7月1日，黑暗中的光
黑暗中的光
“正直人在黑暗中，有光向他发现”（诗112:4），这不仅仅是黑夜过去之后才有的光，更是黑暗之中就发出的光。
假冒为善的人也听道、祷告、禁食，但这终究反倒使他受损。每一项蒙恩之道都成了一扇敞开的大门，让撒但更深地进入并占据他，正如犹大在最后的晚餐中所经历的那样。
纯全（诚实无伪）使基督徒的头能浮出水面，在患难的浪涛上漂行，心中带着圣洁的同在与刚强的胆气。“正直人在黑暗中，有光向他发现”（诗112:4），这不仅仅是黑夜过去之后才有的光，更是黑暗之中就发出的光。那吞噬假冒为善之人内心的苦难，在纯全之人身上，却成为恩典与安慰的强壮滋养。
假冒为善之人的喜乐，就像乐器的琴弦，一遇潮湿便容易断裂；但纯全，却使人的灵魂无论在何种境遇中都能保持和谐。心怀二意的人任凭环境左右自己的感受，晴天欢喜，雨天愁苦；这正是内心不健全的光景。几番艰难的处境，就足以瓦解他的心志，将他压垮，正如寒冬夺走软弱身体的性命一样。然而，患难却帮助基督徒成长，因为患难使他与基督更加紧密地联合。苦难直接将他送入主的怀抱，如同蜜蜂在暴风中飞奔回巢。能以耶稣的膝怀为安慰枕靠之处的人，实在是有福的。
纯全使基督徒的口常常张开，领受从圣道与圣灵滴落的甘甜安慰。事实上，神所赐的每一个应许，都指向并归属于这样的人。但假冒为善却如同一个咽喉严重发炎的人，他里面如同火烧，却不能吞下任何东西，来扑灭罪在他灵魂中点燃的烈火。当神赐下宝贵应许时，假冒为善之人的良心会对他说：“这些不可能是给你的；你在神面前并不正直。你当然明白，神的话是临到纯全之人的；但你算什么呢？”
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：书3章，诗126-128章，
个人灵修：赛63章，太11章
JULY 1, WENDESDAY
LIGHT IN DARKNESS
“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness” (Psalm 112:4), not only light when the night is past, but light in the darkness also.
The hypocrite hears, prays, and fasts, but all to his detriment. Every ordinance is a wide door to let Satan in more fully to possess him, as Judas found in the last supper.
Sincerity lifts the Christian’s head above the water and makes him float on the waves of trouble with a holy presence and courageous spirit. “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness” (Psalm 112:4), not only light when the night is past, but light in the darkness also. The affliction which eats out the hypocrite’s heart becomes vigorous nourishment to the sincere man’s grace and comfort.
The hypocrite’s joy, like strings of a musical instrument, cracks in wet weather; but sincerity keeps the soul in tune through all seasons. Unstable people let circumstances control how they feel—cheerful in sunshine but depressed in rain. And this is the way of the unsound heart. A few trying situations weaken his spirit and destroy him as a cold winter kills feeble bodies. Afflictions, however, help the Christian grow by uniting him even more closely with Christ. Trouble sends him straight to the arms of the Lord, as the bee flies to her hive in a storm. He is glad who has such a comfortable pillow as the lap of Jesus.
Sincerity keeps the Christian’s mouth open to receive the sweet consolations which drop from the Word and the Spirit. In fact, God directs every one of His promises here. But hypocrisy is like a man with a badly inflamed throat, he burns inside but cannot swallow anything to quench the fire which sin has kindled in his soul. When God offers precious promises the hypocrite’s conscience tells him, “These cannot be for you; you are not right with God. Surely you can understand that God’s Word comes to sincere men; but what are you?”