牧者心聲
不要灰心，放膽忍耐前行
蕭壽華牧師
2023 年 1 月 14 日／15 日
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2022年的年終感恩見證會中，聽到許多寶貴的見證，我心中響起一句話：是的，不要灰心，繼續緊緊跟隨主！
有姊妹育有特殊需要的孩子，學習有困難，多年來進出醫院，姊妹長久為孩子擔驚受怕，雖常常禱告，但情況未見好轉⋯⋯想不到孩子竟考進了大學，入學後精神狀況奇妙地改變，這位母親等候了20多年，神在祂的時候成全她的禱告。另有姊妹說她多年來為一事祈禱，但始終未得解決，只是見到了一點點曙光，便繼續堅持面對，等候主成全的時間。
耶穌講述有一名訴冤的寡婦，法官遲遲不理會她，但她沒放棄，繼續「纏磨」法官去幫助她。主說：「神的選民晝夜呼籲他，他豈會延遲不給他們伸冤嗎？我告訴你們，他很快就要給他們伸冤⋯⋯」（路十八 7-8，和修版）
神「豈會延遲不給他們」？神有祂美善的計劃，不一定會立時成全我們的祈求，但到了時候，祂一點都不會拖延，會快快的給我們成就！但關鍵是尋求的人到時是否仍然忍耐等候，或已經放棄了信靠。
希伯來書提到許多不灰心、一直信靠神的先賢，他們不一定在離世前得到所求的保障，但他們卻始終緊緊跟隨主，因為他們最首要的祈求是天上的賞賜，是神曾應許的更美家鄉。他們的信心表現在堅持行善、忍耐苦困、不放棄熱切跟從主的事上。他們不會因祈求未見實現而灰心退後，原因是他們絕不對神失望！他們是主成全一切的時候所找到的「信德」之人。
我們有時感到灰心，是因為對自己失望——自己的表現不再如前；愛主的心冷淡了；聯繫弟兄姊妹、敬拜主的動力失去了⋯⋯每當我們太多「望己」，便會消沉乏力，而內心的驕傲也會試探我們——我過去能夠有表現，是因為我有體魄、才智，但今天失去能力了，不能再作甚麼了——這試探是在說：我過往的成就與熱心，完全出於我擁有的能力！每當我們以為自己的未來取決於現在的力量，自我的驕傲便會使我們灰心喪志。
有一名父親求耶穌醫治他那自小被鬼附的孩子，這父親對主說：「我信；求你幫助我的不信！」他自知不足，但不會以為一切在乎自己，他「望主」，相信祂能幫助他的不足！弟兄姊妹，每當我們感到軟弱，只要轉而思想主的恩惠與信實，更專心倚靠祂，我們便會有能力放膽前行，並能「笑對」自己的軟弱，「好使基督的能力覆庇我」。
I heard many valuable testimonies from brothers and sisters at the 2022 Year-end Thanksgiving Meeting. These words sounded in my heart: Yes, do not be discouraged but keep following the Lord closely!
One sister has a child with special needs. The child has learning difficulties. For many years, they had been in and out of the hospital. The sister was worried about the child all through the years, and despite frequent prayers, there was no improvement… To everyone’s great surprise, the child had been admitted to university and his mental state miraculously improved. This mother had waited more than 20 years. God answered her prayers when His time came. Another sister said she had been praying for one thing for years. There is still no solution in sight but seeing a ray of hope, she would continue to persist in facing it and to wait for the Lord to accomplish it in His time.
Jesus told a parable about a widow with a plea. The judge ignored her for a long time but she did not give up. She kept "bothering" the judge for help. The Lord said: "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly…" (Luke 18:7-8).
Will God "keep putting them off"? God has His perfect plan. He may not answer our prayer right away but when His time comes, He will not delay and will very quickly give us what we pray for! The key thing, though, is whether the one who prays is still waiting with perseverance by then or has already given up faith.
The Book of Hebrews mentions many spiritual role models who never gave up hope. They had not necessarily received the things promised during their lifetime and yet they still held fast to the Lord all their lives. It is because they prayed, above all, for a heavenly reward, a better home that God promises. Their faith is reflected in their insistence to do good, to be patient in adversity, and in not giving up earnestly following the Lord. These people were not discouraged nor did they regress when what they hoped for had not been realized, for they never lost faith in God! Theirs is the kind of "faith" the Lord will find when He comes.
Sometimes, we are discouraged because we are disappointed in ourselves – we are not as good as we used to; our love for God has turned cold; we have lost the motivation to connect with brothers and sisters and to worship God… When we tend to "look to the self," we become depressed and weak. We will also be tempted by our pride, which says: My past good performance was due to my strength and wisdom, but now I am powerless and can no longer do anything. This temptation is saying: All my past achievements and ferventness came from my abilities! When we think that our future hinges on our present abilities, our pride will make us discouraged and frustrated.
A father asked Jesus to heal his boy who had been possessed by demons since childhood. Then the father said, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Now this father was aware of his own inadequacy and he did not think it all depended on himself. He "looked to the Lord," trusting that He can help with his inadequacy! Brothers and sisters, whenever we feel weak, we only need to turn our thoughts to the Lord's grace and faithfulness, focus on trusting in Him, and we will be able to move forward boldly. We will be able to "smile at" our weaknesses "so that Christ's power may rest on me."
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