6月8日
標 題:神多次多方地曉諭
經 節:神既在古時藉著眾先知多次多方地曉諭列祖,就在這末世藉著祂兒子曉諭我們。(希伯來書一章1~2節上)
我們這世代偏好方法論。在工作上,一發現某個程序有效果,我們就將它包裝分送出去,叫別人也能使用。這種態度也被運用到屬靈的生活。我們花了許多精力尋找「有用」的屬靈操練方法、閱讀屬靈書籍、參加「有效」的會議或大型聚會,好充實我們的基督徒生活。但神並沒有要我們相信方法,祂要我們相信祂。
相信方法而不相信祂,是我們個人的損失,如此做會限制我們經歷神。當我們只期待神以預言的方式曉諭我們,就是忘記神遠比我們所認識的祂要複雜得多了。過去,神以夢與異象曉諭人。祂也使用大自然、神跡、先知、低沉微小的聲音、火、號角、羊毛、搖簽與天使。祂在深更半夜、在敬拜之中、在吃飯的時候、在葬禮中、在人行路時、藉著講道、在暴風雨中、藉著祂的兒子,來曉諭我們。
重要的不是祂怎樣與我們溝通,而是祂對我們說話的內容。倘若神總是藉著異夢向我們說話,我們要常常待在床上,等待祂神聖的啟示!也就是說,神用什麼方式與我們溝通並不重要,祂所要告訴我們的事情才是重點。
不要把自己局限於某一個方法,也不要期待僅僅由預言的方式才能聽見神的話。要開放自己,願意接受神的任何溝通方式。容許聖靈在任何地方及任何環境,使你時時敏銳地聆聽神的信息。當你聽到祂的話語時,你對神會有全新的認識。
God Speaks in
Many Times and Ways
God, who at
various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. (Hebrews 1:1-2a)
Our generation is preoccupied with methods. When we find a program that
works in one business, we immediately want to package and distribute it so that
it will work for others. This attitude carries over into the spiritual life as
well. We spend much energy looking for spiritual disciplines, books, seminars,
or conferences that “work” in order to feel satisfied with our Christian life.
God does not want us to trust in methods. He wants us to trust in Him.
Trusting in methods rather than in a Person seriously limits the way we
experience God. When we expect Him to speak to us only in predictable ways, we
forget that God is much more complex than our perception of Him. In times past,
God spoke in dreams and visions. He used nature; miraculous signs; prophets; a
still, small voice; fire; trumpets; fleece; the casting of lots; and angels. He
spoke in the middle of the night, during worship services, at mealtimes, during
funerals, while people were walking along the road, through sermons, in the
middle of a storm, and through His Son.
The important thing was not how God communicated, but that He spoke. If
God always spoke to us through dreams, we would remain in our beds awaiting a
divine revelation! The means God uses to communicate with us is irrelevant; the
fact that He is communicating is what is critical.
Don’t limit yourself to a method, expecting only to hear from your
Father in predictable ways. Rather, open yourself up to other means by which
God wants to commune with you. Allow the Holy Spirit to sensitize you to God’s
message at all times, in every location, under any circumstance. Then you will
experience God in entirely new dimensions as you are receptive to His voice.