5月11日 祷告与读经
祷告与读经
常常默想神恩慈的浩大，能教导我们在患难中依然喜乐。
研读你的圣经。也许你会说：“哦，我确实在读神的话语。”那么，请更深地去读吧！神的话语向你内在的恩典展示了一幅完美的画像，那是你爱慕的对象——基督。正如少年人一见到心上人，心跳便会加速；照样，当你内在的恩典看见那位爱你、为你舍己的基督时，它们就会活跃起来。与此同时，当你看见你的罪使基督付出了何等惨痛的代价，这理应在你里面生出属神的忧愁，并使你恨恶罪恶。
务要默想。默想之于恩典，正如风箱之于火焰。它能用关乎神的新鲜思想，使虚弱的灵魂重新苏醒。当你反复思考这些真理时，圣洁之火便会燃烧，你的心也会随之火热。你要立定心志，每天花时间省思神与你之间所发生的一切。
首先，思想你从主领受的怜悯。不要像彼拉多那样，问了一个问题却不等候回答（约18:38）。你要在那恩典中停留，直到你充分领悟神是如何以恩慈待你；你会发现，新旧恩典的回忆如洪水般涌入你的灵魂。常常默想神恩慈的浩大，能教导我们在患难中依然喜乐，因为我们所承受的那点苦楚，早已淹没在祂为你我所赐下的，如汪洋般丰盛的怜悯之中。
其次，省察自身和你的行事为人。 今天，你对神对人究竟如何？你要叩问自己的灵魂：“我的灵魂啊，你今日都在何处？你为神做了什么？又是以怎样的心态去做的？”在这样的反省中，既不要为自己寻借口，也不要纵容私欲，因为最终神必以全备的公义审判你。
务要祷告。一个正处于默想中的灵魂，已行在通往祷告的路上。默想与祷告这两项本分携手同行，将灵魂带入与神亲密的团契中。默想负责摆好木柴，但点燃它的火星却自上头而来，必须借着祷告去获取。若你的灵魂从未亲近神，好承接那天上的火星，那又怎能燃起爱神的熊熊烈焰呢？
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民20章，诗58-59章，
个人灵修：赛9章，雅3章
MAY 11, MONDAY
PRAYER AND BIBLE READING
Meditating often on the magnitude of God’s goodness teaches us to rejoice even in times of trouble.
Read your Bible. Perhaps you say, “Oh, but I do read God’s Word.” Then read it more! The Word shows your graces a perfect picture of the object of their affections—Christ. And just as a young man’s heart leaps at the sight of his beloved, so your graces come to life when they behold the Christ who loved you and gave Himself for you. At the same time, when you see what your sins cost Christ, it should produce in you a godly sorrow and a hatred for sin.
Meditate. Meditation is to grace as bellows are to a fire. It revives the languishing soul with fresh thoughts of God. As you ponder over them, a holy fire will burn and your heart will grow warm within you. Resolve to spend time every day thinking about what has passed between God and you.
Think, first of all, about the mercies you have received from the Lord. Do not be like Pilate, who asked a question but did not wait for a reply (John 18:38). Stay until you have received a full report of God’s gracious dealings with you, and you will find memories of mercies, both new and old, flooding your soul. Meditating often on the magnitude of God’s goodness teaches us to rejoice even in times of trouble, for the little evil that is our portion is drowned in the sea of His abundant mercies on our behalf.
Second, reflect upon yourself and your own behavior. What has it been toward God and toward man during the day? Ask yourself, “Soul, where have you been? What have you done for God, and how?” In this reflection, do not make excuses for yourself nor pamper yourself, for ultimately, God will judge you with full justice.
Pray. A soul in meditation is on its way to prayer. The two duties join hands to bring the soul into close communion with God. Meditation lays the wood in order, but the spark to kindle it comes from above and must be fetched by prayer. How can your soul flame with love for God if you never get close enough to Him to catch that heavenly spark?