六月十三日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/06/0613.mp3″]
经文: 求祢使虚假和谎言远离我。(箴言三十:8)我的上帝啊,求祢不要远离我。(诗篇三十八:21)
在此我们有两件大功课要学--祈求得脱离的事和祈求要得的事。基督徒最快乐的时候,也就是最圣洁的时候。当基督徒的眼睛注视着属世的享乐时,就不能享受平安。除非他的灵在上帝的道路中活过来,否则他不可能满足。世人可能在世上寻得快乐,但基督徒不能。我不会责难不敬畏上帝的人去追逐享乐。那是他们所能享受的一切。作基督徒的妻子若忽视她丈夫的救恩,常是对他十分仁慈的。她会说:“恐怕唯有在这世间,他才能得着快乐,因此,我决定尽我所能让他快乐。”基督徒必须寻求更高层次的快乐,超越这属世的罪恶享乐。对于重生的心灵,虚假的追逐是危险的。基督徒的灵命若怠惰,生命便会面临危险。虽然基督徒的救恩已有保障,但是在成圣的经历中,和在生命中与耶稣的相交是脆弱的。当基督徒靠近上帝而活时,撒但就不常攻慰他。他一远离上帝,灵里饥饿了,就会从虚妄中寻求食粮,这时撒但的机会便来了。撒但也可能与活跃于事奉王的上帝的儿女为敌,但通常这争战是短暂的。人若滑跌入屈辱之谷,便给了撒但攻击的机会。恳求上帝的恩典临到我们,使我们可以谦卑地与祂同行!
Evening, June 13
Scripture: “Remove far from me vanity and lies.”(Proverbs 30:8)“O my God, be not far from me.”( Psalm 38:21)
Here we have two great lessons-what to deprecate and what to supplicate. The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state. As there is the most heat nearest to the sun, so there is the most happiness nearest to Christ. No Christian enjoys comfort when his eyes are fixed on vanity-he finds no satisfaction unless his soul is quickened in the ways of God. The world may win happiness elsewhere, but he cannot. I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they have to enjoy. A converted wife who despaired of her husband was always very kind to him, for she said, “I fear that this is the only world in which he will be happy, and therefore I have made up my mind to make him as happy as I can in it.” Christians must seek their delights in a higher sphere than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the world. Vain pursuits are dangerous to renewed souls. We have heard of a philosopher who, while he looked up to the stars, fell into a pit; but how deeply do they fall who look down. Their fall is fatal. No Christian is safe when his soul is slothful, and his God is far from him. Every Christian is always safe as to the great matter of his standing in Christ, but he is not safe as regards his experience in holiness, and communion with Jesus in this life. Satan does not often attack a Christian who is living near to God. It is when the Christian departs from his God, becomes spiritually starved, and endeavours to feed on vanities, that the devil discovers his vantage hour. He may sometimes stand foot to foot with the child of God who is active in his Master’s service, but the battle is generally short: he who slips as he goes down into the Valley of Humiliation, every time he takes a false step invites Apollyon to assail him. O for grace to walk humbly with our God!