九月二十二日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/09/0922.mp3″]
经文: 我心里发昏的时候……求祢领我到那比我更高的磐石。(诗篇六十一:2)
大部份人都明了心里发昏的光景为何。倘若上帝容许我们罪恶本性中的深水翻腾,搅起淤泥与污秽,我们就会发现内心的败坏,这就是心里发昏的光景。当绝望与心碎如同怒涛,一波又一波汹涌压顶时,我们就会落入这般的光景,像破裂的贝壳被澎湃拍举之浪花抛掷。赞美上帝,在此刻,我们有一全然充足的安慰。我们的上帝是遭暴风雨击打之船只的避风港,是孤寂无伴之天路客的接待所。祂是高过我们的。祂的怜悯高过我们的众罪、祂的大爱高过我们的思想。想到世人将自己寄托于低于自己的事物,真是可怜。我们的信心建立在我们至高的、荣耀的主身上。祂是永不改变的磐石,祂是居于高位的磐石,因为压倒我们的风暴在祂脚下的低处翻腾。倘若我们在此坚立的磐石下寻得隐蔽之处,就必能公然藐视飓风。在高耸的悬崖之保护而来的“向导”,领我们到这神圣的避难所。主啊,但愿藉着祢的圣灵,教导我自信心的道路,并引领我们进入祢的安息。风将我们吹入海中,驾驶盘不受我们软弱无力的手操纵。唯有你能导引我们避开暗礁,带领我们安全驶入平静的避风港。我们必需依靠祢,求以智慧指导我们,引领我们进入平安稳妥之地。
Evening, September 22
Scripture: “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”(Psalm 61:2)
Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; emptied as when a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside down; submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm. Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is he, his mercy higher than our sins, his love higher than our thoughts. It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord. A Rock he is since he changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at his feet; he is not disturbed by them, but rules them at his will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text. O Lord, our God, by thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; thou, thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon thee-we need thee to bring us to thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is thy gift, and thine alone. This night be pleased to deal well with thy servants.