一月三日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/01/0103.mp3″]
经文: 在旷野有人声喊着说，预备主的道，修直祂的路。（路加福音三：4）
在旷野发出呼喊之声乃是要为主预备一条道路。我们必须留意主人的宣告，为祂开一条进入我们心灵的路。这条路是以祂的恩典作材料，铺设通过我们天性的沙漠。一切山洼都要填满。我们必须离弃卑贱低下的恩想，必须挪去怀疑悲观的意念，也必须抛除自我追求和属世的享乐。我们当高架起一条荣耀恩典的堤道来穿越这些低洼的沼谷。大小山岗都要削平。铲平一切骄傲自满和夸张自义，为万王之王铺设一条康庄大道。上帝绝不与傲慢自大的罪人相交。祂关怀谦卑的人，愿意进入悔改者的心，却厌恶骄傲的人。高高低低的要改为平坦。在摇摆不定的心中，必须为上帝开辟一条决意的道路，并且划分出圣洁的界限。真理的上帝不与心怀二意的人相交。你心须在上帝面前诚信真实，因祂是鉴察人心的。崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。罪的绊脚石必须要移除，背逆的蒺藜和荆棘必须连根拔起。当伟大的主宰和祂的众使者同来赐尊劳给祂所爱的人时，一切污秽和崎岖皆需除尽。今天晚上，愿藉主的恩典，让祂能找到一条平坦大道进入你心中。
Evening, January 3
Scripture: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”(Luke 3:4)
The voice crying in the wilderness demanded a way for the Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness. I would be attentive to the Master’s proclamation, and give him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations, through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the text must have my serious attention.
Every valley must be exalted. Low and grovelling thoughts of God must be given up; doubting and despairing must be removed; and self-seeking and carnal delights must be forsaken. Across these deep valleys a glorious causeway of grace must be raised.
Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature-sufficiency, and boastful self-righteousness, must be levelled, to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never vouchsafed to haughty, highminded sinners. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination unto him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set thee right in this respect.
The crooked shall be made straight. The wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the God of truth. My soul, take heed that thou be in all things honest and true, as in the sight of the heart-searching God.
The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling-blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must not find miry ways and stony places when he comes to honour his favoured ones with his company. Oh that this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway made ready by his grace, that he may make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the beginning of this year even to the end of it.