7月30日 防备灰心
防备灰心
魔鬼竭尽所能，为圣洁的生活画上一副严酷、愁苦的面容，好让人觉得这般生活面目可憎，绝无可能令人心生爱慕。
撒但用来攻击你的诸多武器中，最猛烈的莫过于“灰心沮丧”，牠妄图借此诱使你偏离神在你生命中的定旨。只要牠能在你的心思意念里，甚至在你的祷告中，散播些许灰心的毒种，就能趁机蛊惑你卸下公义的护心镜。牠会欺骗你，让你觉得这副护甲沉重不堪，不仅是个累赘，还会成为你追求今生属世利益与暂时安逸的绊脚石。面对这等诡计，你千万不可如此轻易地向牠屈服！
首先，我要揭穿魔鬼用来消磨圣徒心志的几样利器；随后，我愿助你一臂之力，逼得魔鬼不得不将这些武器弃置在你的脚下。神要你确信，因着祂所赐那公义的护心镜，“凡为攻击你造成的器械必不利用……这是耶和华仆人的产业，是他们从我所得的义。这是耶和华说的”（赛54:17）。
撒但谎称，公义会剥夺人的快乐。魔鬼竭尽所能，为圣洁的生活画上一副严酷、愁苦的面容，好让人觉得这般生活面目可憎，绝无可能令人心生爱慕。那欺骗者会极其狡诈地蛊惑你：“你若执意过这种公义的生活，就等于彻底告别了人生的欢乐。你看那些良心毫无羁绊的人，他们正尽情地寻欢作乐，而你却与这一切美好绝缘了。”然而基督徒啊，事实却是：你若真想一睹圣洁那真实的荣美、光彩与勃勃生机，就千万别把画笔交给撒但，任由牠用属肉体的伎俩来替圣洁画像。
诚然，世间某些享乐确实与圣洁的大能水火不容；凡立志过公义生活的人，都必须认清这些享乐的真面目。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：士13章，徒17章，
个人灵修：耶26章，可12章
JULY 30, THURSDAY
GUARD AGAINST DISCOURAGEMENT
The devil works to picture a holy life with such an austere, sour face that a person could not possibly be in love with it.
Depression is one of Satan’s most dynamic weapons to divert you from God’s purpose for your life. If he can scatter a little dejection here and there in your thoughts—and even in your prayers—he can convince you to remove your breastplate of righteousness because it is too cumbersome and will go against your material and temporal interest. Do not give in that easily! First let me describe some of the devil’s weapons for wearing down the saints. Then I want to lend you a little help in making him drop his weapons at your feet. God wants you to know that because of the breastplate of righteousness He has provided, “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; … this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).
Satan says righteousness hinders pleasure. The devil works to picture a holy life with such an austere, sour face that a person could not possibly be in love with it. “If you intend to be this righteous, then say good-bye to joy,” the deceiver skillfully counsels. “People who do not have such straight-laced consciences enjoy all kinds of good times—but you are missing them all.” The truth is, Christian, if you want to see the countenance of holiness in its actual color and vitality, do not trust Satan’s carnal talents to paint the portrait.
Now I agree that some pleasures are inconsistent with the power of holiness; and whoever purposes to live righteously must know what these are.