寻找就寻见。(路十一9)

“你们求也得不着,因为你们妄求。”你求的若是今生的事物,而不是从神来的,就是妄求,就是出于实现自我的欲望。你愈是实现自我,就愈不会寻求神。“寻找就寻见。”去实行吧,把你的兴趣缩小到这一个上面。你是否曾全心寻求神,还是在受刺激痛楚之下,向神没精打采地哀求?寻找,要专心,那你就会寻见。

“你们一切干渴的都当就近水来。”你是渴慕神,还是漠然不关心——只满足于自己的经历,以致对神再无所求?个人经历是个通道,不是终点。要谨慎,不要把信心建筑在经历之上,那铿然之声必随即响起,加以责难。你永远无法将你所找到的东西给予他人,但你可以让他思念你所拥有的东西。。

“叩门,就给你们开门。”“要亲近神。”叩门——那门是关闭的,叩的时候你会心惊胆战。“洁净你们的手”——稍为用力一点叩,就会发现自己的污秽。“洁净你们的心”——这一层更加深切了;这是你很真诚逼切,什么都肯做了。“要受苦”——你曾否因你内在的光景在神面前受苦?这时你已没有丝毫自怜了,只有一种因诧异而来的心碎,因发觉原来自己的本相是这样的。“自卑”——叩神的门是一件卑躬屈膝的事——你要与那被钉十架的大盗一同叩门。“叩门的就给他开门。”

祈祷◆噢,主啊,但愿我对你有更活泼的感应,而你的丰盛一直与我同在。

June 10 The Next Best Thing To Do

“Seek, and ye shall find.” Luke 11:9

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.” If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, i.e., you ask from a desire for self-realization. The more you realize yourself the less will you seek God. “Seek, and ye shall find.” Get to work, narrow your interests to this one. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you only given a languid cry to Him after a twinge of moral neuralgia? Seek, concentrate, and you will find.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” Are you thirsty, or smugly indifferent – so satisfied with your experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a gateway, not an end. Beware of building your faith on experience, the metallic note will come in at once, the censorious note. You can never give another person that which you have found, but you can make him homesick for what you have.

“Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” “Draw nigh to God.” Knock – the door is closed, and you suffer from palpitation as you knock. “Cleanse your hands” – knock a bit louder, you begin to find you are dirty. “Purify your heart” – this is more personal still, you are desperately in earnest now – you will do anything. “Be afflicted” – have you ever been afflicted before God at the state of your inner life? There is no strand of self-pity left, but a heartbreaking affliction of amazement to find you are the kind of person that you are. “Humble yourself” – it is a humbling business to knock at God’s door – you have to knock with the crucified thief. “To him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”