The Burning Heart

Did not our heart burn within us . . . ? —Luke 24:32

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don’t allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.

We cannot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides, The spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides; But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.

---

焚燒的心

我們的心豈不是火熱的麼？

我們要學習這火熱的心的秘訣。耶穌忽然向我們顯現，熱火就焚燒起來，我們得了奇妙的異象；然後就要學習怎樣持守這火熱的心，以致能經歷各樣的際遇。平淡無奇、日復一日的生活、加上日常的工作與來往的人事，會叫心中的火熄滅－－除非我們學會常住在主耶穌裡面。

我們作基督徒的痛苦，多半不是因罪而來，乃是因我們不認識自己本性的律，例如，要認驗某一種感情是否應該發展，唯一的方法就是看看那感情的後果如何。把它退到邏輯上的結論去，若後果是神會定罪的，就不要讓它繼續下去；但若那感情是神的靈燃點的，而你卻不容它在你生命中佔該有的位置，它就會在低一層的水平上發揮作用。情感主義者就是這樣造成的。我們若不讓感情有正確的宣洩，那麼情緒愈高，那墮落的光景就愈深了。神的靈若激動你，就要盡量付諸實行，不要管後果怎樣。我們不能長留在變象的山頂，而必須順服在山上所接受的亮光，神賜你異象；就要照著異象所指示的，切實去做，不管代價有多大。

心靈所存的火，不是人意可燃點，靈在吹動又靜止，人心活在隱秘裡。但密室啟示的順服，卻藉暗地的勞苦完成大工。

祈禱◆這個日子，噢，主啊，是你的日子；求你使它像寶石一般，永遠在我們的生命中發光。