10月8日
标 题：相信神的智慧
经 节：你去告诉希西家说，耶和华─你祖大卫的神如此说︰我听见了你的祷告，看见了你的眼泪。我必加增你十五年的寿数。（以赛亚书卅八章5节）
基督教有个重要的原则，就是神所知道的一切比我们所知的多得太多了。神是全知的神。当我们正经历神的祝福时，很容易相信神知道如何做对我们最好。然而，当神容许我们生命中遭受疾病与痛苦时，我们可能会质疑祂的智慧。
主告诉希西家，他的寿命快要结束。神建议他要预备自己，面对死亡，并且安排后事，移交王权。希西家反而恳求延长寿命，求神免除他的死亡（以赛亚书卅八：3）。神爱那义人希西家，因着祂的恩典，加增他十五年的寿数。这十五年的寿命证明神的智慧远超过人的智慧。在他那被增加的年岁中，玛拿西出生了。他最后继承希西家的犹大王位。玛拿西统治了五十五年，是历代掌管犹大国最邪恶的国王（列王纪下廿一：1）。玛拿西鼓励全国拜偶像。他使自己的儿子经火，去祭拜可憎的偶像。在他统治的时候，流了许多无辜人的血，全国每个角落都忍受他残暴的统治。玛拿西的邪恶激起神的愤怒，但玛拿西漠视神的警告（列王纪下廿一：16；历代志下卅三：10）。所有的苦难都是由玛拿西引起。如果希西家当初接受神原本在他生命的旨意，玛拿西王根本不会出生。除此之外，希西家增加的年岁，导致犹大囯最终被巴比伦人打败。
希西家不愿意接受神的旨意，造成这么大的伤害。神知道什么是最好的。不论你的环境是顺利或艰难，你可以完全信赖神的引导。
Trusting
God’s Wisdom
Go and
tell Hezekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: ‘I have
heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days
fifteen years.'” (Isaiah 38:5)
The
fundamental premise of Christianity is that God knows what is best better than
we do. When we are experiencing God’s blessing, it is easy to believe that God
knows what is best. But when God allows sickness and sorrow in our lives, we
may be tempted to question His wisdom.
The
Lord told King Hezekiah that his life was coming to an end. God advised him to
prepare himself for death and to make arrangements to turn over the kingdom.
Instead, Hezekiah pled for his life, begging God to spare him from death (Isa.
38:3). God loved the righteous Hezekiah and, in His grace, granted him an
additional fifteen years to live. Those fifteen years would prove that God’s
wisdom far exceeds human wisdom. During those added years, Mannasseh was born,
and he eventually succeeded Hezekiah as king of Judah. Mannasseh, who reigned
for fifty-five years, was the most evil king ever to rule over Judah (2 Kings
21:1). Mannaseh encouraged the worship of idolatry throughout the nation. He
passed his own son through fire according to the abominable practices of
idolatry. He shed much innocent blood during his reign; every part of the
nation suffered from his cruelty. Manasseh’s wickedness provoked God to anger,
but Manasseh ignored God’s warning (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chron. 33:10). Al l these
hardships were caused by Manasseh, a king who would never have been born if
Hezekiah had accepted God’s will for his life! Furthermore, Hezekiah’s extended
reign led to Judah’s eventual defeat by the Babylonians (2 Kings 20:12–20).
So
much suffering resulted from Hezekiah’s unwillingness to accept God’s will for
him. God knows what is best. Whether your circumstances are easy or difficult,
you can completely trust His guidance.
