於2022-12-23發佈


在應許和成就之間的地方
作者:卡蒂-佩爾頓 Kathi Pelton
來源:以利亞名單 https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=28591 
日期:2022.12.22
翻譯:Kate
轉載/轉寄 請註明出處:國度禱告網

一天早上,我早早醒來,我的魂(soul)開始為一些我一直在禱告中的個人事情而努力。我馬上就能感覺到我的心、我的禱告和我的想法中的努力。當一些事在請求和答案之間懸而未決時,或者一個應許和成就之間懸而未決時,這是一個容易出現的地方。

然後主讓我的魂安靜下來,說:"只要以信靠的姿態靜靜地坐在我面前,深呼吸"。

我提醒我的魂,祂從不遲到,祂不會忘記,祂能夠做我不能做的事。我不需要努力,也不需要強迫祂的手,因為祂在與我的事都有旨意和智慧。

"我的心哪,你當默默無聲,專等候神,因為我的盼望是從他而來。"(詩篇62:5)

然後我想起了上面的經文,一種寂靜和安靜的信靠降臨到我的心和腦中。祂是我的盼望,我可以完全信靠祂,以至於安息取代了擔憂,靜默取代了努力。

在一個寂靜的夜晚

在這個聖誕季節,我們記得人類如何等候救主--彌賽亞。然後,在漫長的等候之後,主的天使出現在羊群和牧羊人安息的地方,宣佈等候結束。

"有主的使者站在他們旁邊,主的榮光四面照著他們;牧羊的人就甚懼怕。那天使對他們說:不要懼怕!我報給你們大喜的信息,是關乎萬民的;因今天在大衛的城裡,為你們生了救主,就是主基督。你們要看見一個"嬰孩,包著布,臥在馬槽裡,那就是記號了。(路加福音2:-12)

神已經指定了孕育應許的時間和地點,並向附近看守羊群的牧羊人宣佈。他們不是在呼喊應許,也不是在努力迫使神的手。他們只是在照看託付給他們的羊群。早在那晚之前,神就已經許下應許,彌賽亞會到來;一個孩子會給我們帶來盼望和救贖。

"因有一嬰孩為我們而生;有一子賜給我們。政權必擔在他的肩頭上;他名稱為奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。"(以賽亞書9:6)

祂來了!在一個寂靜的夜晚,當大多數人不知不覺地睡著時,祂來了...... 經過幾代人的等候,大多數人已經對救世主的應許失去盼望。然而,神並沒有忘記,祂有一個指定的時間。

祂沒有忘記

你可能有已經得到的應許,但等候的時間太長了,以至於你懷疑祂是否已經忘記。祂沒有忘記,對我們來說感覺很慢的事情,在祂那裡只是一瞬間。

"親愛的弟兄啊,有一件事你們不可忘記,就是主看一日如千年,千年如一日。主所應許的尚未成就,有人以為他是耽延,其實不是耽延,乃是寬容你們,不願有一人沉淪,乃願人人都悔改。"(彼得後書3:8-9)

我們對時間有敏銳的認識和意識。我們保持時間,觀察時間,在計算時間時等候。我們常常把時間流逝解釋為延遲,然而對神來說,有一個指定的時間,從祂完美的角度來看,這個時間不過是應許作出後的一瞬間。祂並不遲鈍,祂對我們感覺非常緩慢的過程和觀點很有耐心--然而我們必須繼續盼望並安息在那位應許者身上。祂將成就它。

如果這是你,請坐下來,做一個長長的深呼吸。讓你的魂安靜下來,並在你所處的盼望時刻得到安慰。在信靠和靜默中等候。

"我等候耶和華,我的心等候;我也仰望他的話。"(詩篇130:5)

祂沒有忘記你;祂沒有拋棄你;祂也不盼望給你帶來傷害。我們的生活常常感覺好像等候的季節多於獲得的季節,然而我已經並仍在學習,不要因為乞求神在尚未到來的時刻做祂已經應許的事而錯過我所得到的日子和時刻。

安慰的神

今年,我經常默想比爾-強森在他寶貴的妻子貝尼去世時說的話。他說:"在痛苦中敬拜只有在天堂的這一邊才有可能,所以這是一種特權。"

他不想在痛苦的季節裡錯過神為他預備的事物。他想在痛苦中學習關於神的一切,因為這樣就不會浪費了。然而,我們中的大多數人都對痛苦避而遠之,試圖用其他東西來填補它,或者一味地回避它,以便不經歷它,但這樣我們就錯過了與安慰之神的相遇。我們錯過了體驗祂在痛苦和等候中傾注的憐憫和恩典。

與成就同樣豐富的等候

等候一個應許可能是痛苦的。在我的生命中,我曾多次等候,但在這些時間裡,我經歷了一些與神相處的最溫柔和愛的時刻。祂確實靠近傷心的人。我現在也有在等候的禱告和應許,其中有些是痛苦的,但我不想在這等候的時候錯過體驗祂的安慰、祂的憐憫、祂的耐心、祂的憐憫或祂的愛。喜樂會到來,但我盼望等候的過程和滿足的過程一樣豐富。

因此,在你的痛苦和等候中敬拜。以信靠的姿態靜下來,在眼前的時刻與祂相遇。這一刻你再也回不去了,所以要好好過,不要對祂有所保留。

"耶和華必然等候,要施恩給你們;必然興起,好憐憫你們。因為耶和華是公平的神;凡等候他的都是有福的!" (以賽亞書30:18)


In the Place Between Promise and Fulfillment
Kathi Pelton, Portland, Oregon
Dec 22, 2022

The other morning, I woke up early with my soul beginning to strive for some personal things I've been carrying in prayer. I could immediately sense the striving in my heart posture, in my prayers and in my thoughts. This is an easy place to go when something is hanging in the balance between a request and an answer, or a promise and a fulfillment.

Then the Lord quieted my soul and said, "Just sit silently before Me in a posture of trust and take a deep breath."

I reminded my soul that He is never late, He does not forget and He is able to do what I am not able to do. I did not need to strive or force His hand, for He is willing and wise in all of His dealings with me.

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him." (Psalm 62:5)

Then I remembered the verse above, and a stillness and quiet trust came upon my heart and mind. He is my hope, and I can trust Him so completely that rest replaces worry and stillness replaces striving.

On a Silent Night

In this Christmas season, we remember how mankind waited for a Savior—the Messiah. Then, after a long time of waiting, the angel of the Lord appeared in a field where sheep and shepherds rested to announce that the waiting was over:

"Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.'" (Luke 2:9-12) 

God had appointed the time and place where the promise would be birthed, and it was announced to nearby shepherds who were guarding their flocks. They were not crying out for the promise or striving to force God's hand. They were merely tending the sheep entrusted to them. Long before that night, God had made a promise that a Messiah would come; a child would be given to us that would bring hope and salvation.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

He came! On a silent night when most men slept unaware, He came... After all the generations of waiting, most had lost hope in the promise of a savior coming to pass. Yet, God had not forgotten, and He had an appointed time.

He Has Not Forgotten

You may have promises that you have been given, but the wait has been so long that you wonder if He's forgotten. He has not forgotten, and what feels slow to us is but a moment with Him.

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9)

We are keenly aware and conscious of time. We keep time, we watch time, we wait while counting time. We often interpret time gone by as delay, yet with God there is an appointed time, and that time is but a moment after the promise was made from His perfect perspective. He is not being slow, and He is patient with our process and perspective that feels so very slow—yet we must continue to hope and rest in the One who promised. He will fulfill it.

If this is you, sit back and take a long, deep breath. Quiet and still your soul, and take comfort in the moment of hope that you are in. Wait in trust and stillness.

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope." (Psalm 130:5)

He has not forgotten you; He has not abandoned you; nor is it His desire to bring you harm. Our lives often feel as though they have more seasons of waiting than of obtaining, yet I have and still am learning to not miss the day and moment that I have been given by begging God to do what He has already promised to do in a moment yet to come.

The God of Comfort

I have meditated often this year on the statement that Bill Johnson made when his precious wife, Beni, died. He said, "Worshiping in pain is only possible on this side of Heaven, so this is a privilege." 

He did not want to miss anything that God had for him in the season of pain. He wanted to learn everything about God that he could amid pain because then it would not be wasted. Yet most of us shy away from pain and try to fill it with other things or avoid it all together so that it is not experienced, but then we miss the encounter offered to us with the God of comfort. We miss experiencing the overflow of His compassion and grace that is poured out in pain and waiting.

A Waiting That Is as Rich as the Fulfillment

Waiting for a promise can be painful. I have waited many times in my life, but I have experienced some of the most tender and loving moments with God in those times. He truly is near to the brokenhearted. I have prayers and promises that I am waiting for even now, and some of them hurt, but I do not want to miss experiencing His comfort, His compassion, His patience, His mercy or His love in this time of waiting. Joy will come, but I want the waiting to be as rich as the fulfillment.

So, worship in your pain and in your waiting. Get still in the posture of trust and encounter Him in the moment at hand. You'll never get this moment back again, so live it well and hold nothing back from Him.

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." (Isaiah 30:18)