Readiness

God called to him . . . . And he said, ’Here I am’ —Exodus 3:4

When God speaks, many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer. Moses’ reply to God revealed that he knew where he was and that he was ready. Readiness means having a right relationship to God and having the knowledge of where we are. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. Yet the man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who receives the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea that some great opportunity or something sensational will be coming our way, and when it does come we are quick to cry out, “Here I am.” Whenever we sense that Jesus Christ is rising up to take authority over some great task, we are there, but we are not ready for some obscure duty.

Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing— it makes no difference. It means we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready. Whenever any duty presents itself, we hear God’s voice as our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with the total readiness of our love for Him. Jesus Christ expects to do with us just as His Father did with Him. He can put us wherever He wants, in pleasant duties or in menial ones, because our union with Him is the same as His union with the Father. “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22).

Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready— he is ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready once God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the person who is ready, and it is on fire with the presence of God Himself.

---

常作準備

神……呼叫說……他說，我在這裡。 （出三4）

神說話的時候，我們卻像在五里霧中，毫無反應。摩西的回答，表示他站在某一崗位上。常作準備的意思，就是與神有正常的關係，又知道自己目前所站的崗位。我們往往很急切的告訴神，我們想到那裡去。但那對神工作常作準備的人，呼召一臨到，他們就奪得獎賞。我們總是等待特別的時機、特別的激情，當這臨到，我們就會迅速回答：[我在這裡。 ]耶穌基督被高舉上升，我們就願意與他一同上升；但對不為人所知的任務，我們往往不准備承擔。

為神常作準備的意思，就是事無大小，我們都樂意去做。我們行事沒有選擇的餘地；不論神的計劃怎樣，我們都樂於遵循。無論什麼任務臨到，我們聽見神的聲音，如同我們的主聽見他父的聲音一樣。我們當存著活潑的愛，作好充分準備，隨時待命而發。父怎樣對待耶穌基督，他也盼望父照樣對待我們。他可以任意差遣我們，叫我們承擔愉快的任務，或卑微的任務；因為我們與主合一，正如父與主合一一樣。 [叫他們合而為一，像我們一樣。 ]

要隨時準備神突然來訪。一個常作準備的人是不必再作準備的了。試想想神呼召我們後，我們花多少時間去作準備！那火燒的荊棘，正像徵一個常作準備的心靈四周的景象，有神的同在，火燒得更熊。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，最能夠感受你的，可能就是我自己，願你的旨意能毫無障礙地在我裡面，並透過我得以成就。