双语灵修（葛培理牧师） ：2月3日 先苦后甜

2月3日

先苦后甜

“耶和华靠近伤心的人，拯救灵性痛悔的人。”

诗篇34:18

在我变得聪明之前，必须先意识到自己的愚蠢；在我得到力量之前，必须先承认自己的软弱。在我得到救赎之前，必须先忏悔自己的罪恶。按照上帝的次序，哀恸总在欢喜之先。那些哀叹自己不配、无助、不足的人有福了。

大先知以赛亚知道，在欢庆之前要先哀恸屈膝。他看到自己的罪在荣耀圣洁的上帝面前显得多么丑恶，他说：“祸哉！我灭亡了！因为我是嘴唇不洁的人，又住在嘴唇不洁的民中，又因我眼见大君王—万军之耶和华。”（以赛亚书6:5）

在上帝的圣洁面前，我们毫无良善。但是我们不必长久地为自己的不配和罪孽而悲哀。因为上帝说过：“惟有我为自己的缘故涂抹你的过犯；我也不记念你的罪恶。”（以赛亚书43:25）

以赛亚先经历了对自己的不足而悲哀，然后才体会到饶恕的喜乐。如果我们没有经历对罪的忧伤，如何知道需要痛悔呢？

按照上帝的法则，一个人必须先走过流泪谷，才能攀登到达属灵荣耀的顶峰。一个不认识耶稣的人必须先独自行走，直到疲乏困顿，才会去寻求耶稣的陪伴。一个人必须先彻底放弃老我，才能得到新的生命。

今日祷告：

天父，因我的过犯，我心在你的面前破碎。恳求你饶恕我。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

February 3

BROKEN HEARTS,MENDED SPIRITS

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.Psalm 34:18

Before I can become wise,I must first realize that I am foolish.Before I can receive power,I must first confess that I am powerless.I must lament my sins before I can rejoice in a Savior.Mourning,in God’s sequence,always comes before exultation.Blessed are those who mourn their unworthiness,their helplessness,and their inadequacy.

Isaiah,the mighty prophet of God,knew by experience that one must bow the knee in mourning before one can lift the voice in jubilation.When his sin appeared ugly and venomous in the bright light of God’s holiness,he said:“Woe is me!For I am undone;because I am a man of unclean lips:for mine eyes have seen the King,the Lord of hosts”(Isaiah 6:5).

We cannot be satisfied with our goodness after beholding the holiness of God.But our mourning over our unworthiness and sinfulness should be of short duration,for God has said:“I,even I,am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake,and will not remember thy sins”(Isaiah 43:25).

Isaiah had to experience the mourning of inadequacy before he could realize the joy of forgiveness.If I have no sense of sorrow for sin.How can I know the need of repentance?

In God’s economy,a person must go down into the valley of grief before he or she can scale the heights of spiritual glory.One must become tired and weary of living without Christ before he or she can seek and find His fellowship.One must come to the end of“self”before one can really begin to live.

Pray for the Day:

Father,my heart breaks before You because of my sin.Please forgive me,in Jesus’Name,Amen.