《静夜亮光》一月十四日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/01/0114.mp3″]
经文: 将要沉下去，便喊着说，主阿，救我。（马太福音十四：30）
对主的仆人而言，下沉的时刻就是祈求的时候。彼得在开始冒险的行程时，忽略了祈祷。但是当他下沉时，危险使他变成一个恳求者。他的呼求，虽然稍嫌迟了一点，但还不算太迟。我们肉体遭受痛苦、精神遭遇悲痛，自然会驱使我们去祈求，如同浮木藉海浪冲击推向岸边。狐狸会窜入洞穴中寻求保护，小乌会飞入丛木中寻找隐蔽之处。同样的，经历苦难的信徒会急速到施恩座前寻找避难所。天国的大避难港就是祈求。成千饱受风吹雨打的船只在那里觅得了避风港。一旦暴风雨来临，我们必须聪明地以全速驶入。简短的恳求就足够了。彼得急促说出的恳求辞只有四个字，但已经足以达到目的。我们所需的不是祈求的长度而是祈求的力量。需求感会教导我们精简。倘若我们的祷告能减少骄傲的尾巴但增多翅膀就会更好。言词冗赘之于真挚如同糠粃之于麦子。长篇大论的讲章中，真正的祈求可能就像彼得的恳求那么简短。我们的尽头就是主作工的机会。强烈的危险迫使人立即发出急切的呼求，耶稣的耳朵立刻就听到了。祂的耳朵与祂的心是同步的，祂手的行动也不耽延。我们常常在最后关头才向主恳求，但是祂快速的手借着实时有效的行动，弥补了我们的耽延。你是否几乎被苦难的漩涡淹没？将你的灵提升到救主那里，祂必定不会让你灭亡。当你不能作任何事时，耶稣能作一切。
| Evening, January 14 |
| Scripture: “Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”(Matthew 14:30) |
| Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven’s great harbour of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail. Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter. Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well. |