为妄作见证的和口吐凶言的，起来攻击我。
13我若不信在活人之地得见耶和华的恩惠，就早已丧胆了。
14要等候耶和华！当壮胆，坚固你的心！我再说，要等候耶和华！
信息分享
昨天我们说过在我们最孤单、除了神以外没有其他人的时候，我们就学会完整地认识神。我十多岁信主后不久，有一位我十分仰慕的传道人来我家居住，所以我有机会经常和他一起，问他一些一直困扰着我的属灵问题。有一次讨论时我问他说：「您那伟大和有力的事奉的秘诀是甚么？」
他想了一会儿才回答，而我在等待他回答时心里在揣测他的答案，他会不会说：「秘诀在于我很会使用说话」，或是「我擅于创造吸引人的句子」，又或是「我对圣经有深入的认识和理解」？结果完全不是，他只是简单地说：「如果我的事奉有甚么能力的话，那是来自在孤单的幽谷中与神同行。」
我一生从没有听过比这更令人信服和感人的话。它让我明白一个我要学习的真理──通往认识神的道路往往要经过深邃孤单的幽谷。透过孤单培养出来的个性的深度，不但能令个人的生命变得丰富，也能影响别人的生命。在孤单的日子，主吸引我们进入祂的同在，以致往后我们对别人说话的时候，他们能够感到我们的说话好像是来自神圣的国度。
「与神走过孤单的幽谷」
进深研究
王上十九9-21；书一5；赛五十四10
1. 以利亚对自己的孤单有甚么错误的想法？
2. 神怎样使用他的孤单？
祈祷
神啊，求您帮助我降服您的心意，不是要忍受，而是要成就。如果认识您──真正认识您──表示需要走过孤单的幽谷，那么，亲爱的主，求您引导我吧，我愿跟随。阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
From holy ground
Bible reading:
Psalm 27:1-14
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Message
We said yesterday it is in times of deepest loneliness, when there is no one there but God, that we learn to know Him most fully. Not long after my conversion in my mid-teens, a preacher I greatly admired came to stay in our home. I had the opportunity to sit with him for many hours asking him some of the spiritual questions which, up until then, had greatly perplexed me. During one period of discussion I said to him: "Tell me, what is the secret of your great and powerful ministry?"
It was quite a while before he answered, and as I waited I pondered what his answer might be. Would he say, "It is the way I use words", or "My skill at chiselling attractive and appealing phrases", or perhaps, "My insight and understanding of the Scriptures"? It was none of these. He said quite simply: "If there is any power in my ministry, it has come out of walking with God through the valley of loneliness."
I cannot remember in the whole of my life ever hearing a more compelling and moving statement than that. It introduced me to a truth. that I myself had to learn - that the route to knowing God often passes through the valley of profound loneliness. The depth of character that is developed through loneliness is something that not only enriches the life of the individual concerned, but spills over into the lives of many others also. In periods of loneliness, the Master draws us into His presence so that later, when we speak to others, they sense we are speaking to them from holy ground.
"Walk with God through the valley of loneliness"
Prayer
O God, help me to commit my will to Your will, not to be borne but to be done. If knowing You - really knowing You - means walking through the valley of loneliness, then lead on, dear Lord - I will follow. Amen.
Further study
1 Kings 19:9-21
Joshua 1:5
Isaiah 54:10
1. What did Elijah wrongly believe in his loneliness?
2. How did God use his loneliness?
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