7月28日 顺服之后又如何？

耶稣随即催门徒上船，先渡到那边……（可六45-52）

我们很容易这样想：主若催逼我们，我们若顺服他，他就必叫我们大大的成功。千万别把成功的梦想，当作神对我们的计划；神的计划可能恰好相反。我们以为神要领我们到某一特定的目的——一个理想的目标；其实并不是。到达某一目的，只是附带的事。我们所称为过程的，神却称为目标。

我对神的计划有何梦想？他的计划就是要我现在倚靠他和他的能力。在动荡不安之中，我若能保持平静不疑惑，这就是神计划的目标。神作工不是为某一个特别的终点；他的目标就在过程之中——要我看见他正行在波浪上；虽然不见边岸，没有目的地，但有一个肯定的确信，深知必然平安无事，因为我看见他正在海面上行走。这是过程，不是目标，使神得着荣耀。神的训练是即时的，不是等一会儿的。他的计划是这一分钟，不是将来某件事。我们不必顾及顺服之后会怎样；若牵挂以后会怎样，就走错了路。人所谓的训练与预备，神却称为目的。

神的目的是要我如今就知道，他能在我生命的混乱动荡中行走。若我们在前方另有目标，就不会充分关注当前；若我们意识到顺服就是目的，那么临到我们的每一刻都变得如珍如宝了。

祈祷◆噢，主啊，倘若那需要是出于你，我便欢喜！为着你教训我们“有火炼的试验临到你们，不要以为奇怪，倒要欢喜”，我赞美你。

July 28 After Obedience – What?

“And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side. . . .” Mark 6:45-52

We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.

What is my dream of God's purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process – that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.

God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious.