害怕死去的麦子
等候！等候！等候！
经文
诗篇三十一1-24
1（大卫的诗，交与伶长。）耶和华啊，我投靠你；求你使我永不羞愧；凭你的公义搭救我！
2求你侧耳而听，快快救我！作我坚固的磐石，拯救我的保障！
3因为你是我的岩石，我的山寨；所以，求你为你名的缘故引导我，指点我。
4求你救我脱离人为我暗设的网罗，因为你是我的保障。
5我将我的灵魂交在你手里；耶和华诚实的神啊，你救赎了我。
6我恨恶那信奉虚无之神的人；我却倚靠耶和华。
7我要为你的慈爱高兴欢喜；因为你见过我的困苦，知道我心中的艰难。
8你未曾把我交在仇敌手里；你使我的脚站在宽阔之处。
9耶和华啊，求你怜恤我，因为我在急难之中；我的眼睛因忧愁而干瘪，连我的身心也不安舒。
10我的生命为愁苦所消耗；我的年岁为叹息所旷废。我的力量因我的罪孽衰败；我的骨头也枯干。
11我因一切敌人成了羞辱，在我的邻舍跟前更甚；那认识我的都惧怕我，在外头看见我的都躲避我。
12我被人忘记，如同死人，无人记念；我好像破碎的器皿。
13我听见了许多人的谗谤，四围都是惊吓；他们一同商议攻击我的时候，就图谋要害我的性命。
14耶和华啊，我仍旧倚靠你；我说：你是我的神。
15我终身的事在你手中；求你救我脱离仇敌的手和那些逼迫我的人。
16求你使你的脸光照仆人，凭你的慈爱拯救我。
17耶和华啊，求你叫我不致羞愧，因为我曾呼吁你；求你使恶人羞愧，使他们在阴间缄默无声。
18那撒谎的人逞骄傲轻慢，出狂妄的话攻击义人；愿他的嘴哑而无言。
19敬畏你、投靠你的人，你为他们所积存的，在世人面前所施行的恩惠是何等大呢！
20你必把他们藏在你面前的隐密处，免得遇见人的计谋；你必暗暗地保守他们在亭子里，免受口舌的争闹。
21耶和华是应当称颂的，因为他在坚固城里向我施展奇妙的慈爱。
22至于我，我曾急促地说：我从你眼前被隔绝。然而，我呼求你的时候，你仍听我恳求的声音。
23耶和华的圣民哪，你们都要爱他！耶和华保护诚实人，足足报应行事骄傲的人。
24凡仰望耶和华的人，你们都要壮胆，坚固你们的心！
信息分享
今天我们不妨来思考一下生命里一些往往令我们从中退缩的深坑。在这些时候，我们就会变成那「害怕死去的麦子」。但正如我们看到的没有死亡便没有生命。在深坑外面，我们不错仍然安全、温暖、舒适，不过却没有收成。
首先，让我们来思考一个观念，我把它称为「神圣的延迟」。生命中有些过程是神带领着我们但却好像没有事情发生，祂仿佛把我们生命的计划暂时搁置。也许你此刻正处于这种境况，如果是的话，不要恐慌，神的延迟不是祂的拒绝。我们的主人所做的一切都是有祂的目的，你必须要有信心，哪怕你的恐惧给你带来相反的感受。
在基督徒的生命里，其中一件最难做的事情是等候神的计划实现。有时祂的计划需要很长的时间才显现，这会令我们感到迷惑和沮丧。你有没有听过有基督徒祷告说：「主啊，请给我耐性……但是我现在就要得到我所想要的东西」？你不是宁愿做任何事也不愿意等待吗？曾经有人告诉一位我认识的基督徒辅导员说：「我在基督徒生命中面对的最大困难就是等候神的计划实现；在我里面有种欲望驱使我宁愿做错事也不愿意等候。」由于在基督徒生命中等候神的计划实现是常规而非例外，我们最好在神的红灯闪出「等候！等候！等候！」这讯号时，能够清楚明白神的心意。
「神的延迟不是拒绝」
进深研究
徒一4-8，二1-8；创四十九18；赛二十五9
1. 门徒等候时有甚么结果？
2. 我们的等候会有甚么结果？
祈祷
天父，求您教导我，在您对我生命的计划似乎延迟时要信任您。我承认「没有耐性」是其中一件我最难对它「死去」的事情，我无法靠自己做得到。我的天父，求您帮助我。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
Bible reading:
Psalm 31:1-24
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,[b] and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side!" They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Message
As we move on we start to think about some of the red furrows of life from which we often draw back. At such times we become "a corn of wheat afraid to die". But as we are seeing, where there is no death, there can be no life. Outside the furrow we remain safe, warm, comfortable - and unfruitful.
First we shall consider what I am calling "divine delays" - those periods of life to which God leads us when it seems that nothing is happening and that His purposes for our lives are temporarily shelved. Perhaps you are at this point at this very moment. If so, don't panic - God's delays are not His denials. Our Master has a purpose in everything He does. You must believe that, even though your fears scream the opposite.
One of the most difficult things to do in the Christian life is to wait for God's purposes to come to pass. Sometimes they take so long to materialise that we find ourselves getting vexed and frustrated. Have you heard about the Christian who prayed: "Lord, give me patience...and I want it right now"? Wouldn't you rather do anything than wait? A man told a Christian counsellor I know: "Waiting for God to bring His purposes to pass is the biggest problem I face in my Christian life; there is something within me that would rather do the wrong thing than wait." As waiting for God to bring about His purposes is more the rule than the exception in the Christian life, we had better learn what God has in mind when His red light flashes out the signal, "Wait! Wait! Wait!"
"God's delays are not His denials"
Prayer
O Father, teach me to trust You when Your plans and purposes for my life are seemingly delayed. I confess that impatience is one of the most difficult things for me to "die" to. I cannot do it on my own. Help me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-8
Genesis 49:18
Isaiah 25:9
1. What was the result of the disciples' time of waiting?
2. What will be the result of our waiting?
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