使他们都合而为一,正如你父在我里面,我在你里面,使他们也在我们里面。(约十七21)

你的道路若是孤单,请读约翰福音第十七章。它可以解释你为什么会到了如此境地——耶稣求父叫你与父合一,如同他与父合一一样。你是尽力使这祷告得到应允?还是你的人生另有目标?

你既成为门徒,就不能像昔日一般独立自主了。神的目的不是要应允我们的祈求,而是藉我们的祷告,叫我们能分辨他的心意,这在约翰福音第十七章已显示出来。有一个祷告是神必然应允的,就是主耶稣的祷告——“叫他们合而为一,如同我们合而为一”。我们与主耶稣是这样亲密吗?

神关注的并不是我们的计划。他不曾说:“你愿意经历这痛苦的困扰吗?”他容让这些事发生,自有他的目的。我们所经历的事,要不是叫我们变得更温柔、更完美、更高贵,就会叫我们更吹毛求疵、更挑剔、更坚持己意。经历可以叫我们成为妖魔,也可以叫我们变作圣徒,关键完全在乎我们与神的关系。我们若说:“愿你的旨意成就。”就能得着约翰福音第十七章的安慰,就知道天父以智慧行万事。当我们知道神的用心,就不会卑鄙且愤世嫉俗。耶稣所祷告的,是要我们完全与他合一,正如他与父合一一样。有些人仍离得很远,但神不会任凭我们,必使我们真正与他合一,因为耶稣已为我们祷告,盼望我们可以达到这境界。

祈祷◆对于在世上为你结果子,我是那么无助,我是那么胸襟狭小,多么的不像你。求你赦免我,并且愿我因着住在耶稣里面,可以多结果子,荣耀天父。

May 22: Now This Explains It

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” John 17:21

If you are going through a solitary way, read John 17, it will explain exactly why you are where you are – Jesus has prayed that you may be one with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or have you some other end for your life? Since you became a disciple you cannot be as independent as you used to be.

The purpose of God is not to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God, and this is revealed in John 17. There is one prayer God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus – “that they may be one, even as We are One.” Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?

God is not concerned about our plans; He does not say – Do you want to go through this bereavement, this upset? He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, nobler men and women; or they are making us more captious and fault-finding, more insistent upon our own way. The things that happen either make us fiends, or they make us saints; it depends entirely upon the relationship we are in to God. If we say – “Thy will be done,” we get the consolation of John 17, the consolation of knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom. When we understand what God is after we will not get mean and cynical. Jesus has prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far off it, and yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him, because Jesus has prayed that we may be.