5月25日 要站立，不要沉睡
要站立，不要沉睡
你要谨慎，不可纵容自己陷入懒惰；要激励自己起来行动，就像我们会对一个昏昏欲睡的人说：站起来，走一走。
对基督的精兵而言，警醒比任何事都更为要紧。在地上的争战中，士兵所对抗的，是与他们一样需要睡眠的血肉之躯。然而圣徒的仇敌撒但，却时刻醒着，四处游行。既然魔鬼从不打盹，基督徒若在属灵上沉睡——也就是变得安逸怠惰——便是将自己置于极大的险境。一旦如此，要么是他里面残存的败坏本性将他出卖，要么是他内里的恩典失去了警觉，以致无法察觉仇敌并预备迎战。撒但会在他尚未清醒拔剑之前，便扑到他身上。你当晓得，圣徒沉睡之时，正是撒但试探的最佳良机。
即便是一只苍蝇，也敢爬到沉睡的狮子身上；只要狮子不醒，便无所畏惧。最微弱的试探，也足以击败一个在虚假安全感中打盹的基督徒。参孙沉睡时，大利拉剃除了他的发绺；扫罗沉睡时，他身旁的枪被拿走，他却浑然不知；挪亚醉酒沉睡时，他那未蒙恩的儿子，竟以看见父亲赤身露体为乐；犹推古困倦沉睡，从三楼上掉了下去，被人扶起时已经死了。因此，在虚假安全感中沉睡的基督徒，极易遭到突袭。他可能会失去许多属灵的力量，被夺去长枪与铠甲（我是指各样的恩典）；或者被未蒙恩的人揭露他的赤身露体，使他的信仰告白蒙羞。
睡意袭来笼罩灵魂，正如它悄然无声地临到身体一般。聪明的童女与愚拙的童女一样都睡着了，只是没有睡得那么沉。你要谨慎，不可纵容自己陷入懒惰；要激励自己起来行动，就像我们会对一个昏昏欲睡的人说：站起来，走一走。你若向闲懒与怠惰让步，它们便会在你身上蔓延；你若殷勤尽到基督徒的本分，属灵的困倦自会逃遁。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民34章，诗78:40-72，
个人灵修：赛26章，约壹4章
MAY 25, MONDAY
STAND—DO NOT SLEEP
Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in laziness; stir yourself to action, as we tell someone who is drowsy to stand up and walk around.
Watchfulness is more important for the Christian soldier than any other. In temporal battles soldiers fight against men who need sleep the same as themselves, but the saint’s enemy, Satan, is always awake and walking his rounds. Since the devil never sleeps, the Christian puts himself in grave danger by falling asleep spiritually—that is, by becoming secure and careless. Either the unregenerate part of his nature will betray him, or grace will not be alert to discover the enemy and prepare for the assault. Satan will be upon him before he is awake enough to draw his sword. You should be aware that the saint’s sleeping time is Satan’s prime tempting time.
Even a fly dares to creep on a sleeping lion; unless he wakes up, there is nothing to fear. The weakest temptation is strong enough to foil a Christian who is napping in security. While Samson slept, Delilah cut his locks. While Saul slept, his spear was taken from his side and he was none the wiser. A drunken Noah slept and his graceless son took pleasure in seeing his father’s nakedness. Eutychus slept, nodded, and fell from the third loft, and was taken up for dead. Thus the Christian sleeping in false security may be taken by surprise. He may lose much of his spiritual strength—be robbed of his spear or armor (graces, I mean)—or have his nakedness uncovered by graceless men, and bring shame to his profession.
Sleep steals upon the soul as quietly as it does on the body. The wise virgins fell asleep along with the foolish ones, though not so soundly. Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in laziness; stir yourself to action, as we tell someone who is drowsy to stand up and walk around. Yield to idleness and sloth and they will grow upon you; busy yourself in your Christian duties and spiritual drowsiness will flee.