Our Lord’s Surprise Visits

You also be ready . . . —Luke 12:40

A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle-we must be spiritually real.

If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. You should trust no one, and even ignore the finest saint on earth if he blocks your sight of Jesus Christ.

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主突然到訪

你們也要預備。 （路十二40）

主的工人最需要做的，是隨時隨地預備面對主，這個並不容易，不管我們的經歷怎樣。這爭戰不是對付罪惡、環境，或是艱難，而是對付自己。我們要避免過分專心工作，以致未能隨時預備見主。這個逼切的需要不是怎樣面對信仰、教義，或個人的價值，乃是怎樣面對主。

耶穌很少在我們期望他的時候來到，相反地，他會在我們最意想不到的時候，就出現了，而且往往是在最不合理的情況下哩！主的工人唯一保持忠於神的方法，就是對主的突訪隨時作準備。

事奉工作不是頂重要的，最重要的是有好的靈性，時刻準備耶穌基督來到。會令我們的人生，有孩子般驚喜的樣式，這也正是他所要求於我們的。我們若要準備好見耶穌基督，就不要披上宗教的外衣（把宗教當作一種高等的文化），而要有屬靈的實際。

你若單仰望耶穌，不理會現世宗教的呼喊，只把心思專注在他的事上，與他有共同的思想，人家會說你不切實際，只會夢想。但當主在繁重喧囂的生活中出現，唯獨你準備好見他。不要倚仗別人，也不要倚仗世上最優秀的聖徒；要是他阻攔你，使你看不見耶穌基督，就別管他好了。

祈禱◆[自己好像僕人等候主人……]－－願我就像這些僕人充滿期待、熱切、責任心、儆醒和能力。