喜樂的武器  

我們從上週的每週一話開始談到，一個成熟基督徒的三個基本特性是愛、喜樂和平安。這些是「強大的屬神武器」，這週我們將談到喜樂的武器。

尼希米記八章10節告訴我們：「你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。」我們必須比我們的敵人更強大，才可以贏得戰役。這節經文說「靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量」，先要從「你們不要憂愁」開始，因為憂愁是專注在我們的問題，或我們的損失，而不是專注於主。憂愁是喜樂的相反，因此是我們力量的頭號摧毀者。

當我們失去我們所愛的人、產業，或是努力得來的資源，會憂愁是很自然的。但我們不是被呼召活在自然領域，乃是靠聖靈而活。我們可能認為這樣的要求太高，這是對主裡不成熟的人而言。然而，我們在主裡越成長，這樣的要求也變得越容易。與其為著損失或試煉憂愁，不如遵守以下聖經所言：

我的弟兄們，你們落在百般試煉中，都要以為大喜樂；
因為知道你們的信心經過試驗，就生忍耐。
但忍耐也當成功，使你們成全、完備，毫無缺欠(雅各書1:2-4)。 

因此，你們是大有喜樂；但如今，在百般的試煉中暫時憂愁，
叫你們的信心既被試驗，就比那被火試驗仍然能壞的金子更顯寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴(彼得前書 1:6-7)。

基督徒成熟的一個記號，就是能夠以喜樂來忍受艱難和損失。如果我們真的相信羅馬書八章28節所說，萬事互相效力是為著我們的益處，怎能不將艱難視為神為著我們的益處所賜予的殊榮呢？如果我們成熟到足以領會，這些試煉是預備我們來領受永恆的榮耀，我們怎能不為著這些試煉而喜樂呢？

我們可能一開始不會覺得喜樂，這是可以理解的，但那即是為何雅各說「都要以為大喜樂」。這是一種心志，就是我們定意信靠神多過我們的感覺，或是世界的任何其他事物。如果我們遵從帖撒羅尼迦前書五章18節：「凡事謝恩；因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意」，我們便會擁有這樣的心志。正如詩篇一百篇所言：「我們是以感恩進入祂的門，或祂的同在」。詩篇十六篇11節說：「在你面前（同在中）有滿足的喜樂。」常在主同在的關鍵就是凡事謝恩。 

當我感染新冠肺炎，我定意要為此試煉感恩。我越感到不舒服，就越感恩，有三天我感到非常難受，遠超過從前所經歷的任何流感或疾病，但同時因為主的同在，我是何等充滿著喜樂。我真心認為整個經歷非常值得。 

在我未信主前，我嘗試許多讓自己快樂的事，我可以向你保證，這些感覺完全不像來自神同在「滿足的喜樂」。我們是為此而受造，其他任何東西都只是廉價、膚淺的替代品。 

我並不是主張嘗試感染新冠肺炎或去自找苦吃，我不認為我們有智慧這樣做，但主所允許的事，我們必須欣然接受並充滿感恩。正如「靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量」（尼希米記 8:10），祂同在的喜樂可以賜給我們在試煉中得勝的力量。然而，我們不需要試煉來行在祂的喜樂中。我們應該在萬事上都行在祂的喜樂中，如果我們是感恩的人，我們將會這麼做。 

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 11, 2021)
 

The Weapon of Joy

 As we began to cover in the last WFTW, three basic characteristics of a mature Christian is love, joy, and peace. These are “divinely powerful weapons.” This week we will cover the weapon of Joy. 

         In Nehemiah 8:10 we are told, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of The Lord is your strength.” To win any battle we must be stronger than our adversary. This statement that “the joy of The Lord is our strength” begins with “Do not be grieved” because grief is to focus on our problems, or our losses, instead of The Lord. Grief is the opposite of joy, and therefore a primary destroyer of our strength. 

          When we lose a loved one, property, or resources we have worked hard for, grief is natural. But we are not called to live in the natural, but by The Spirit. We may think this is asking too much, and it is for the immature in The Lord. However, the more we grow up into Him the easier this becomes. Instead of embracing grief at losses or trials, we obey The Scriptures that say:

         “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 
         “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 
         “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

         “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 
         “so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”    (I Peter 1:6-7).

         A mark of Christian maturity is being able to endure hardships and loss with joy. If we truly believe that all things work together for our good as we’re told in Romans 8:28, how can we not count hardships as a privilege God has given to us for our good? If we are mature enough to comprehend the eternal glory that these trials prepare us to receive, how can we not be joyful about them? 

         It’s understandable that we may not feel joy at first, but that is why James wrote “count it all joy.” This is a mindset where we resolve to trust God more than our feelings, or anything else in the created world. We will have this mindset if we obey I Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” As we are told in Psalm 100, we enter The Lord’s gates, or presence, with thanksgiving. Psalm16:11 states, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” The key to abiding in the presence of The Lord is to give thanks in everything.

         When I got Covid-19 I resolved to be thankful for the trial. The worse I felt, the more I thanked Him. I did go through three days when I felt worse than I ever had from any flu or sickness, but at the same time those were days filled with such joy because of the presence of The Lord I felt. I truly thought the whole experience was worth it many times over. 

         In my BC (before Christ) days, I tried many things to get high. I can assure you there is no high or feeling of any kind like the “fullness of joy” that comes from the presence of The Lord. This is what we were made for, and anything else is just a cheap, shallow substitute. 

         I am not advocating trying to get Covid or to bring any kind of trial upon ourselves. I don’t think we have the wisdom to do this, but those that The Lord allows we must embrace and be thankful for. As “the joy of The Lord is your strength” (see Nehemiah 8:10), the joy of His presence can give us the strength we need to be victorious in any trial. However, we do not need trials to walk in His joy. We should walk in it in all things, and we will if we are thankful people.