第三十七週．週四
晨興餧養
林後四６ 『因為那說光要從黑暗裏照出來的神，已經照在我們心裏，為著光照人，使人認識那顯在耶穌基督面上之神的榮耀。』
弗五１４ 『所以祂說，睡著的人哪，要起來，要從死人中站起來，基督就要光照你了。』
我們中間誰是敬畏神，聽從祂話語的人，若是遇到黑暗，就當記得，甚麼都不要作，只要信靠神，依賴神，專心仰望祂，安靜等候祂，求祂再來憐憫。甚麼時候神來了，神施憐憫了，祂的面光就是我們的光，祂的顯現就是我們的看見，祂的同在就是我們的得著。我們只要碰著祂，我們就看見光。祂向我們一掩面，我們立時就在黑暗裏。我們怎樣努力都沒有用，怎樣掙扎都是徒然。…因為光照不是在於我們的努力掙扎，乃是在於神的憐憫。（李常受文集一九五三年第三冊，二五五至二五六頁。）
信息選讀
〔我們要蒙光照，〕第一，必須要光照。光照既不在於我們的求或找，而在於我們的蒙與受，就我們肯不肯蒙，肯不肯受，乃是我們蒙光照的第一個條件。…〔光〕在我們裏面是一直等候我們接受它的光照。
第二，要敞開自己向著主。主就是光，我們全心向著祂，就定規有光；我們背著祂，而傾向別的，就定規沒有光。…心不轉向主，這就是帕子；心轉向主，就是把帕子除去，〔林後三16，〕就能面對面的看見主，也就能看見光。所以我們要接受光照，就必須敞開自己向著主，從深處把自己釋放出來，一點不保守、不扣留的擺在主面前。
第三，要把自己停下來。…就是把我們的眼光、看法、感覺、感想、意見等等，都停下來。我們都知道，停下來是一件不容易的事，…但是停不下來，也是我們蒙光照的一個遮蔽，並且是一個厲害的遮蔽。…一個完全停下來的人，來到主的面前，纔能單單純純的接受主的話。…他讀聖經，不是把自己的意思和解釋讀到聖經裏面去。…起頭的時候，好像一點都讀不懂，但有一天光來了，聖經中那些大的東西就在他裏面發光，使他得著了啟示。他聽道也是這樣。乃是全人從裏到外安靜等候在主面前，要聽主說話。所以當講臺的話語釋放出來的時候，他就能抓住信息的重點，而在裏面得著主的話。這樣的人，因著他能停下自己，就能不斷的得著神活的話，也就是得著神的光，因為神的光就是在於神的話。
第四，不能反駁光。…我們裏面一得著光照，一有了感覺，就要立刻接受，立刻順服，立刻去對付…。我們何時一有反駁，光就退去了。…不只聖靈作工是這樣，就是那些有聖靈職事的人，他們作工也是這樣。一個認識神，為神使用的僕人，他總是喜歡幫助人的。但有甚麼人對他有批評，存心反駁他，他就不和你爭執，不和你講甚麼情理，爭甚麼是非；他只有一個辦法，就是退回去，和你沒有話說了，也不能幫助你了。（李常受文集一九五三年第三冊，二五七至二五八、二六○、二六二至二六三頁。）
參讀：生命的認識，第十四篇；約翰的修補職事，第十三至十四章。
WEEK 37 — DAY 4
Morning Nourishment
2 Cor. 4:6 Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Eph. 5:14 Therefore He says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Those among us who fear God, hear His voice and encounter darkness, should remember not to do anything but trust in God, rely on God, look wholeheartedly to Him, wait quietly on Him, and seek His mercy once more. Whenever God comes, whenever God bestows mercy, the light of His countenance is our light, His appearing is our vision, and His presence is our gain. If we just touch Him, we see light. The moment He hides His face from us, we are immediately in darkness. No matter how much we strive for light, it is of no use; regardless of how much we struggle, it is in vain…Enlightening does not depend on our striving and struggling but depends on the mercy of God. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” pp. 189-190)
Today’s Reading
First, we must want the shining. Since light depends not on our asking or seeking, but upon our accepting and receiving, then whether we are willing to accept and receive is the first condition of our being enlightened…The light is within us, constantly waiting for us to receive its shining.
Second, we should open ourselves to the Lord. The Lord is light, so if our whole heart is turned toward Him, we definitely will have light; but if we turn away from Him and incline toward other things, we definitely will not have light…When the heart is not turned toward the Lord, the veil is there; but when it turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away [2 Cor. 3:16]. Then one can see the Lord face to face; then one can see light. Therefore, if we want to receive the shining, we must open ourselves to the Lord and, from deep within, release ourselves, putting ourselves before the Lord without a bit of
reservation or holding back.
Third, we should put a stop to ourselves,…[which] is to put a stop to our views, our ways of looking at things, our feelings, opinions and words, etc. We all know that to stop is not an easy matter…Yet being unable to put a stop to ourselves is also a veil, a serious veil, which prevents us from being enlightened. When a person who is completely stopped comes before the Lord, he can be exceedingly simple and single in receiving the word of the Lord…When he reads the Bible, he does not read his own opinion and explanation into it…In the beginning it seems that he does not understand what he reads. But when the light comes, the great things in the Bible shine in him, causing him to have revelation. The same is true when he hears a message. His whole person from within to without waits quietly before the Lord, desiring to hear His speaking.
Thus, when the words are released, he can grasp the essential point of the message and receive from within the Lord’s word. Such a person, because he can stop himself, is able to receive unceasingly the living word of God, which means the light of God, for the light of God rests within the word of God. Fourth, we should not dispute with the light…As soon as we have the enlightening and sense within, we should immediately accept, submit, and deal accordingly…Whenever we dispute with the light, the light is
withdrawn. Not only does the Holy Spirit work in this way; even those who have the ministry of the Holy Spirit work in this way. A servant who knows God and is used by God is always happy to help others. Yet if you criticize him or intentionally resist him, he will not contend with you, reason with you, or argue concerning right or wrong. He has only one way: He simply withdraws, having nothing more to say to you and being no longer able to help you. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” pp. 190-193, 195- 196)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” ch. 14; CWWL, 1980, vol. 2, “The Mending Ministry of John,” chs. 13—14
