《遇見神》Day07

《困境中遇見神》

亞哈將以利亞一切所行的和他用刀殺眾先知的事都告訴耶洗別。2 耶洗別就差遣人去見以利亞,告訴他說:「明日約在這時候,我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一樣,願神明重重地降罰與我。」3 以利亞見這光景就起來逃命,到了猶大的別是巴,將僕人留在那裏,4 自己在曠野走了一日的路程,來到一棵羅騰樹下,就坐在那裏求死,說:「耶和華啊,罷了!求祢取我的性命,因為我不勝於我的列祖。」 5 他就躺在羅騰樹下,睡着了。有一個天使拍他,說:「起來吃吧!」 6 他觀看,見頭旁有一瓶水與炭火燒的餅,他就吃了喝了,仍然躺下。7 耶和華的使者第二次來拍他,說:「起來吃吧!因為你當走的路甚遠。」 8 他就起來吃了喝了,仗着這飲食的力,走了四十晝夜,到了神的山,就是何烈山。9 他在那裏進了一個洞,就住在洞中。耶和華的話臨到他說:「以利亞啊,你在這裏做甚麼?」 10 他說:「我為耶和華-萬軍之神大發熱心;因為以色列人背棄了祢的約,毀壞了祢的壇,用刀殺了祢的先知,只剩下我一個人,他們還要尋索我的命。」 11 耶和華說:「你出來站在山上,在我面前。」那時耶和華從那裏經過,在他面前有烈風大作,崩山碎石,耶和華卻不在風中;風後地震,耶和華卻不在其中;12 地震後有火,耶和華也不在火中;火後有微小的聲音。13 以利亞聽見,就用外衣蒙上臉,出來站在洞口。有聲音向他說:「以利亞啊,你在這裏做甚麼?」 14 他說:「我為耶和華-萬軍之神大發熱心;因為以色列人背棄了祢的約,毀壞了祢的壇,用刀殺了祢的先知,只剩下我一個人,他們還要尋索我的命。」 15 耶和華對他說:「你回去,從曠野往大馬士革去。到了那裏,就要膏哈薛作亞蘭王,16 又膏寧示的孫子耶戶作以色列王,並膏亞伯‧米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙作先知接續你。17 將來躲避哈薛之刀的,必被耶戶所殺;躲避耶戶之刀的,必被以利沙所殺。18 但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的,未曾與巴力親嘴的。」(列王紀上十九1-18)

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.  And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:1-18)

分享:你曾否試過,在人生的高峰之後,突然跌進低谷?曾經歷神的得勝與榮耀,卻在轉角處的威脅與壓力中,瞬間失去勇氣,甚至萌生放棄的念頭?這正是以利亞的寫照。他才剛在迦密山上一戰成名,彰顯耶和華是獨一的真神 (參王上十八) ,但轉眼間,面對耶洗別的一句恐嚇,這位屬靈的偉人竟瞬間崩潰。

他逃跑、害怕、抑鬱,甚至求死:「耶和華啊,罷了!求祢取我的性命,因為我不勝於我的列祖。」(參王上十九4) 這樣的畫面與我們記憶中的以利亞判若兩人 —— 他不再是那個剛強無懼、面對敵人仍挺身而出的先知,而是變得極度疲憊、被恐懼與孤單掏空的軟弱人。

然而,神並沒有責備他信心軟弱,也沒有質問他為何懼怕逃跑。相反,神溫柔地差派天使為他預備餅與水,讓他吃喝休息。兩次的餵養之後,以利亞才有力量走四十晝夜,來到神的山 —— 何烈山。在那裡,神又親自向他顯現,輕聲地問他兩次:「以利亞啊,你在這裡做什麼?」(參王上十九9、13)

這句話,不是審判的質問,而是邀請的對話。神讓以利亞把內心的憂慮與孤單傾訴出來。當以利亞抱怨自己「只剩下我一人」,神沒有批評他,而是糾正他的錯覺:「我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的。」(參王上十九18)

以利亞不是孤單的;他只是眼睛模糊了、心疲乏了、看不見神仍然在掌權。但神一直都在 —— 在曠野,在洞口,在微聲中。許多人讀到這段經文時,焦點都放在「神為自己留下七千人」這個事實上,確實,神的預備往往出人意料。但從以利亞的心境來看,使他真正被堅固的,不只是知道自己並不孤單,而是神的臨在。只要有神同在,是七千人也好,七百人也好,我們都不再孤單。神不是只在我們剛強時與我們同在,更是在我們最脆弱、最無力時親自臨近。

親愛的弟兄姊妹,也許你也正在某個逃避的時刻、某個灰心的角落,甚至你連禱告的力氣都沒有。但神沒有離開你。祂的餅與水已為你預備,祂的話語仍在尋找你,祂的微聲仍在洞外等候你。神並不要求我們時時剛強,但祂盼望我們在軟弱中仍願意尋找祂、與祂對話。祂會親自來,餵養你、扶持你、安慰你,並在你準備好時,重新把使命放在你手中。

反思:你現在是否正經歷屬靈的低谷或情緒的困境?你是否像以利亞一樣,曾經剛強,但此刻卻感到疲憊、想放棄?這週,不妨騰出一段獨處時間,誠實地向神傾訴你的疲乏,然後靜下心來問祂:「主啊,我在這裡做什麼?」並安靜等候祂那微小卻真實的聲音吧。

禱告:親愛的天父,我承認我有時會像以利亞一樣,因著壓力、恐懼或失望而逃避、退縮。謝謝祢不責怪我,反而親自尋找我、安慰我、扶持我。主啊,求祢餵養我心靈的需要,讓我在微聲中再次聽見祢的聲音。願我在困境中不單遇見祢,更被祢更新,使我有力量繼續前行,為祢作見證。以上禱告,奉主耶穌得勝的名求,阿們。

Posted in