十二月十六日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/12/1216.mp3″]
经文: 你未曾听见，未曾知道，你的耳朵从来未曾开通。（以赛亚书四十八：8）
虽然会很痛苦，但请记住。这个控告是针对那些常常在灵里迟钝的信徒而发的。我们本应听到上帝的听音，但却抱怨听不到。心中圣灵细柔的感动常被我们忽略。上帝命令的微声，属天大爱之柔语，常不为我们的悟性所领会。我们常常粗心大意。有许多事情我们本应明白，但腐败却在不知不觉之中潜入我们的生命中。甜美的感情如寒霜中的花朵渐渐枯萎了。其实只要我们不在心灵之窗前筑起高墙就能见到上帝闪亮之面容。但我们却不晓得，我们若明白自己一切无知和疏忽皆为上帝所预知，就必会崇敬祂的大恩。然而，祂仍以怜悯待我们。我们虽然如此，祂仍然拣选了我们，为此，我们当称颂祂那至高无上的宏恩！被挂于十字架上的主预见我们的不信、后退、冷酷、疏忽、漠不关心、懒于祷告，然而，祂仍说：“因为我是耶和华你的上帝，是以色列的圣者，你的救主……因我看你为宝为尊，又因我爱你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替换你的生命。”（赛四十三：3～4）
Evening, December 16
Scripture: “Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened.”(Isaiah 48:8)
It is painful to remember that, in a certain degree, this accusation may be laid at the door of believers, who too often are in a measure spiritually insensible. We may well bewail ourselves that we do not hear the voice of God as we ought, “Yea, thou heardest not.” There are gentle motions of the Holy Spirit in the soul which are unheeded by us: there are whisperings of divine command and of heavenly love which are alike unobserved by our leaden intellects. Alas! we have been carelessly ignorant－“Yea, thou knewest not.” There are matters within which we ought to have seen, corruptions which have made headway unnoticed; sweet affections which are being blighted like flowers in the frost, untended by us; glimpses of the divine face which might be perceived if we did not wall up the windows of our soul. But we “have not known.” As we think of it we are humbled in the deepest self-abasement. How must we adore the grace of God as we learn from the context that all this folly and ignorance, on our part, was foreknown by God, and, notwithstanding that foreknowledge, he yet has been pleased to deal with us in a way of mercy! Admire the marvellous sovereign grace which could have chosen us in the sight of all this! Wonder at the price that was paid for us when Christ knew what we should be! He who hung upon the cross foresaw us as unbelieving, backsliding, cold of heart, indifferent, careless, lax in prayer, and yet he said, “I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour … Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life!” O redemption, how wondrously resplendent dost thou shine when we think how black we are! O Holy Spirit, give us henceforth the hearing ear, the understanding heart!