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經文：「從此起首...交給你，你要得...為業。」（申2:31） 聖經中常講起信徒該怎樣等候神，但是這個眞理不能單偏向某一面。誠然許多時候，我們頂容易不耐煩主的遲延；生活中許多的煩惱，也都是出於自己的紛擾、魯莽和焦急。 我們不等果子成熟，就採下青澀的果子。我們不能耐心等候禱告蒙應允，不管所求的需要長時間預備。我們想與神同行，又不想神走得太慢。這些都是我們的失敗，不能耐心等候神。 然而有關等候的眞理還有另一面；那就是神也時常等待我們，可惜我們卻總是耽誤祂；那就是我們得不到神已經預備好了的祝福，是因為我們不上前去接受。縱然有時我們的損失，是因為不等候神；但又多少時候我們的損失，是因為等待得過久了。所以我們應該，靜坐有時，邁步上前也有時。 聖經中有許多應許都是帶著條件的；我們必須先履行所約，然後神才能實現祂的應許。當我們開始順服的時候，神就開始賜福我們。 神給亞伯拉罕許多的應許；但是亞伯拉罕還停在迦勒底的時候，這許多的應許沒有一個能實現。他必須先離開本地本族本家，離開所有的朋友，到一個異鄉去。然後神才一件一件成就祂的應許。 主耶穌醫治十個長大痲瘋的，祂對他們說：「你們去把身體給祭司察看。」然而他們在甚麼時候得醫治的？「他們去的時候就潔淨了」（路17:14）。如果他們等待，要先看見身體皮肉潔淨了再出發，他們絕不會得到醫治。主正等待潔淨他們；只消他們的信心一開始活動，賜福就來了。 當以色列人被仇敵追逼到紅海的時候，神吩咐他們「往前走」（出14:15）。他們的責任不是等待，乃是鼓著勇敢的信心起來往前走。還有一次，當要渡過泛濫兩岸的約但河時，他們必須先有信心伸足入水。信心是一把鑰匙，一把開啟應許美地之門的鑰匙；這把鑰匙是在他們自己的手中，他們若不走近那門轉動鑰匙的話，門是絕對不會自動開啟的。 信徒們，今日我們是命定在世界爭戰的。當然我們絕不能得勝，竟不堪仇敵一擊；然而，當我們憑信心衝過前線時，那惟一的得勝者就會來到身邊替我們爭戰；靠著祂，我們已經得勝有餘了。如果光是猶豫戰兢等候那得勝者先來，然後才向前爭戰，結果一定只是空等，而這就是不信的過度等候。 神今天仍在等著要厚厚地賜福與我們；所以我們應該用勇敢的信心前去接受。「從此起首，我要...交給你，你要得...為業。」--密勒 J.R.M. 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "I have begun to give;…begin to possess" (Deut. 2:31). A great deal is said in the Bible about waiting for God. The lesson cannot be too strongly enforced. We easily grow impatient of God's delays. Much of our trouble in life comes out of our restless, sometimes reckless, haste. We cannot wait for the fruit to ripen, but insist on plucking it while it is green. We cannot wait for the answers to our prayers, although the things we ask for may require long years in their preparation for us. We are exhorted to walk with God; but ofttimes God walks very slowly. But there is another phase of the lesson. God often waits for us. We fail many times to receive the blessing He has ready for us, because we do not go forward with Him. While we miss much good through not waiting for God, we also miss much through over-waiting. There are times when our strength is to sit still, but there are also times when we are to go forward with a firm step. There are many Divine promises which are conditioned upon the beginning of some action on our part. When we begin to obey, God will begin to bless us. Great things were promised to Abraham, but not one of them could have been obtained by waiting in Chaldea. He must leave home, friends, and country, and go out into unknown paths and press on in unfaltering obedience in order to receive the promises. The ten lepers were told to show themselves to the priest, and "as they went they were cleansed." If they had waited to see the cleansing come in their flesh before they would start, they would never have seen it. God was waiting to cleanse them; and the moment their faith began to work, the blessing came. When the Israelites were shut in by a pursuing army at the Red Sea, they were commanded to "Go forward." Their duty was no longer one of waiting, but of rising up from bended knees and going forward in the way of heroic faith. They were commanded to show their faith at another time by beginning their march over the Jordan while the river ran to its widest banks. The key to unlock the gate into the Land of Promise they held in their own hands, and the gate would not turn on its hinges until they had approached it and unlocked it. That key was faith. We are set to fight certain battles. We say we can never be victorious; that we never can conquer these enemies; but, as we enter the conflict, One comes and fights by our side, and through Him we are more than conquerors. If we had waited, trembling and fearing, for our Helper to come before we would join the battle, we should have waited in vain. This would have been the over-waiting of unbelief. God is waiting to pour richest blessings upon you. Press forward with bold confidence and take what is yours. "I have begun to give, begin to possess." --J. R. Miller ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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