5月11日
标 题：定睛在神的身上
经 节：摩西、亚伦就招聚会众到磐石前。摩西说：“你们这些背叛的人听我说：我为你们使水从这磐石中流出来吗？”（民数记二十章10节）
我们很容易看出，为什么摩西和以色列人在一起，会愈来愈泄气。他们是那么硬心，信心又软弱，使摩西失去耐性，对他们发脾气。每当摩西由神的身上挪开自己的注意力，都付上极大的代价。当他想要凭著一己之力，来帮助以色列百姓，他花了四十年在旷野牧羊（出埃及记二：11～15）。这次他鲁莽行动的代价，是不得进入应许之地（民数记二十：12）。当他因为百姓的不敬虔而气馁时，他也犯了同样的罪，他公然违背神的命令。怎么会发生这种事？因为摩西让自己的注意力，由神的作为转移到其他人的行为。
同样的事情也可能发生在你的身上。神在你的周围安置一些需要你辅导的人。除非你主要的注意力是在神的身上，否则永远不能恰到好处地帮助他们。如果你的着重点在人的身上，他们的软弱、悖逆、小信和顽固，很快地会使你气馁。你可能也会像摩西一样，犯了与自己所指责的人相同的罪。倘若你的双眼定睛在神圣的主身上，你会愈来愈像祂──仁慈、宽容、坚忍和公义。当你朋友的行为令你失望时，直接来到主的面前。要分辨神希望你去帮助朋友的事，而不是专注于他的罪。如此才能得到你所需要的力量、智慧和耐心，以神要求的方式来帮助你的朋友。
Fix Your Eyes on God
And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together
before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring
water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10)
It is easy to see why Moses became frustrated with
the Hebrew people. They were so hard-hearted and weak in their faith that Moses
lost his patience and became angry with them. Yet every time Moses shifted his
focus away from God, it cost him. When he sought to help his people by taking
matters into his own hands, he spent the next forty years herding sheep in the
wilderness (Exod. 2:11–15). This time his impetuous behavior cost him the
opportunity to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). In his frustration at the
peoples’ irreverence, Moses committed the very same sin, blatantly disobeying
God’s instructions. How did this happen? Moses allowed his attention to shift
to the behavior of others rather than focusing on the activity of God.
This could happen to you as well. God has put
people around you who need your ministry to them. You will never be able to
properly help them, however, unless your primary focus is on God. If you
concentrate on people, their weaknesses, their disobedience, their lack of
faith, and their stubbornness will quickly frustrate you. You may, like Moses,
commit the very sins you are condemning. If, however, your eyes are fixed on
holy God, you will become more like Him—gracious, forgiving, long-suffering,
and righteous. When a friend’s behavior disappoints you, go immediately to the
Lord. Seek to discern what God is wanting to do in your friend’s life rather
than concentrating on your friend’s sin. Then you will have the strength,
wisdom, and patience you need to help your friend in the way God desires.
