. . . the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.
幻想與靈感
向基督所存純一清潔的心
純一是看清事務的要訣.聖徒有時思路不清,可是應該可以毫無困難的看得清楚.屬靈的迷亂並不是靠思想可以得出頭緒.
必須順服神,就清楚了.屬乎理性的事,你可以賴思想得著出路,但屬靈的事,只會愈想愈一團糟.若在什麼事上神的手加壓力, 就要順服,把幻想拘禁在你對基督得順服裡; 這樣,一切就會明亮如白晝.理智是在後面才用的,但憑自己的聰明去看事物, 就一無所見. ( 太十一25)
我們若容讓極小的事不順服聖靈的控制, 就會陷入屬靈的迷亂中,即使花上多少思慮,也不能叫事態明朗. 屬靈的亂堆, 只有靠順服才可以澄清. 我們一順服, 就能辨明. 這是叫我們羞愧, 因為在迷亂之中, 我們知道問題是出於心志的狀態. 天然的視力若交給聖靈,就變成透察神旨意的能力,而整個生命也就能保持純一.
祈禱◆噢，我何等渴望被祢全然佔有,讓我的身,心,靈都被祢如火挑旺. 黑暗中仍潛伏著許多東西, 這些東西是何等的丟臉.
Showing posts with label Depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Depression. Show all posts
September 14, 2014
May 24, 2014
The Delight of Despair
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead —Revelation 1:17
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
February 17, 2014
Taking the Initiative Against Depression
Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
September 14, 2013
Arguments or Obedience
. . . the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.
幻想與靈感
向基督所存純一清潔的心
純一是看清事務的要訣.聖徒有時思路不清,可是應該可以毫無困難的看得清楚.屬靈的迷亂並不是靠思想可以得出頭緒.
必須順服神,就清楚了.屬乎理性的事,你可以賴思想得著出路,但屬靈的事,只會愈想愈一團糟.若在什麼事上神的手加壓力, 就要順服,把幻想拘禁在你對基督得順服裡; 這樣,一切就會明亮如白晝.理智是在後面才用的,但憑自己的聰明去看事物, 就一無所見. ( 太十一25)
我們若容讓極小的事不順服聖靈的控制, 就會陷入屬靈的迷亂中,即使花上多少思慮,也不能叫事態明朗. 屬靈的亂堆, 只有靠順服才可以澄清. 我們一順服, 就能辨明. 這是叫我們羞愧, 因為在迷亂之中, 我們知道問題是出於心志的狀態. 天然的視力若交給聖靈,就變成透察神旨意的能力,而整個生命也就能保持純一.
祈禱◆噢，我何等渴望被祢全然佔有,讓我的身,心,靈都被祢如火挑旺. 黑暗中仍潛伏著許多東西, 這些東西是何等的丟臉.
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.
幻想與靈感
向基督所存純一清潔的心
純一是看清事務的要訣.聖徒有時思路不清,可是應該可以毫無困難的看得清楚.屬靈的迷亂並不是靠思想可以得出頭緒.
必須順服神,就清楚了.屬乎理性的事,你可以賴思想得著出路,但屬靈的事,只會愈想愈一團糟.若在什麼事上神的手加壓力, 就要順服,把幻想拘禁在你對基督得順服裡; 這樣,一切就會明亮如白晝.理智是在後面才用的,但憑自己的聰明去看事物, 就一無所見. ( 太十一25)
我們若容讓極小的事不順服聖靈的控制, 就會陷入屬靈的迷亂中,即使花上多少思慮,也不能叫事態明朗. 屬靈的亂堆, 只有靠順服才可以澄清. 我們一順服, 就能辨明. 這是叫我們羞愧, 因為在迷亂之中, 我們知道問題是出於心志的狀態. 天然的視力若交給聖靈,就變成透察神旨意的能力,而整個生命也就能保持純一.
祈禱◆噢，我何等渴望被祢全然佔有,讓我的身,心,靈都被祢如火挑旺. 黑暗中仍潛伏著許多東西, 這些東西是何等的丟臉.
May 24, 2013
The Delight of Despair
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead —Revelation 1:17
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
February 17, 2013
Taking the Initiative Against Depression
Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
September 14, 2012
Arguments or Obedience
. . . the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.
幻想與靈感
向基督所存純一清潔的心
純一是看清事務的要訣.聖徒有時思路不清,可是應該可以毫無困難的看得清楚.屬靈的迷亂並不是靠思想可以得出頭緒.
必須順服神,就清楚了.屬乎理性的事,你可以賴思想得著出路,但屬靈的事,只會愈想愈一團糟.若在什麼事上神的手加壓力, 就要順服,把幻想拘禁在你對基督得順服裡; 這樣,一切就會明亮如白晝.理智是在後面才用的,但憑自己的聰明去看事物, 就一無所見. ( 太十一25)
我們若容讓極小的事不順服聖靈的控制, 就會陷入屬靈的迷亂中,即使花上多少思慮,也不能叫事態明朗. 屬靈的亂堆, 只有靠順服才可以澄清. 我們一順服, 就能辨明. 這是叫我們羞愧, 因為在迷亂之中, 我們知道問題是出於心志的狀態. 天然的視力若交給聖靈,就變成透察神旨意的能力,而整個生命也就能保持純一.
祈禱◆噢，我何等渴望被祢全然佔有,讓我的身,心,靈都被祢如火挑旺. 黑暗中仍潛伏著許多東西, 這些東西是何等的丟臉.
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.
幻想與靈感
向基督所存純一清潔的心
純一是看清事務的要訣.聖徒有時思路不清,可是應該可以毫無困難的看得清楚.屬靈的迷亂並不是靠思想可以得出頭緒.
必須順服神,就清楚了.屬乎理性的事,你可以賴思想得著出路,但屬靈的事,只會愈想愈一團糟.若在什麼事上神的手加壓力, 就要順服,把幻想拘禁在你對基督得順服裡; 這樣,一切就會明亮如白晝.理智是在後面才用的,但憑自己的聰明去看事物, 就一無所見. ( 太十一25)
我們若容讓極小的事不順服聖靈的控制, 就會陷入屬靈的迷亂中,即使花上多少思慮,也不能叫事態明朗. 屬靈的亂堆, 只有靠順服才可以澄清. 我們一順服, 就能辨明. 這是叫我們羞愧, 因為在迷亂之中, 我們知道問題是出於心志的狀態. 天然的視力若交給聖靈,就變成透察神旨意的能力,而整個生命也就能保持純一.
祈禱◆噢，我何等渴望被祢全然佔有,讓我的身,心,靈都被祢如火挑旺. 黑暗中仍潛伏著許多東西, 這些東西是何等的丟臉.
May 24, 2012
The Delight of Despair
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead —Revelation 1:17
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me . . .” (Revelation 1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do I know Him like that?
Take a look at some of the things that cause despair. There is despair which has no delight, no limits whatsoever, and no hope of anything brighter. But the delight of despair comes when “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells . . .” (Romans 7:18). I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
絕望中的興奮
我一看見，就仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣。 （啟一17）
也許你像約翰一樣，與主耶穌相知甚深。但當他突然以完全陌生的面貌出現，你只能仆倒他腳前像死去一樣。有時神不能以別的辦法顯示他自己，就只好以他的威嚴顯現。那異像中的威榮，叫你在絕望中心懷興奮。那時，你要再起來，就必須捉著神的手了。
[他用右手按著我說。 ]在驚恐中，有人觸摸你，你便曉得那時耶穌基督的右手。不是阻止、糾正或管教的右手，而是永在的父的右手。無論他的手什麼時候放在你身上，總有難以形容的平安與安慰，因為知道有永遠的膀臂在扶持，就得著供應、安慰與力量。神的撫摸一來，就再沒有什麼能叫你恐懼的了。主耶穌帶著天上的榮耀，對一個微不足道的門徒說：[不要懼怕。 ]他的仁慈是那樣的溫柔，我對他有這樣的認識麼？
留心那些令人絕望的事物。有一種絕望是沒有喜樂、沒有展望、沒有曙光。可是只要我知道[在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善]，那時絕望中的喜樂就來了。在神榮耀的彰顯之中，我必須謙恭俯伏。若要起來，神必親手攙扶。除非我到了一切的盡頭，否則神不能為我作什麼。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在屬靈和各方滿，願你加倍地保守這聖靈的殿。賜給我們你所喜悅的光輝和明亮。
February 17, 2012
Taking the Initiative Against Depression
Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.
When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
衝破苦悶的動力
起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）
天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。
神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。
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