Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ —John 11:40
Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
無比的親密
我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見神的榮耀麼？ （約十一40）
每次你憑信心出去闖蕩，總會發覺在常理的環境下，有些事物是完全違反你的信心的。常理並不是信心，信心也不是常理，二者的關係就是天然生命與屬靈生命之間的關係。當理性叫你不能信靠主，你仍能堅信他麼？當生活中的事實高呼這是[謊話]，你能否依然信靠主的話勇往直前？在山上很容易說：[我相信神會成就。 ]但你必須下到鬼附的山谷去，面對諷刺的現實－－對你山上變像信念當面譏諷的現實。每次在我清楚自己有信心時，就必遇到與信心互相抵觸的事情。我若說相信神會供給我需用的一切，然後不名一文，又沒有出路，那我能否通得過這信心得考驗？還是會倒退？
信心必須受試驗，只有經過爭戰，信心才能成為你個人得產業。你的信心如今遇何試煉？這試煉或證明你的信心正確，或會置之於死地。 [凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了。 ]最終的目標是對主的信靠。堅定信靠他，一切反對的事物智慧更堅定你的信心。信心的生活要不斷經歷考驗，而最後最大的考驗，就是死。求神保守我們常裝備好去作戰：信心是對神說不出來的信任，絕不去想神不支持我們。
祈禱◆噢，我驚訝自己竟那麼遲緩去發出讚美；願你使我快速而正確地讚美你。願你賜給我適當的感覺，強烈地認知到你的美善，以致我能使你的內心充滿喜樂滿足。
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