六月二十九日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/06/0629.mp3″]
经文: 唯有一件事,就是巴比伦王差遣使者来见希西家,访问国中所现的奇事。这件事上帝离开他,要试验他,好知道他内心如何。(历代志下三十二:31)
希西家的灵命增长,但因上帝对他的恩宠,他开始骄傲起来,甚至到一地步,就是使自义潜入了他的心中。这解释了他在对付巴比伦人时为何会遭遇困难。上帝的恩典若离开最好的基督徒,他心中的罪就足以使他成为最坏的人。若任由你按己意行,你对基督火热的心会像老底嘉的教会一样冷却下来,变成让主讨厌的不冷不热。你即使有强烈的信心,也会因错误的教条变为白如大痲疯。你现在虽杰出诚笃地行在主前,也会因对罪之爱好而如醉汉蹒跚而行。我们像月亮一样,光亮是借来的。当恩典照耀在我们身上时,我们就会成为明亮,但一旦公义的太阳收回光线,我们就全然黑暗。主啊,请不要收回祢在我心中的恩典!祢说过:“我耶和华是守葡萄园的,我必时刻浇灌、昼夜看守,免得有人损害。”(赛二十七:3)主啊,看守我。在谷底,求祢保守,使我们不因祢要人谦卑而呢喃自怨。在山巅,求祢保守,使我们不致满了骄傲。当我们的热情洋溢,年青时,保守我们。当我们年迈,对自己的智慧满了自负时,保守我们;其实比起年青人、天真的人,我们是更大的傻瓜。或生或死、或工作或受苦受难、或争战或安息,都保守我们。上帝啊,无论在何处,求祢保守,因为我们随处都需要祢!
Evening, June 29
Scripture: “Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.”(2 Chronicles 32:31)
Hezekiah was growing so inwardly great, and priding himself so much upon the favour of God, that self-righteousness crept in, and through his carnal security, the grace of God was for a time, in its more active operations, withdrawn. Here is quite enough to account with the Babylonians; for if the grace of God should leave the best Christian, there is enough of sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness: you who are sound in the faith would be white with the leprosy of false doctrine; you who now walk before the Lord in excellency and integrity would reel to and fro, and stagger with a drunkenness of evil passion. Like the moon, we borrow our light; bright as we are when grace shines on us, we are darkness itself when the Sun of Righteousness withdraws himself. Therefore let us cry to God never to leave us. “Lord, take not thy Holy Spirit from us! Withdraw not from us thine indwelling grace! Hast thou not said, ‘I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day’? Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when in the valley, that we murmur not against thy humbling hand; keep us when on the mountain, that we wax not giddy through being lifted up; keep us in youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited of our wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than the young and giddy; keep us when we come to die, lest, at the very last, we should deny thee! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us labouring, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need thee, O our God!”