1月5日 坚守航向，直到终点
坚守航向，直到终点
我们见过许多人，他们曾加入基督的军队，也乐意打一两场胜仗，却很快就心生厌倦，最终沦为逃兵。
有时，圣徒蒙召要在“神掩面不顾”的处境中去信靠祂。“这人行在暗中，没有亮光。 当倚靠耶和华的名”（赛50:10）。这需要极大的胆识——就像以斯帖冒死闯入亚哈随鲁王的宫廷那样，勇于来到神面前。即便神的脸上没有笑意，甚至没有伸出那招人亲近的金杖，你仍要带着这高贵的决心向前：“我若死就死吧！”（斯4:16）。
这甚至把信心推向了更深处：我们必须信靠那“似乎要击杀我们的神”。我们要像约伯那样宣告：“祂必杀我；我虽无指望，然而我在祂面前还要辩明我所行的。”（伯13:15）。当神似乎在向一个灵魂开火，将祂那令人战栗的怒容像毒箭一般射入人心时，这灵魂若仍要在真道上稳步前行，就需要一种全然顺服的信心。这是极难的功课，对基督徒的刚毅本质会是极大的考验。然而，我们在那位外邦的迦南妇人身上看见了这种灵性：她接住了基督向她射来的“子弹”（严厉拒绝的话语），又以谦卑而大胆的祈求，在信心里把这些话转变为祈求的依据，呈献在祂面前（太15:22-28）。
你的事奉必须与你的生命一同谢幕。当前方的道路似乎永无止境，当你的灵魂渴求早早退役时，“持守到底”就成了你鞍下的刺、肉中的箭，它比你呼召中的任何困难都更沉重。我们见过许多人，他们曾加入基督的军队，也乐意打一两场胜仗，却很快就心生厌倦，最终沦为逃兵。他们凭一时的冲动，报名投身属灵的职责，轻易就被说服去维持一种宗教敬虔的外表，却也同样轻易地就被说服将其丢弃。他们就像新月，在入夜之初尚有一丝微光，却等不到天亮就落山了。
天天背起十字架、随时祷告、昼夜儆醒、且从不脱下军装去放纵私欲——这一切舍己的代价，让许多人忧忧愁愁地转脸离开了基督。这是因为，他们想要的只是一位“叫人得益的基督”，而非一位“凡事作主的基督”；他们贪求基督的安慰，却拒绝脱掉旧人；他们向往那荣耀的冠冕，却逃避沉重的十字架。然而，主对我们的呼召，绝非只是尝一口属灵恩惠便中途退场，而是要我们跟随到底：这坚忍并非源于我们自己的强撑，乃是基督正在保守我们；并非因我们的手紧紧抓住了祂，乃是因祂那大能的手，早已先将我们紧紧攥住。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：创5章，太5章，
个人灵修：拉5章，徒5章
JANUARY 5, MONDAY
STAY ON COURSE TO THE END
We have known many who have joined the army ofChrist and liked being a soldier for a battle or two,but have soon had enough and ended up deserting.
There are times when a saint is called to trust in a withdrawing God. “[Let him] that walketh in darkness and hath no light … trust in the name of the Lord” (Isaiah 50.10). This requires a bold step of faith—to venture into God’s presence with the same temerity as Esther into Ahasuerus’s. Even when no smile lights His face, when no golden scepter is extended to summon us to come near, we must press forward with this noble resolution: “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).
Which leads our faith one step further: We must trust also in a “killing God.” We must declare with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). It takes a submissive faith for a soul to march steadily forward while God seems to fire upon that soul and shoot His frowns like poisoned arrows into it. This is hard work, and will test the Christian’s mettle. Yet such a spirit we find in the poor woman of Canaan, who caught the bullets Christ shot at her, and with a humble boldness sent them back again in her prayer (Matt. 15:22–28).
Your work and your life must go off the stage together. Persisting to the end will be the burr under your saddle—the thorn in your flesh—when the road ahead seems endless and your soul begs an early discharge. It weighs down every other difficulty of your calling. We have known many who have joined the army of Christ and liked being a solder for a battle or two, but have soon had enough and ended up deserting. They impulsively enlist for Christian duties, are easily persuaded to take up a profession of religion, and are just as easily persuaded to lay it down. Like the new moon, they shine a little in the first part of the evening, but go down before the night is over.
Taking up the cross daily, praying always, watching night and day and never laying aside our armor to indulge ourselves, sends many sorrowful away from Christ.