"If You Had Known!"

If you had known . . . in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes —Luke 19:42

Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there-the pride of the Pharisees. It was a god that seemed religious and upright, but Jesus compared it to “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

What is it that blinds you to the peace of God “in this your day”? Do you have a strange god-not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life? More than once God has brought me face to face with a strange god in my life, and I knew that I should have given it up, but I didn’t do it. I got through the crisis “by the skin of my teeth,” only to find myself still under the control of that strange god. I am blind to the very things that make for my own peace. It is a shocking thing that we can be in the exact place where the Spirit of God should be having His completely unhindered way with us, and yet we only make matters worse, increasing our blame in God’s eyes.

“If you had known . . . .” God’s words here cut directly to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind them. These words imply responsibility for our own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. And “now they are hidden from your eyes” because you have never completely yielded your nature to Him. Oh, the deep, unending sadness for what might have been! God never again opens the doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut-doors which had no need to be shut. Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future.

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巴不得你知道 

巴不得你在這日子，知道關係你平安的事。無奈這事現在是隱藏的，叫你的眼看不出來。 （路十九42）

耶穌威武地進入耶路撒冷，合城都震動了；可是，有一個怪異的神袛在那裡，就是驕傲的法利賽主義；表面是敬虔公正，卻是[粉飾的墳墓]。在我的年日里，令我瞎了眼究竟是什麼呢？我有了一個外邦的神袛？我所指的並不是醜惡的怪物，乃是轄制我的性情。神曾經三番四次使我面對這個外邦的神袛；我知道要降服神，把它棄掉，卻始終沒有付諸實行。我咬緊牙齦要衝過難關，卻仍然受制於這古怪的神明。我看不見使我平安的事。我們可以一方面讓聖靈毫無攔阻地得著，而另一方面卻在神面前不斷責備自己，這實在是一件可怕的事。

[巴不得你知道]－－神在耶穌的眼淚裡，直接摸著人的心。這話表示罪有應得；我們看不清的事，神要​​我們承擔責任。 [這事現在是隱藏的，叫你的眼看不出來]－－是因為我們未曾降服。那[早該如此！ ]是多麼悲慘絕倫呀！神關了的門，就永不再開。但他開了其他的門，並提醒我們有些門是我們關的，有些門則不需要關。我們的想像力千萬不要遲鈍才好。當神把舊事重提，我們不必懼怕，讓回憶過去吧！它是神的用人，要責備、管教和追悔。神會把那[早該如此]，變成未來的優良教育。

祈禱◆主啊，對於要選擇的方向，我仍感模糊；這個決定已遠超越我的判斷能力。我並非對你懷疑，只是，眼前的一切卻是那樣全然隱蔽。