第二十九週．週二

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晨興餧養

結三六２６～２７　『我也要賜給你們新心，將新靈放在你們裏面；又從你們的肉體中除掉石心，賜給你們肉心。我必將我的靈放在你們裏面，使你們遵行我的律例，謹守遵行我的典章。』

詩五七７　　　　　『神阿，我心堅定，我心堅定。我要唱詩，我要歌頌。』

大多數的基督徒沒有堅固的心，他們的心刻變時翻，時常搖動。我們需要的是扎實堅固的心，不是容易改變的心。但按著我們天然的出生，我們的心是善變的。…譬如，一位弟兄早晨也許對妻子很好，但喫早餐的時候，也許有甚麼事叫他煩惱，就對妻子不好了。這是我們心善變的一個例證。

我們的心不僅在與人的關係上善變，甚至與主之間也是這樣。神是不改變的一位，祂從來沒有改變。我們是一班刻變時翻的人，我們的心極其善變。為這緣故，保羅關心帖撒羅尼迦初信者的心能否定下來，得著建造、堅固。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，二○九至二一○頁。）

信息選讀

帖前三章十三節一開始用了『好使』一辭；指明前面幾節（特別是六至十二節）的結果。…保羅…所關心的，乃是帖撒羅尼迦人的信心和愛心。他盼望他們的信心得著補足，並且他們的愛心增多洋溢，好使主可以堅固他們的心。

我們人都是善變的；不會因著我們老了，就說我們的性情有了基本上的改變。譬如，玻璃是很容易破碎的；五十年之後，這塊玻璃還是易碎的，年日並不會叫玻璃更堅剛。人的生命也是這樣。…因此，我勸你們，特別是那些不太年輕的人，不要相信你們的心。因為我們的心太容易改變了，所以它一點也不可靠。

在我盡職的年日裏，我遇見的人數以千計。…我一再看見人的心改變了。因為我們的心善變，所以我們基督徒的生活有一急切的需要，就是我們的心得著堅固。…雖然我們的心需要得堅固，但我們自己辦不到，只有主纔能堅固我們的心。因此，我們需要祂使我們的心扎實的得堅固並建造。…你的心若在扎實的根基上得著固定、建造並堅固，你的心就會無可指摘。不改變的心就是無可指摘的心。

有時候我們批評別人刻變時翻，但我們自己也是善變的。…我們為了照顧初信者，也會警告他們不要信靠一些善變的人。但我們自己又怎樣？我們難道不善變麼？我必須承認我在天然的生命裏是善變的。不僅如此，我所說的改變多半是消極的。許多年前，我在日記裏記載了一些事情；譬如，我怎樣在主面前徹底對付了某件事。但是許多年以後，我不敢看我寫的那些話，因為在我作了這樣的記錄以後，我又有了一些改變。

我們必須看見並承認，我們的心是善變的。因此，我們需要從主領受憐憫和恩典，使我們允許祂來堅固我們的心。祂正等待我們的允許，要在我們裏面作工來堅固我們。當我們的心得了堅固，我們的心就無可指摘。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，二一○至二一二頁。）

參讀：羅馬書中所啟示在基督的生命裏得救，第一章；神新約的經綸，第二十七章。

WEEK 29 — DAY 2

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Morning Nourishment

Ezek. 36:26-27 I will also give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and My ordinances you shall keep and do.

Psa. 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast. I will sing, indeed I will sing psalms.

Instead of having an established heart, most Christians have a changeable, movable heart. We need a heart that is solidly established, not a heart that is changeable. According to our natural birth, however, our heart is changeable… For example, in the morning a brother may be very kind to his wife. But during breakfast he may become bothered by something and treat her in an unkind way. This is an illustration of the changeableness of our heart.

Our heart is changeable not only in relation to other people but even in our relationship with the Lord. God is the unchanging One; He never changes. We are the ones who are changeable, and we are changeable in our heart. For this reason Paul was concerned that the hearts of the new believers at Thessalonica would be set, built up, and established. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, p. 175)

Todays Reading

First Thessalonians 3:13 opens with the words so that. The Greek word here actually means “in order that”; that is, it indicates an issue, a result, of the foregoing verses, especially verses 6 through 12…Paul’s concern is for the Thessalonians’ faith and love. His desire is that their faith would be perfected and that their love would increase and abound in order that the Lord may establish their hearts.

As human beings, we all are changeable. Simply because we grow older does not mean that there is a basic change in our nature. For example, a piece of glass may be very fragile. After fifty years the glass will still be fragile. Age will not make it any stronger. The same is true in human life…I urge you, especially those who are not so young, not to have any confidence in your heart. Because our heart changes so easily, it is not at all trustworthy.

In my ministry I have met thousands of people…Time after time I have seen someone have a change of heart. Because our heart is changeable, a crucial need in our Christian life is the establishing of our heart. Although we need our heart to be established, we are not able to do this ourselves. Only the Lord can establish our heart. Therefore, we need Him to cause our heart to be solidly established and built up. If your heart is set, built up, and established upon a solid foundation, it will then become blameless. An unchanging heart is a blameless heart.

Sometimes we criticize others for being changeable when we ourselves are also changeable…In order to care for new believers, we may warn them not to trust certain people who are changeable. But how about ourselves? Are we not changeable? I must confess that in the natural life I am changeable. Further, most of the changes I am referring to are negative. Years ago I recorded certain things in my diary, for instance, a record of how I had dealt with a particular matter thoroughly before the Lord. But years later, I dare not read what I have written, for even after writing such a record, I experienced some change.

We need to realize and admit that our heart is changeable. Therefore, we need to receive the mercy and grace from the Lord that we may give Him the permission to establish our heart. He is waiting for our permission before He works within us to do the establishing. When our heart has been established, it will become blameless. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, pp. 175-177)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “To Be Saved in the Life of Christ as Revealed in Romans,” ch. 1; CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” ch. 27