DAY 88
擁有應許
雷克-喬納

我們願你們各人都顯出這樣的殷勤，使你們有滿足的指望，一直到底。
並且不懈怠，總要效法那些憑信心和忍耐承受應許的人。（希伯來書6：11-12）

我很感謝過去幾十年來許多事工對信心的大力強調。然而，正如上面的文字所宣稱的那樣，要繼承應許，需要信心和耐心。我們有這個巨大的 "信心運動"，卻從未聽說過 "耐心運動"，這不是很奇怪嗎？

老鷹需要兩個翅膀才能飛行。如果一隻鷹只用一隻翅膀試圖飛翔，它只會在地上轉圈圈。許多人也是如此，他們試圖在靈裡靠信心翱翔，但沒有加上耐心。這些人只是一直在轉圈，越來越沮喪，踢出很多灰塵。我們所教導的任何真理，如果沒有與之相對應的真理，都會使我們陷入沮喪，而不是成就。正如我們讀到的亞伯拉罕，他被稱為 "信心之父"。

他在無可指望的時候，因信仍有指望，就得以作多國的父，正如先前所說，你的後裔將要如此。
他將近百歲的時候，雖然想到自己的身體如同已死，撒拉的生育已經斷絕，他的信心還是不軟弱；
並且仰望神的應許，總沒有因不信心裡起疑惑，反倒因信心裡得堅固，將榮耀歸給神，
且滿心相信神所應許的必能做成。
所以，這就算為他的義。（羅馬書4：18-22）。

真正的信心不會隨著時間的推移而動搖，而是變得更加堅定。因此，耐心是證明一個人的信心是否真實的證據。

我遇到許多灰心的基督徒，他們覺得上帝給他們的應許沒有成就。如果神的應許沒有成就，我們可以肯定，整個錯在我們這邊，而不是祂。祂總是忠於祂的話語。

那麼，我們可能做錯的是什麼呢？在大多數情況下，我們似乎將信心與情感混為一談，而沒有將它與耐心結合起來。神的每一個應許都有條件。如果我們沒有看到祂的應許得到成就，那是因為我們沒有滿足這些條件。有信心是一個條件，有耐心是另一個條件。如果我們在等待應許實現的過程中隨著時間的流逝而灰心喪氣，那麼我們就沒有神的真信心。真正的信心總是隨著時間的流逝而變得更強大，而不是更弱小。

在以色列人得到應許之地的地方和應許之地本身之間，有一片曠野，與他們所應許的完全相反。曠野證明了他們是相信上帝，還是懷疑上帝。當我們得到一個應許時，幾乎總是如此。為了成就應許，往往需要經過一片曠野，而這片曠野與我們所應許的恰恰相反。正是在這個地方，我們必須選擇要麼相信上帝，要麼向灰心和自憐屈服。

自憐是主要破壞者之一，使神的子民無法在他們的目的中行走。如果我們允許自怨自艾或灰心喪氣進入我們的生活，我們就會像離開埃及的第一代以色列人一樣，在無用的圈子裡徘徊。如果我們相信上帝，我們將在適當的時候獲得應許。如果我們相信上帝，我們甚至會在曠野中歡呼，為被上帝呼喚而感恩。

感謝神！常率領我們在基督裡誇勝，並藉著我們在各處顯揚那因認識基督而有的香氣。（哥林多後書2：14）。

DAY 88
Possessing the Promises
Rick Joyner

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:11-12).

I am thankful for the great emphasis that many ministries have put on faith over the last few decades. However, as the text above declares, it will take faith and patience to inherit the promises. Isn't it strange that we have this huge "faith movement," but have never heard of a "patience movement?"

It takes two wings for an eagle to fly. If an eagle were to try to fly with just one wing he would only spin around in circles on the ground. The same is true of many people who are trying to soar spiritually on their faith, but have not added patience. These just keep going around in circles, getting more and more frustrated and kicking up a lot of dust. Any truth that we teach without the counter-balancing truth will lead us to frustration, not fulfillment. As we read of Abraham, who is called the "father of faith":

In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be."
And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;
yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.
Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Romans 4:18-22).
True faith does not waver over time, but becomes stronger. Therefore, patience is the proof of whether one's faith is real or not.

I meet many discouraged Christians who feel that God gave them promises that have not been fulfilled. If any promise of God is not fulfilled, we can be sure that the entire fault is on our side, not His. He is always true to His word.

So what is it that we could be doing wrong? In most cases it seems that we are confusing faith with an emotion, and not joining it with patience. There are conditions with every promise of God. If we are not seeing His promises fulfilled it is because we are not meeting the conditions. Having faith is one condition—having patience is another. If we get discouraged with the passage of time while waiting for a promise to come to pass, then we do not have the true faith of God. True faith always gets stronger with the passage of time, not weaker.

Between the place where the children of Israel were given the promise of a Promised Land, and the Promised Land itself, there was a wilderness that was the exact opposite of what they were promised. The wilderness proved whether they would trust God, or doubt Him. The same is almost always true when we are given a promise. There is often a wilderness to go through to get to the fulfillment of the promise that is the opposite of what we have been promised. It is in this place that we must choose either to believe God, or give in to discouragement and self-pity.

Self-pity is one of the primary destroyers assigned to keep God's people from walking in their purposes. If we allow self-pity or discouragement into our lives, we will wander in useless circles just as the first generation of Israelites did who left Egypt. If we believe God, we will in due time attain the promise. If we believe God we will even rejoice in the wilderness, being thankful to have been called by God.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place (II Corinthians 2:14).