5月19日
标 题：有必要地调整自己
经 节：但愿我的头为水，我的眼为泪的泉源，我好为我百姓中被杀的人昼夜哭泣。（耶利米书九章1节）
神呼召耶利米作哭泣的先知。他正处于一个动荡苦闷的时代，当时他所属的社会普遍地灵性与道德低落。犹太国已经远远地离弃神，很快就要面对祂可惧的审判。这不是狂欢作乐的时候，是该悲哀哭泣的时候。在这个悽楚的时代，神在寻找某个人，愿意让祂磨塑成合用的先知。祂查找了耶利米。耶利米付出极重的代价，为了传达神的信息，他牺牲年轻时代许多的自由。他的家庭与名誉被剥夺，忍受人们的误解、辱駡与迫害。他被关进监狱，遭受人们的嘲笑，因为他向他们警告神将要来到的审判。
撒但会想尽办法，令你相信顺服的代价太高。然而，牠却从不告诉你违背神的代价。倘若你想被神使用，你要心里有数，得调整自己的生活。你能否衡量天堂宏伟的宝座，与伯利恒简陋的马槽之间有何差异？创造宇宙之主的身分与十字架的距离，有多么远呢？不要以为顺服是不用付出代价的。
神要你作怎样的自我调整呢？当你密切配合神的旨意时，是否会遇见反对势力与艰难？耶利米深深满足于成为神深爱忠诚的仆人。当你不管得付上多少代价，仍然愿意完全顺服神的时候，你的回报与耶利米是一样的。
Making Necessary Adjustments
Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a
fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the
daughter of my people! (Jeremiah 9:1)
Jeremiah was invited by God to be a weeping
prophet. His call came during turbulent, agonizing times as his society
suffered from pervasive moral and spiritual decay. The nation of Judah had
turned so far from God that it was soon to face His fierce judgment. This was not
a time for merrymaking but for weeping. God looked for someone He could mold
into the kind of prophet needed for such a bleak time. He found Jeremiah. The
cost to Jeremiah was intense; he sacrificed much of the freedom of his youth in
order to be God’s messenger. He forfeited family and reputation. He endured
misunderstanding, ridicule, and persecution. He was imprisoned and mocked by
those to whom he had come to warn of God’s impending judgment.
Satan will try to convince you that obedience
carries much too high a price, but he will never tell you the cost of not
obeying God. If you are to be used in God’s service you must expect to make
adjustments in your life. Can you measure the distance between the throne room
of heaven and a cattle shed in Bethlehem? How far is it from the Lordship of
the universe to the cross? Don’t be deceived into thinking there is no cost
involved in obedience.
What adjustments is God asking you to make? Will
you face the hardships and opposition that will come when you align your life
with God’s will? Jeremiah had the deep satisfaction of knowing he was a
faithful and beloved servant of God. Your reward will be the same when you
choose to fully obey Christ, regardless of the cost.
