Keep Recognizing Jesus

. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . —Matthew 14:29-30

The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.

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不必籌算了，上路吧！

彼得就……在水面上走，要到耶穌那裡去。只因見風甚大，就害怕。 （太十四29-30）

風雖然大，浪雖然高，但彼得卻視若無睹。他並不怕波濤洶湧，因為他一心一意只知道主，而且因主在水面上走。過後，他發現到現實的環境，隨即就下沉了。何以主不使他在水底行走，像在水面上一樣呢？若不認識是主耶穌，兩者都不能行。

在某些事上，我們會毅然信靠神，稍後就姑息自己，便往下沉了。所以只要認清是主，就不必問他怎樣處理環境。現實本來就是如此，你一旦注目其上，就被它支配，看不見耶穌了。神就會責備你說：[為什麼疑惑呢？ ]不管現實環境怎樣，總要認識耶穌，保持對他完全的信賴。

神的話一發出，只要你有一刻的遲疑，就完了。切勿說：[唔，他到底有沒有說過呢？ ]這時要立即孤注一擲，把一切投在他身上。你不知道他什麼時候說話，但只要稍微認識他，就該不顧一切地投上。只有捨棄一切，你才會認出他來。只有當你不顧一切時，才更清楚認出他的聲音。

祈禱◆主啊，求你在這天，讓那使我們在你的事奉中軟弱下來的自我意識永遠消失，使我們所認知的，就只有耶穌。