忍耐(耐心)的武器　 

希伯來書六章11-12節勸誡我們要殷勤，「並且不懈怠，總要效法那些憑信心和忍耐(耐心)承受應許的人。」既然需要信心和忍耐才能承受應許，為何我們有許多信心運動，卻沒有忍耐運動呢？ 

聖經中有許多等候主的勸誡，但我從沒有找到一處說我們必須趕快。似乎我們最大的問題是等候，耐心是從神領受的重要元素，在這裡是與信心連在一起，因為耐心或許是真實信心和真正信靠神的最大要素。 

耐心需要持守在主的時候，按著神的時候前進是做主工至關重要的。忍耐(耐心)是聖靈的果子，需要由聖靈帶領。沒有耐心則是我們墮落人性的果子，會引領我們離開正道。沒有耐心將引領我們遠離神的旨意，並且常想違反祂的旨意。等候神需要神的平安和對祂的信心。 

使徒保羅在哥林多前書第十章詳述以色列曠野旅程的主要事件之後，接著他在11節說：「他們遭遇這些事，都要作為鑑戒；並且寫在經上，正是警戒我們這末世的人。」所以，以色列離開埃及、經過曠野進到應許之地的經歷，是為了成為我們旅程的地圖，從世界的綑綁進到我們在基督裡的應許。 

以色列旅程中最明顯、或許是最重要的功課：他們被帶去的第一個地方是進入應許之地的唯一路徑，他們得經過一個與他們所應許完全相反的地方。他們所得到的應許是一個流奶與蜜之地，而他們第一個被帶去的地方甚至連水也沒有！ 

我學到無論何時我領受從神來的應許，會有一段時間看起來像去到與應許完全相反的地方。這是我們的信心和忍耐成長之地，智慧會使我們在所應許的事上成為好管家。 

曠野讓以色列措手不及，使他們開始懷疑神。曠野使他們失去耐心，於是他們的心轉向埃及，或是轉向奴役他們的。曠野也讓許多基督徒措手不及，就像以色列一樣，缺乏對神的信靠，對祂的時候失去耐心，導致許多人的生命在曠野打轉。 

我們太容易或太快得到的東西，通常無足輕重，這亦是聖經原則。神在聖經和歷史上的偉大使者，都是歷經許多年，甚至數十年才產生，神偉大的應許同樣需要很大的預備。

沒有耐心與對神的信心相反，使我們遠離祂的旨意。這即是何以在信心中成長，我們也必須在耐心中成長。要領受應許同時需要信心與耐心，在希伯來書第三章和第四章提到，安息等同於應許之地。這並不是說我們只要在那睡覺或無所事事，而是我們在做神的工的同時經歷安息。那即是為何耶穌應許我們若與祂同負一軛，我們會為自己的靈魂找到安息。你不會帶著軛睡覺，而是帶著軛做工。

當我們看見基督徒不斷苦幹，從這需要到那需要，從這緊急情況到那緊急情況，卻沒有平安，我們可以確定他們已經遠離神的旨意。凡是行在祂旨意中的人會有平安，而他們對神的信心會從他們的忍耐/耐心展現出來。

 (摘自喬納word for the week, Week 14, 2021)
 

The Weapon of Patience

In Hebrews 6:11-12 we are exhorted to have diligence “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Since it takes faith and patience to inherit the promises, why is it that we have a large faith movement, but there is no patience movement?

         There are many exhortations in Scripture to wait upon the Lord, but I have never found one that says we must hurry. It seems that our biggest problem is waiting. Patience is a crucial element in receiving from God, and is linked here to faith because patience is perhaps the greatest element in real faith and real trust in God. 

         Patience is required to stay in the timing of the Lord. Moving in God’s timing is vital for His work. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and is required to be led by the Spirit. Impatience is the fruit of our fallen human nature and will lead us astray. What impatience compels us to do will not be a work of the Spirit. Impatience will lead us away from His will, and often seeks to counter His will. It takes the peace of God and faith in Him to wait for Him. 

         After the Apostle Paul recites in I Corinthians 10 the main events in Israel’s journey through the wilderness, he then says in verse 11: “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” So, Israel’s experiences leaving Egypt and going through the wilderness to their Promised Land are intended to be a map for our journey from bondage to the world to walking in our promises in Christ. 

         The most obvious, and perhaps most important, lesson of Israel’s journey was that the first place they were taken, and what was the only path to their Promised Land, was through a place that was the exact opposite of what they had been promised. They were promised a land flowing with milk and honey, and the first place that they were taken there was not even any water!

         I have learned that whenever I receive a promise from God that for a time it will look like I am getting the exact opposite of what I have been promised. This is the place where our faith and patience grow, and the wisdom that will enable us to be good stewards of what we are promised. 

         The wilderness threw Israel off and caused them to start doubting the Lord. This caused them to lose their patience, and so they turned back to Egypt in their hearts, or to what they had been in bondage to. It does the same for many Christians. Like Israel, the lack of trust in the Lord, and patience for His timing, cause many to spend their lives just going in circles in the wilderness. 

         There is also a biblical principle that what we receive too easily or too fast is usually insignificant. The great messengers of God in Scripture and history were many years and even many decades in the making. The great promises of God likewise require great preparation.

         Impatience is counter to faith in God and leads us astray from His will. This is why to grow in our faith we must also grow in patience. Both faith and patience are required to receive the promises. In Hebrews chapters 3 and 4, rest is equated with the Promised Land. The one thing that Scripture tells us to strive to do is to enter His rest. This doesn’t mean that we just sleep and lay around all the time, but in fact it is a rest that we experience when doing His work. That’s why Jesus promised that if we would take His yoke we would find rest for our souls. You don’t take on a yoke to go to bed, but to do work. 

         When we see any Christian who is constantly striving, running from need to need, emergency to emergency, with little peace, we can be sure they have departed from the will of God in their life. Those who walk in His will will have peace, and their faith in God will be demonstrated by their patience.