Reaching Beyond Our Grasp

Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint . . . —Proverbs 29:18

There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person’s own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, “. . . I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.

Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.

Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?

“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]. . . .” Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God’s vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?

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沒有開展的把持

沒有異象，民就放肆。 （箴二十九18）

理想與異像是不同的。理想沒有道德性的啟示；異象則有。沉湎在理想中的人，甚少有所作為。一個人可以用對神的看法，作為逃避責任的藉口。約拿曾自辯說，神既然是公義憐憫的，因此一切都必妥當。我也許對神有十分正確的觀念，但這可能成為我不盡本分的理由。若有異象，生命必然公義正直，因為異象帶來道德的催逼。

理想可以緩頓以至消滅，試審察一下你的屬靈狀況，看看是只有理想，還是真有異象。 [啊，人所達致的，該超過他所把握的，否則，天堂何價？ ][沒有異象……]一旦看不見神，我們就會放肆，不受約束，不作禱告，在小事上把神撇在一邊，依照自己的意思行事。我們若一手包辦，自作主張，不期望神介入，我們就在走下坡，失去了異象。我們今日的態度，是否從神的異象而來的呢？我們期望神行大事，勝於往日嗎？我們屬靈的展望是否活潑有力？

祈禱◆噢，主啊，某些情緒似乎很容易令人悄悄地從你的身邊和你的計劃中溜走。可是，主啊，我不相信這是現在的情況；我所相信的，是人可能像一頭野獸那樣進入你的計劃中，沒有判斷能力，也缺乏異象。主啊，我深願成為你的兒子。