《一切從你「願意」開始》Day04
《一切由你「肯刻苦」開始》
15 仇敵聽見我們知道他們的心意，見神也破壞他們的計謀，就不來了。我們都回到城牆那裏，各做各的工。16 從那日起，我的僕人一半做工，一半拿槍、拿盾牌、拿弓、穿鎧甲，官長都站在猶大眾人的後邊。17 修造城牆的，扛抬材料的，都一手做工一手拿兵器。18 修造的人都腰間佩刀修造，吹角的人在我旁邊。19 我對貴冑、官長，和其餘的人說：「這工程浩大，我們在城牆上相離甚遠；20 你們聽見角聲在哪裏，就聚集到我們那裏去。我們的神必為我們爭戰。」
21 於是，我們做工，一半拿兵器，從天亮直到星宿出現的時候。22 那時，我又對百姓說：「各人和他的僕人當在耶路撒冷住宿，好在夜間保守我們，白晝做工。」23 這樣，我和弟兄僕人，並跟從我的護兵都不脫衣服，出去打水也帶兵器。(尼希米記四15-23)
15 以祿月二十五日，城牆修完了，共修了五十二天。16 我們一切仇敵、四圍的外邦人聽見了便懼怕，愁眉不展；因為見這工作完成是出乎我們的神。(尼希米記六15-16)
15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water. (Nehemiah 4:15-23)
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)
分享：當尼希米帶領眾人修葺城牆，他們持續地受著四方面的攻擊：1. 參巴拉和撒馬利亞軍兵帶頭來嘲笑、挖苦他們 (參尼希米記四1-2)；2. 亞捫人用毀謗的話來攻擊 (參尼希米記四3-5)；3. 許多敵人聯合起來，一同攻擊和引發騷亂 (參尼希米記四7-8)；4. 以色列民內部的反對的聲音 (參尼希米記四10) 。或許，逆境真的會令人鬥志盡失，然而尼希米等人卻能在逆境中培育出「刻苦忍耐」的特質。 只因為他們知道，刻苦能成就神的工作。 縱使面臨敵人極力攻擊和破壞，他們的焦點仍然在神身上，仍抱緊對神的忠誠，這份忠誠必然化為動力，讓人能堅持到底。
當我們致力於神的事工時，必定遇到各種挑戰、阻撓，甚至可能需要犧牲休息的時間或舒適的生活。然而，保羅提醒說 ：「所以，我親愛的弟兄們，你們務要堅固，不可搖動，常常竭力多做主工；因為知道，你們的勞苦在主裏面不是徒然的。」(哥林多前書十五58) 只要願意在困難中仍然刻苦服事，就不會是徒然的，因為我們定能看到神的工作得以完成，亦能因此榮耀神，為神作美好的見証。
話雖如此，長期刻苦確實不好受 ，甚至令人疲憊不堪。然而，我們看看尼希米他們如何面對這疲憊問題？「你們聽見角聲在哪裏，就聚集到我們那裏去。我們的神必為我們爭戰。」(尼希米記四20) 他們各人做不同的工作，彼此守望和支援。他們成為一個團隊。各位，當面對刻苦時，有時候總覺得好像只有自己一人獨自面對。然而，事實上並非如此。你還有很多同行者，就像尼希米團隊一樣。所以，請你記住，你有同路人的，我們正彼此守望和扶持，一同建立基督的身體。「刻苦」帶來了「合一」的力量，使我們有著盼望一同完成主的事工。
還記得燃點教會初期，當時我們在第一個聚會點崇拜，需要每主日朝行晚拆。或許過程是多有艱辛，但我們並不孤單，因為我們有同伴，大家甘願刻苦，同心協力為主擺上，亦成就了今天的燃點教會。所以，不要讓環境令我們失去這個美好的特質，在未來，我們仍要繼續刻苦自勵。
行動：今天，向我的同行者說一句：「感恩有你陪伴，我們就刻苦地一同為主繼續走下去 ﹗」
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢賜下不同戰友，與我們一同彼此同行。今天，祢藉著尼希米的榜樣教導我們如何刻苦地為祢努力。求祢賜我們力量和毅力，使我在挑戰中不退縮，能勇敢地完成祢託付的使命。主啊，求祢讓我們能帶著合一的心去與他人共同努力，成就祢的工作。奉主耶穌的名禱告，阿們。
Posted in CGCep23