三月二十二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/03/0322.mp3″]
经文: 父阿，我在那里，愿祢所赐给我的人，也同我在那里。（约翰福音十七：24）
死亡！你为何攫去那些在世上杰出的、我们所最喜爱的人？停止你的作为，将公义的人留下！死亡夺去了我们最亲爱的朋友。最宽大的、最会祈祷的、最爱主的人都会死，为什么？耶稣祷告说：“父阿，我将那里，祢所赐给我的人也同我在那里。”这一祷告将他们驮于鹰翼飞腾至天堂。每当一位信徒从这地上至乐园时，也就是基督的祈祷蒙了应允的时候。一位年长的圣徒说：“那稣和祂的百姓往往在祈祷中拔河。你屈膝祷告说：‘父阿，我愿意祢的圣徒与我同在。’基督却说：‘父阿，愿祢所赐给我的人，与我同在。’”因此，门徒所作的是违背了主的目的。一个灵魂不可能同时在两处，所爱的人不能同时与基督同在，又和你同在。那么，哪一个祷告应该蒙应允呢？我敢肯定，虽然令你十分痛苦，你会说：“耶稣，不要照我的意思，愿祢的旨意成就。”你会为你所爱之人的生命放弃自己的祈求。倘若你能明白基督是从相反的角度祈求。主啊，祢能拥有我们所爱的人。凭着信心，我们让他们到主那里去。
Evening, March 22
Scripture: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”(John 17:24)
O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightest be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is through Jesus’ prevailing prayer－“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” It is that which bears them on eagle’s wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ’s prayer. A good old divine remarks, “Many times Jesus and his people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say ‘Father, I will that thy saints be with me where I am’; Christ says, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me whereI am.’” Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from his throne, and say, “Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?” Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, “Jesus, not my will, but thine be done.” You would give up your prayer for your loved one’s life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction－“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” Lord, thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.
