2008年8月28日 星期四

2008-08-28 Devotionals Today

知信行網上團契為各主內肢體提供的每日靈糧,歡迎訂閱推介奉獻支持
《網絡天糧》查詢,請電郵:ccf@ccfellow.org

訂閱天糧 | 轉介天糧 | 修訂訂閱 | 奉獻支持


萬事起頭難

粵語 國語

第28天


讀經:   尼希米記二章11至20節
當尼希米第一眼看見耶路撒冷的時候,你猜他有甚麼感覺呢?他當然會很興奮,但同時又十分震驚。他逼切想開展計劃,卻又被逼要先安靜下來。他第一個感覺,是知道自己還沒準備好去迎接面前的挑戰。他該從何入手呢?

他靜靜地思考了三天──我們可以相信,他必然也在神面前安靜祈禱。未來的日子將有很多工作;現在正是計劃和禱告的時刻。接著,他便要親自視察毀壞的城牆。他要安排人去把殘垣斷壁移走、把蔓生的植物清除、找回原來的石頭,將它們安回原位。他需要計劃人手的分配,和構思怎樣鼓勵民眾,去開展這項龐大的重建工程。

然後,他便去到百姓中間,與他們講解他的計劃。他並不是開口便說:「你們應該自覺羞慚!你們已經回來定居多年,卻對損毀的城牆無動於衷!」不,他沒有責備他們,他反而向他們表示自己也有責任,他們要共同承擔此職責。他對他們說:「我們都看見城牆毀了,我們必須合力重建它。我相信神必幫助我們。神必與我們同在。王也支持我們。我們需要共同承擔此工作,讓我們開始吧!」

尼希米沒有承諾工程會很容易完成;但百姓的反應卻令人鼓舞。他們說:「讓我們起來建造吧!」他們便一起投入工作,我們在第三章將看見他們如何分工合作。

當他們一開始工作,便有人給他們潑冷水。請看第19節。我們在本書的餘下部分,將不斷看見這類人。他們會想盡辦法去阻撓重建的工程;但尼希米總是以同一句說話來作出回應:「我們是照著神的旨意去做。如果你們妨礙我們,我得警告你們,要小心神的責罰。」

我們也許會有同樣的經歷:當我們知道自己是照著神的旨意去行,卻遇到反對的聲音。我們會怎樣做呢?我們要聽清楚別人的批評,反省神為何讓這些批評出現。別人的讚賞未必使我們有很大得益,但別人的批評卻往往令我們有所醒悟。當我們認定我們的行動是合乎神的心意,我們就要定睛仰望主,相信祂呼召我們去做的工作,祂定必成全。

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GETTING STARTED-HARDEST JOB OF ALL
Day 28


Bible Reading:   Nehemiah 2:11-20
Can you imagine Nehemiah's feelings as he saw Jerusalem for the first time? He was thrilled, but he was also shocked. He was eager, but he was silent. He knew he was not quite ready for the great task ahead of him. Wherever would he start?

For three days he sat quietly thinking about it all-we could add praying too. There will be plenty of action in the days ahead. Now was the time for planning and prayer. The next step was to have a look for himself at the ruins of the walls. There would be rubbish to remove, vines to be pulled down, stones to be found and put back in place. He needed to plan how to use the people and how to get them started on the big job of rebuilding.

Then he talked with the 'people. He did not say,. 'You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You've lived here all these years and have done nothing.' Instead he identified himself with them in the task. He said, 'We have a problem; we need to db something. I believe God will help us. God is with us. The king is behind us. The job is in front of us. Let's get started.'

Nehemiah did not promise an easy future. But the people responded wonderfully. They said, 'Let us rise up and build'. They put their hands to the work and in chapter three we will hear about their first working bee.

But the moment they decided to begin, opposition started. Look at verse 19. We will meet these men time and time again in the book of Nehemiah. They will try in every way possible to hinder the work. But Nehemiah always had the, same answer. 'I stand-we stand-in-the will of God. If you stand against us, I warn you, God will deal with you.'

There will be times when we will know the will of God for our lives, and then opposition will come. What will we do? Our refuge will be the will of God. Look at the criticism and see why God has allowed it. We never learn much from compliments, but we can sometimes learn from criticism. At that time, above all, let us never take our eyes off the Lord who has called us to his work.

沒有留言: