DAY 82
焦慮與國度
雷克-喬納

你們要先求他的國和他的義，這些東西都要加給你們了。
所以，不要為明天憂慮，因為明天自有明天的憂慮；一天的難處一天當就夠了 （馬太福音6:33-34）。

這段經文指出，如果我們在尋求祂的國，我們就不會為明天而焦慮。如果我們焦慮，那是因為我們已經從尋求祂的國中分心了。

焦慮不是聖靈的果實，如果我們允許焦慮引導我們，聖靈就不會引導我們。焦慮是一個致命的敵人。它是我們被引入歧途的主要途徑之一。因此，腓立比書4:6-7勸告我們：

應當一無掛慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求，和感謝，將你們所要的告訴神。
神所賜、出人意外的平安必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。

神的平安是對付焦慮的方法。祂的平安將守護我們的心和思想，使我們在基督耶穌裡常在。正如我們在這段經文中所看到的，祂的平安是我們在禱告中把憂慮帶到祂面前的結果。如果現在被憂慮消耗的所有時間都用來禱告，我們的生活會發生怎樣的變化？我們大多數人的生活會發生根本性的變化，因為神回應了祈禱，而不是擔憂。當我們禱告時，祂會改變事情。祂也會改變我們。如果我們通過信仰的眼睛而不是恐懼的眼睛來看待這個世界，我們會有非常不同的看法。

以賽亞書6:1-3現在對我來說是最重要的經文之一，但當我還是新信徒時，我無法理解這些經文。它是這樣寫的：

當烏西雅王崩的那年，我見主坐在高高的寶座上。他的衣裳垂下，遮滿聖殿。
其上有撒拉弗侍立，各有六個翅膀：用兩個翅膀遮臉，兩個翅膀遮腳，兩個翅膀飛翔；
彼此呼喊說：聖哉！聖哉！聖哉！萬軍之耶和華；他的榮光充滿全地！

當然，我相信主是聖潔的並沒有問題，但在所有的戰爭、貧窮、壓迫、虐待兒童、疾病和死亡的情況下，我無法理解這些撒拉弗怎麼能說全地都充滿了祂的榮耀。然後有一天，主對我說："這些撒拉弗看到全地被我的榮耀充滿的原因是他們住在我的面前。如果你願意住在我的面前，你也會在一切事物中看到我的榮耀。"

住在主的面前有助於我們超越暫時的環境，看到祂在祂的國度裡永恆的目的。這將改變我們看問題的方式，我們生活的方式，以及我們的方式。
 

DAY 82
Anxiety Versus the Kingdom
Rick Joyner

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
"Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:33-34).

This passage states that if we are seeking His kingdom we will not be anxious for tomorrow. If we are anxious it is because we have been distracted from seeking His kingdom.

Anxiety is not a fruit of the Spirit, and if we allow anxiety to lead us, the Spirit will not lead us. Anxiety is a deadly enemy. It is one of the primary ways that we are led astray from our purposes. We are therefore exhorted in Philippians 4:6-7:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of God is the counter to anxiety. His peace will guard our hearts and minds so that we abide in Christ Jesus. As we see in this text, His peace is the result of taking our cares to Him in prayer. How would our lives be changed if all of the time that is now consumed by worry wasinstead used for prayer? Most of our lives would be radically different because God answers prayer, not worry. When we pray He changes things. He also changes us. We would see the world very differently if we saw it through the eyes of faith instead of fear.

Isaiah 6:1-3 is now one of the most important Scriptures to me, but when I was a new believer I could not understand these verses. It reads:

In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Of course, I did not have a problem believing that the Lord was holy, but with all of the wars, poverty, oppression, child abuse, sickness, and death, I could not understand how these seraphim could say that the whole earth was filled with His glory. Then one day the Lord spoke to me and said, "The reason that these seraphim see the whole earth filled with My glory is because they dwell in My presence. If you will dwell in My presence you too will see My glory in everything."

Dwelling in the presence of the Lord helps us to see beyond the temporary circumstances to His eternal purposes in His kingdom. This will change the way we see, the way we live, and the way we are.