我们已经看过神向残暴的迦勒底人所宣告的五个祸患，而我们所得到的结论是甚么呢？回顾我们在这话题开始时曾说过的话──无论事情看似多么黑暗和艰难，神都在掌管。迦勒底人会兴起，并获准执行大暴行，但神会利用这些暴行来管教犹大。迦勒底人不知道神的旨意，他们计划攻击、劫掠城市，和军队列阵等行为，都只是为了满足他们自己权力的欲望，但是神会利用他们的计划来实行祂自己的目的。当一切都完结的时候，他们就必须面对神对他们不人道的行为所施行的审判。

我们这些神的子民，最重要的是学会成为所谓有「远见」的人。有「远见」是甚么意思？它的意思简单来说，就是从神的角度看事物。如果你对周围发生的事情，以短浅的目光来注视，你只会得出自己的结论；但是你若看事情看得长远一点、广阔一点，就会得出神的结论。

神在历史上，正是以祂的远见，把一切悄悄地带到预定的结局。我的基督徒朋友们，不要成为驼鸟──因为害怕面对明天而将头埋在沙里。将来发生的事情，没有一件是神不能控制的。要抓紧神思想的广阔，和祂那实现长远目标的荣耀，并领悟今天经文所说的重点──凡攻击您的武器必不得胜。

「神将一切带到预定的结局」

进深研究
西一13-22；约一1-3；林前八6

1. 我们应该将注意力集中在哪里？
2. 歌罗西书第一章向我们显明甚么？

祈祷
神啊，求您帮助我对生命有远见。让我的灵深深领悟，您是从开始便知道事情的终结，没有邪恶的东西可以成功的对抗我。感谢您，阿们。

From Confusion to Confidence

Day 107

"The long view"

"... no weapon forged against you will prevail ..." (v.17)

Bible reading:
Isaiah 54:4-17

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth

5 For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;

6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the Lord your Redeemer.

9 "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.

10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 "Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a] your foundations with lapis lazuli.

12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

13 All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed;

15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me," declares the Lord.

Message

Having now considered the five woes which God pronounced on the cruel Chaldeans, what is our conclusion? We come back to what we said at the beginning of this: section - no matter how dark and difficult things may appear, God is always in control. The Chaldeans would rise and be permitted to commit great atrocities, but God would use those atrocities to discipline Judah. The Chaldeans had no direct knowledge of God's will. They would plan their attacks, ravage the cities, marshall their armies simply to satisfy their own lust for power, but God would use their purposes to carry out His When, however, it was all over, they would have to face the judgment of God for their inhuman practices.

It is of the utmost importance that we, the people of God, learn how to become people of what has been described as "the long view". What does it mean to have "the long view"? It means, quite simply, to see things from God's perspective. If you take the short view of what is happening around you, then you come to your own conclusions. If you take the long view, then you come to God's conclusions.

God takes the long view of history and is quietly bringing all things to a predetermined end. My Christian friend, don't be a human ostrich - burying your head in the sand because you are afraid to face tomorrow. Nothing can happen in the future that God cannot control. Catch the sweep of His mind and the glory of His long-range purposes, and realise, as our text for today says, that no weapon forged against you can prevail.

"God is bringing all things to a predetermined end"

Prayer
O God, help me to look at life with "the long view". Drive deep into my spirit the thought that because You know the end from the beginning. nothing that is evil can work successfully against me. I am so thankful. Amen.

Further study
Colossians 1:13-22
John 1:1-3
1 Corinthians 8:6

1. Where should we focus our gaze?
2. What does Colossians I reveal to us?

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