5月2日 忍耐的情操

虽然迟延，还要等候。（哈二3）

忍耐不是置之不理；忍耐是一座极其坚强的磐石，受得起一切的打击。忍耐的根源，是看见了神的异象；因为看见神，就带来品德上的启示。摩西之所以能坚忍，不是因为他对正义与责任的理想，而是因为看见了神。他恒心忍耐，“如同看见那不能看见的主。”一个有神异象的人，不是投身于一件工作或某一项任务，而是献身于神自己。异象是否出于神，是看得出来的，只要看所带来的启示便可知；生命会变得广大和滋润，因为一切由神发动。神若在属灵上给你一段旷野试探的时期，像他儿子所经历的，完全没他的话语，你就要忍耐；恒心忍耐，是因为你看见神。

“虽然迟延，还要等候。”要证明我们的确看见了异象，是要伸手去抓住那超乎我们所能抓住的（意即竭力追求）。属灵的自满是不好的。诗人说：“我拿什么报答耶和华？”“我要举起救恩的杯。”我们很容易自满自足－－“现在我得着了；现在我完全圣洁了；现在我能够忍受了。”这样我们马上就会跌倒。我们的目标必须超越实际的。“我不是以为自己已经得着了，已经完全了。”我们有的若只是经历，就一无所有了；但我们若有神异象的启示，那所有的就远超过所经历的了。要当心属灵懈怠的危险。

祈祷◆噢，主啊，在我自觉的生活中，但愿能流露更多的爱、怜悯、敬虔和对你的热爱。求你使我对周围的人能有善意的表现，并以忍耐和温柔去待他们。

May 2 The Passion Of Patience

Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He “endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.” A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God.

“Though it tarry, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. “What shall I render unto the Lord?” said the Psalmist. “I will take the cup of salvation.” We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves – “Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.” If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually.