9月24日 “去”的准备

所以你在祭坛上献礼物的时候，若想起弟兄向你怀怨，就把礼物留在坛前，先去同弟兄和好，然后来献礼物。（太五23-24）

我们很容易幻想自己会达到一个完全准备妥当的地步，但其实准备功夫不是突然间可以作成，准备乃是一个不断持续的过程。陷进固有的经历中，是一种危险。我们要准备加上准备。“牺牲精神”对青年信徒来说，是很具吸引力。按人性论，唯一吸引我们向主耶稣的，就是那英雄气概。可是在主话的细察下，这热潮要受到考验。主说：“先去同弟兄和好。”“去”的准备，是先让神的话查验。单有英雄气概是不够的。圣灵要在你身上查出不合用于事奉的意向。这意向，除了神以外，没有人能查察出来。你有什么东西要向神隐藏？若有，就让神用他的光来搜查。若有罪，就要认罪，不要单单承认。不管是怎样卑躬，你愿意顺服主吗？

千万不可不顾良心的谴责。若神的灵叫你想起那事，那事就是重要的，是他所要查察的。你以往不断要找些大的事来放弃，神却要你注意些小事。因为在这小事的背后，正藏着顽梗的大本营：“我不肯放弃自己的主权。”若要作耶稣基督的门徒，神要你放弃的正是你的主权。

祈祷◆主啊，让今天充满了对你的赞美。愿你使我脱离各式各样的烦扰。为着我的思想能专注于你，我赞美你，但我仍渴望你的美善临到我身上。

September 24 The “Go” Of Preparation

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there thou rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23, 2

It is easy to imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained. It is dangerous to get into a settled state of experience. It is preparation and preparation.

The sense of sacrifice appeals readily to a young Christian. Humanly speaking, the one thing that attracts to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and the scrutiny of Our Lord's words suddenly brings this tide of enthusiasm to the test. “First be reconciled to thy brother.” The “go” of preparation is to let the word of God scrutinize. The sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit is detecting in you is the disposition that will never work in His service. No one but God can detect that disposition in you. Have you anything to hide from God? If you have, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin, confess it, not admit it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?

Never discard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting. You were looking for a great thing to give up. God is telling you of some tiny thing; but at the back of it there lies the central citadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right to myself – the thing God intends you to give up if ever you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.