Manna issue 79 - God's Preparation of Elijah 神給以利亞的準備
Preparing to serve God: focus, trust and patience.
準備服事神：專心，信靠，耐心
by Jachin 雅斤
Usually, we spend more time
preparing for the tasks we have if
they are deemed important. If the
task at hand is particularly difficult,
our preparations will be more intense.
Athletes undertake years of intensive
training and strict diets before
competing at the Olympic Games
to ensure the best chances for them
to win a medal. The same principle
applies to how we prepare, and how
God prepares us, to do His work. We
see this principle in action in how God
prepared Elijah at the Brook Cherith.
通常，若是我們認為很重要的任務，就會花很多時間在上面。
若是手上的任務是特別的困難，我們會更加專心準備。
運動員，在奧運之前，經歷了多年的激烈訓練和嚴格的飲食控制，
來確保他們有最佳的機會得獎。
同樣的原則也適用在我們身上，神是怎麼樣在預備我們來執行祂的工作。
我們可以看到這個原則是如何運作的，
神是在基立溪旁是如何把以利亞準備好的。
Elijah served as a prophet in the
Northern Kingdom of Israel, during
the dark period in history, when Ahab
reigned with his wife Jezebel. The
Bible describes Ahab as one who “did
evil in the sight of the LORD, more
than all who were before him” (1
Kgs 16:30). Indeed, “there was no
one like Ahab who sold himself to do
wickedness in the sight of the LORD,
because Jezebel his wife stirred him
up” (1 Kgs 21:25). As a result of his
unfaithfulness, the whole nation of
Israel was led astray to worship idols.
It was during these darkest of times
that God called Elijah for a difficult,
but important, mission —to turn the
nation back to Him.
以利亞成為先知，在北國以色列服事神，是歷史上的黑暗時期，也是亞哈王和王后耶洗別執政的日子。
聖經這樣形容亞哈王，
30暗利的兒子亞哈行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，比他以前的列王更甚，(王上 16：30)
正是這樣，
25（從來沒有像亞哈的，因他自賣，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，受了王后耶洗別的聳動；(王上 21：25)
因他不忠於神的結果，以色列整個國家被帶領走偏了路，去敬拜偶像。
也就是在這最黑暗的時期，神呼召了以利亞，
從事這個很困難，最很重要的任務- 要把整個國家的心回轉歸向神。
GOD SENDS ELIJAH 神差派以利亞
The Bible introduces the prophet Elijah
with these words:
聖經用這些話來介紹以利亞：
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the
inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab,
“As the Lord God of Israel lives,
before whom I stand, there shall not
be dew nor rain these years, except
at my word.”(1 Kgs 17:1)
17基列寄居的提斯比人以利亞對亞哈說：
我指著所事奉永生耶和華─以色列的神起誓，這幾年我若不禱告，必不降露，不下雨。
(王上 17：1)
Elijah's appearance is abrupt and
lacking in details of his background.
However, his name stands out as
having a special significance during
a time when the worship of Baal
and Asherah was widespread in
Israel; Elijah means, “My God is the
LORD”. Both his name and his words
were a powerful proclamation of the
living God. It was an especially stark
message to the idolatrous society of
his time.
以利亞是突然出現的，也沒有對他出身的背景有詳細的敘述。
然而，在敬拜巴力和亞舍拉的情況廣佈全國的時候，
他的名聲卻非常的突出，有其特別重要的指標；
以利亞的名字意思是"主就是我的神"。
他的名字和說出來的話，二者都代表了永生神大能的宣告。
對他時代整個拜偶像的社會而言，是一個特別突顯出來的訊息。
James tells us that, true to Elijah’s
God-inspired word, there was no
rain in the land for three and a half
years (Jas 5:17). But during this time
of drought, Elijah also fell silent as a
prophet to Israel and went into hiding.
This may seem like an odd course of
action for someone who had delivered
such a bold prophecy, but this period
of silence allowed for two things:
firstly, after three years of drought,
the truth of God’s word would have
been verified. Secondly, his seclusion
was a period of preparation for Elijah
before God used him on Mount
Carmel against the prophets of Baal.
This was how God trained Elijah for
His work.
雅各告訴我們，以利亞受到神感動所說的話是真實的，
當時各地三年半因而沒有下雨。(雅 5：17)
但是在乾旱的時候，以利亞身為以色列的先知，也保持沉默，跑去躲藏。
這對一個傳遞這樣大膽預言的人，似乎是一個很奇怪的行徑，
但這一時期的沉默，卻可以証實兩件事：
第一就是，在三年半的乾旱之後，神話的真實性就被証實了。
第二就是，對以利亞而言，這段隱居的生活就是一段準備的時間，
在神用他在迦密山上對抗巴力假先知之前，可以好好準備。
這就是神如何訓練以利亞來完成祂工作的方式。
GOD TRAINS ELIJAH 神訓練以利亞
Elijah’s training began with God’s
command: “Get away from here and
turn eastward, and hide by the Brook
Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
And it will be that you shall drink from
the brook, and I have commanded
the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kgs
17:3–4). By trusting that God would
care for him while he hid by the Brook
Cherith, Elijah would learn to set his
mind fully on God, to trust in His
providence, and to wait patiently for
the word of God. This was to be both
a physical and a spiritual training for
Elijah.
當神命令以利亞開始，就開始訓練他了：
3你離開這裡往東去，藏在約但河東邊的基立溪旁。
4你要喝那溪裡的水，我已吩咐烏鴉在那裡供養你。
(王上 17：3-4)
當他還躲在基立溪旁的時候，因著信靠神會照顧他，
以利亞就要學著如何全心信靠神，相信祂會預備，耐心等候神的話。
對以利亞而言，這同時是身體，也是心理上的訓練。
Training Goal 1: To Set Your Mind Fully on God
訓練的目標1：專心仰賴神
The Brook of Cherith was a place
where Elijah could withdraw into
isolation and focus solely on God.
Though God would later provide
company for Elijah in the widow
of Zarephath and her son, it was
important for Elijah to first be alone
with God. As His servant, a strong
relationship with God comes first and
foremost.
在基立溪這個地方，以利亞可以退避得到孤立，進而全心集中在神的事上。
雖然神後來，為以利亞準備同伴，讓他住在撒勒法的寡婦和其兒子家中，
對以利亞而言，能先和神獨處是很重要的。
身為神的僕人，第一，也是最重要的就是要和神有緊密的關係。
Being alone also meant that, apart
from God, there was no one to provide
food for Elijah. Because he was in
hiding, Elijah was unable to venture
out to find food for himself; he had to
rely fully on God. As promised, God
commanded the ravens to feed Elijah
at the brook (1 Kgs 17:4). In addition,
there were no other distractions or
activities to occupy him; all he could
do was wait patiently each morning
and evening for the ravens to bring
bread and meat for him to eat (1 Kgs
17:6). Such an environment taught
Elijah to be fully reliant on God's
providence.
除了神之外，獨處也代表了，沒有人會為以利亞預備食物。
因為他正在躲藏，以利亞就不能自已出外探險，尋找食物；他只能全心仰賴食。
就如神所應許的，神命令烏鴉在溪旁餵養以利亞。(王上 17：4)
此外，可以心無旁騖，不被世事煩擾；
他一切所能作的，就是每日早晚耐心等候烏鴉為他帶來肉和餅食用。(王上 17：6)
在這樣的環境中，教會了以利亞，全心依賴神的預備。
In our modern society, Christians
face two great challenges:
indifference—becoming numb to the
things of God, and distraction—where
your attention is divided and you
cannot focus on God. There are many
things in this world that can steal our
attention and occupy our time.
現今社會中，基督徒會面臨兩個很大的挑戰：
冷漠 - 對神的事情變得麻木，
分心 - 你的注意力被分散了，不能全心集中在神的身上。
這個世上有許多事情，會偷取我們的注意力，佔用我們寶貴的時間。
Jesus warns us of the dangers
of letting ourselves be distracted:
“But take heed to yourselves, lest
your hearts be weighed down with
carousing, drunkenness, and cares of
this life, and that Day come on you
unexpectedly” (Lk 21:34). Carousing
and drunkenness can also refer to
things that are not necessarily sinful,
but nevertheless cause us to be
distracted from the things of God.
These could be everyday matters that
occupy our minds to such an extent
that we lose focus on God.
耶穌警告我們，有關我們因為分心所以導致的危險性：
34你們要謹慎，恐怕因貪食、醉酒，並今生的思慮累住你們的心，那日子就如同網羅忽然臨到你們；
(路 21：34)
狂歡作樂，貪食醉酒，也能代表那些雖然不致於到犯罪的地步，
但是卻會讓我們從有關神的事上轉移了注意力。
這些事可能是每天會發生的雜事，但卻佔據了我們的心思，
最後變成我們分散了對神的注意力。
Jesus warned that the last days will
be just like the days of Noah: “For
as in the days before the flood, they
were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark, and
did not know until the flood came
and took them all away, so also will
the coming of the Son of Man be”
(Mt 24:38–39). What wrong did
these people commit? We must eat
and drink in order to be sustained
physically, and marriage was
instituted by God Himself. Therefore,
in and of themselves, these are not
sinful acts. For the people of Noah’s
time, however, these things wrongly
became the entire focus of their lives.
耶穌警告我們，末日的時候，就好像諾亞的日子一樣：
38當洪水以前的日子，人照常吃喝嫁娶，直到挪亞進方舟的那日；
39不知不覺洪水來了，把他們全都沖去。人子降臨也要這樣。
(太 24：38-39)
這些人到底有作什麼錯事呢？
我們一定要吃喝才能在肉體上存活，而婚姻是神親自設立的。
所以，在他們的生活中，這些事情並不是犯罪的行濕。
然而對諾亞時代的人而言，這些事情卻錯誤變成他們生活中全部的注意力。
When you take a photograph with a
shallow depth of field, the subject that
the camera is focused on will appear
sharp. But what happens to the rest
of the image? The area that is out of
focus appears blurred and unclear.
When we focus all our attention on
our physical needs and pleasures,
we lose focus on our spiritual needs.
The people of Noah’s time were so
preoccupied with eating, drinking,
marrying, and giving in marriage that
they did not realize their dire state
until they were taken away by the
flood. Noah’s vehement warnings
were like white noise to them; they
became indifferent to the things of
God, unaware of their impending
destruction.
當我們照了一張淺景深的照片，照像機聚焦的主題，就會變的銳利。
但相片中其他的影像會變成什麼樣呢？
焦點以外的地方就會變的模糊及不清晰。
當我們只注意在肉體上的需求或世上的享樂，
我們就會忽略了屬靈的需救。
諾亞時代的人們，他們只注意吃喝嫁聚，
他們並不了解自已可悲的情況，直到他們被大水所沖走。
諾亞迫切的警告，對他們而言不過是一種白噪音，聽而不聞；
他們對神的事變得冷寞，沒有注意到自已即將面對的毀滅。
The Brook Cherith was the place
where God wanted Elijah to bring
his focus back to Him. God removed
every distraction, every relationship,
and the need to labor or search
for sustenance, so that Elijah could
concentrate on God alone. Today,
God leads us to our own Brook
Cherith in many ways. For example,
when we attend spiritual meetings
and theological courses, our physical
needs are looked after and we are
removed from the distractions of the
world so that our indifferent hearts
can return to God. Attendees of
these events are even encouraged to
switch off their mobile phones for the
duration of the course so as to truly
disconnect from the outside world.
基立溪就是神要以利亞回轉注意力的地方。
神移除了一切會分心的事，會讓人分心的關係，作工勞力的需要，或是找尋支持生活的食物，
這樣，以利亞才只專心在神的事上。
今日，神用許多方式，領導我們走到自已的基立溪。
例如，當我們參加靈恩會或神訓班的時候，
我們的肉體上的需要被照顧了，我們可以除去世上分心的事務，
這麼一來，我們冷淡的心才可以回歸在神身上。
這些活動的參加者，常被鼓勵在上課期間要關掉手機，
以便可以真正和外面的世上分開。
Another example is how God allows
us to meet with hardships. When
faced with illnesses or job losses,
we will understandably go through
a period of questioning, reflection,
and supplication. Eventually, we
will realize that everything is in the
hands of God. Our minds become
clearer and our focus shifts back to
Him. We begin to earnestly seek His
guidance, and acknowledge the grace
we have already received from Him.
We may or may not regain our health
or employment, but we will find that
through this hardship our relationship
with God is re-established. This is how
God trains us at the Brook Cherith to
set our minds fully on Him.
另一個例子就是神為何允許我們遇到困難。
我們生病了，或是失業了，
想當然的，我們經歷一段過程，可能會產生質疑，不斷反省，或是懇切祈求。
最後我們會了解到，每一件事都是操之在神的手中。
我們的內心會變得更明白，自然也會把注意力轉回到祂的事上。
我們開始認真尋求祂的代領，認知到所領受的恩典都是來自於祂。
我們有可能會重新得到健康，找到工作，但也可能不會，
但是我們會發現，因著這些困難，我們重新與神建立了關係。
這就是神如何在基立溪旁訓練我們的方法，讓我們可以專心仰賴神。
Training Goal 2: To Fully Trust in God’s Providence
訓練的目標2：完全信靠神必預備
The second reason that God brought
Elijah to the Brook Cherith was to
teach him to fully trust in God’s
providence. It was here that Elijah
experienced the truth that “man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth
of God” (Mt 4:4).
神帶以利亞到基立溪的第二個原因，
就是要教他全心信靠，神必預備。
而以利亞也在這裡才驗証到這個真理，
人活著，不是單靠食物，乃是靠神口裡所出的一切話。(太 4：4)
God ordained that man should
labor to survive, but we often
become so weighed down by the
“cares of this life” (Lk 21:34) that
we allow our work to distract us from
our relationship with God. We tell
ourselves that God helps those who
help themselves, so we work harder.
Yet we forget that everything we have
has not been gained through our own
labor, but through God’s grace. God
brought Elijah to the brook to remind
him of three truths regarding God's
providence.
神命令人，要付出勞力才得飽足，
但是我們時常過度擔憂，那些"今生的思慮"(路 21：34)，
結果，我們讓自已的工作成為一種分散注意力的原因，
導致於我們和神的關係疏遠了。
我們告訴自已，天助自助者，所以我們更加努力工作。
然而我們卻忘了，自已所得到的一切事物，
並不是透過自已的努力得到的，而是因著神的恩典。
神帶領以利亞到這溪邊，要提醒祂有關神必預備的三項真理。
The first truth is that God can
provide by any means; there is no
limit to what God can do, or how
He can do it. Here, he used ravens
to feed Elijah. By nature, ravens are
scavengers that would aggressively
steal and fight for food. However, they
miraculously provided generously for
Elijah at God’s command. Why would
God choose the raven, considered
unclean by the Jews, rather than a
more esteemed creature such as the
dove? It is because God does not use
the things that man deems worthy,
but that which is weak and despised
(1 Cor 1:27), to perform His will. God
showed Elijah that He was able to
use the lowliest of creatures to feed
him. Later, He would provide for Elijah
through a widow—widows were
among the least honorable members
of society because they could hardly
provide for themselves. In fact, 1
Kings 17 tells us that this particular
Gentile widow had only a handful of
flour and some oil left, yet God was
able to make use of her to feed Elijah.
第一個真理，就是神可以用任何方式來預備；
神所要作的事，或是祂要怎麼去完成祂的事，並沒有任何事情可以加以限制。
在這裡，祂用烏鴉來餵養以利亞。
本來烏鴉就是食腐動物，他會很主動積極地偷取食物，為了掙奪食物而大打出手。
然而很神奇地是，在神的命令之下，他們用順服地為以利亞準備食物。
為什麼神要選用烏鴉呢？他們本來就被猶太人認為是不潔的動物，
而不是一種常為人所敬重的生物，例如鴿子？
這是因為，神不用人認為有價值的東西，
而是用那些人認為很軟弱，或為人鄙視的事物，(林前 1：27)，來完成祂的旨意。
神向以利亞表示，祂可以用最卑微的生物來餵養他。
後來，祂又透過一個寡婦來幫忙以利亞 -
寡婦算是一種受人尊敬的身份，在其中是屬於最微小的，因為他們很難維持自已的生活。
事實上，列王記上17章告訴我們，
這個特別的外邦寡婦，只有一把麵粉和剩下一些油而已，
然而神卻可以好好利用她來幫補以利亞。
It is difficult to imagine that God
would use the ravens and a poor
widow to feed Elijah. This was also
how Moses reacted when God told
him that He would provide meat for
the Israelites. Moses asked: “Shall
flocks and herds be slaughtered for
them, to provide enough for them? Or
shall all the fish of the sea be gathered
together for them, to provide enough
for them?” God’s reply was: “Has the
LORD’s arm been shortened? Now
you shall see whether what I say will
happen to you or not” (Num 11:22–
23). God is always able to accomplish
more than we can imagine. He is able
to use the lowliest things to complete
His will. The lesson for us is that if
God is able to provide for Elijah by the
ravens and by the widow, then He can
provide for us even when we can see
no solution ahead.
我們很難想像，神會用烏鴉和窮寡婦來餵養以利亞。
這也是摩西，一聽到神說，祂會為以色列人準備肉，所出現的反應。
摩西問：
22難道給他們宰了羊群牛群，或是把海中所有的魚都聚了來，就夠他們吃麼？
23耶和華對摩西說：耶和華的膀臂豈是縮短了麼？現在要看我的話向你應驗不應驗。
(民 11：22-23)
神總能完成比我們想像中更多的事情。
祂可以用最卑微的事物來完成祂的旨意。
我們所能學到的課程是，
若神可以用烏鴉和寡婦來幫補以利亞，
那麼，甚至當我們看不見在前頭有任何出路的時候，
神也會為我們作好準備。
The second truth is that God’s
providence always comes at the right
time and in the right order. If we
had been in Elijah’s shoes, we would
wonder, “How will the ravens feed
me? When will they feed me?” We
know what God has promised us,
but we are unable to fully trust in His
promises because we want to know
every part of God’s plan before we
feel secure. We allow our doubts
and fears to erode our confidence in
God's promise to us, pushing us to
work even harder through our own
methods. In Elijah’s case, God’s plan
was revealed step by step. Only when
Elijah had obeyed God and went to
the Brook Cherith did he discover how
the ravens would feed him, and how
often (1 Kgs 17:6). And it was only
when the brook had dried up that the
next part of God’s plan was revealed
to him (1 Kgs17:7–9).
第二個真理就是，神的預備總是來對的時間來到，並且也以對的順序出現。
若我們可以身處在以利亞的位置上，我們或許會想，
"到底這些烏鴉能怎麼餵養我呢？
"他們何時才會拿食物來給我吃呢？"
我們都知道神給我們的應許，但我們卻不能完全信賴祂的應許，
因為在我們有安全感之前，會想要知道神的計劃到底是什麼？
我們任憑自已的疑惑和恐懼，來侵蝕自已對神應許的信心，
用自已的方法，逼自已更加努力工作。
就讓我們來看看以利亞的故事，神的計劃是一步一步被揭露的。
只有以利亞好好聽從神的話，跑去基立溪旁，
他才能知道，到底烏鴉要怎麼餵養他，一天會有多少次帶食物六。(王上 17：6)
也只有當這條溪水乾沽了，神計劃的下一步，才會向祂顯現出來。(王上 18：7-9)
God’s providence is revealed to us
one step at a time. This is how God
trains us to trust Him and believe that
He will always do the right thing at
the right time. When the brook had
dried up, Elijah could have lost all
hope in God, but it was at this point
that God’s word came to him. Would
we have had the faith to trust that
God is still in control?
神的預備，一次只會向我們顯明一步。
這就是神訓練我們信任祂的方法，並且讓我們去相信，祂總會在對的時間上，作正確的事。
當溪水乾了，以利亞可能完全失去對神的希望，
也只在這個時候，神的話語才臨到他。
我們會有這樣的信心嗎？能相信一切仍在神的掌握之中呢？
Finally, Elijah learned that God’s
providence is always sufficient. The
ravens brought food to Elijah at fixed
times twice a day—no more, no
less. This was just enough to sustain
the prophet. Later, when Elijah was
fed by the widow of Zarephath, the
training would go one step further.
At the brook, the ravens brought
bread and meat, whereas the widow
only provided bread. Through such
physical training, Elijah's spirituality
was enriched. By curbing his natural
cravings, he could focus his attention
more sharply on God.
最後，以利亞學會了，神的預備總是充足的。
烏鴉會在固定的時間，一天兩次帶來食物，不多也不少。
這樣份量的食物，剛好足夠支持這位先知的生活。
後來，以利亞被撒勒法的寡婦餵養，訓練的方式是更進一步了。
在溪旁，烏鴉帶來餅和肉，而這個寡婦只能提供餅而已。
雖經如此肉體上的訓練，以利亞的靈性卻變得更加豐富。
藉由仰制自已本能上的慾望，他就能把注意力更集中的放在神身上。
This teaches us that we ought to
be content with whatever God has
given us. As Paul wrote: “I know how
to be abased, and I know how to
abound. Everywhere and in all things
I have learned both to be full and to
be hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need” (Phil 4:12). This refers
to two extremes: one of abundance,
and the other of poverty. The former
was experienced by the Israelites
when they entered the Promised
Land—they became full and forgot
about God (Deut 31:20). The latter
is experienced by people who face
tribulation; if they cannot endure, then
they could fall away. These extreme
situations can become a stumbling
block if we are not content with our
God-given lot. Therefore, whatever
physical blessings we receive from
God, whether they are abundant or
just enough, we should learn to be
like Paul and Elijah and be content
with God’s providence.
這個故事教導我們，我們應該要對神無論給我們什麼事物或處境，都能夠滿足。
就像保羅所說：
12我知道怎樣處卑賤，也知道怎樣處豐富；或飽足，或飢餓；或有餘，或缺乏，隨事隨在，我都得了祕訣。
(腓 4：12)
這段經由指向了兩個極端，一邊是富裕，一邊是貧困。
前者當以色列人進入應許之地的時候，他們就已經體驗到了-
但他們卻全然忘記了神。(申 31：20)
後者人們在遇見困難的時候，也遇到了；
若他們無法忍耐，就會跌倒。
若我們無法滿足於神給我們安排的命運，這些極端的情況就可能變成絆腳石。
所以，無論我們從神領受到什麼物質上的祝福，不論我們很豐富，或是剛剛好，
我們要向保羅和以利亞學習，能夠對神的安排感到滿意。
Training Goal 3: To Wait Patiently for the Lord
訓練的目標3：耐心等候主
The period of drought was primarily
defined by waiting. Israel was waiting
for the word of God to come to pass—
that rain would not fall, except at the
word of Elijah. At the same time, and
more pertinently, Elijah waited at the
Brook Cherith for God’s instructions
on what to do next. Waiting was a
form of training for the prophet.
乾旱期間，就是最主要，要耐心等候。
以色列人等候神的話來實現 - 除非以利亞說話，不然不會降雨。
同時，或者更適切的說，以利亞要在基立旁等候神的指示，看下一步要怎麼作。
而等候同時就是一種訓練先知的方式。
The Brook Cherith was a small
tributary to the River Jordan, and
Elijah knew it would eventually dry
up during the drought. God could
have performed a great miracle and
opened a spring for Elijah. Instead, He
allowed the natural order of things
to run its course. Elijah would have
witnessed how the brook gradually
became a trickle and eventually dried
up. Perhaps he even measured how
much the water level went down by
each day. Would he have become
more and more anxious as the water
diminished while God's word was still
yet to come? If we were in his position,
would we have taken matters into
our own hands and gone in search of
another source of water?
基立溪只是約旦河的小支流，以利亞知道在乾旱期間，到最後這條溪也會乾枯。
神可以實行大神蹟，打開天窗為以利亞降下大雨。
但相反的是，就允許自然界自已的規則運行。
以利亞也看到了這條溪如何變成一條涓涓細流，並且最後乾掉。
或許，他甚至每天都會去測量水位，看下降了多少。
隨著水的消失，而神的話語仍然尚未臨到，
難道他不會變得越來越加憂慮嗎？
若我們身處在他的位置，我們難道不會用自已的手段和方法，
並且離開去尋找另一個水源嗎？
The inability to wait is a common
failure of God’s people. This was one
of the reasons Saul offered an unlawful
sacrifice at Gilgal. The people had
gathered to fight the Philistines, but
after waiting seven days for Samuel
to come and offer the sacrifice, Saul
grew impatient and burnt the offering
himself, disobeying God and losing
His favor in the process. Immediately
after he had done this, Samuel arrived.
Saul only needed to have trusted and
waited a little longer.
不能持續等待下去這種情況，常常是神百姓失敗的一種情形。
這也是眾多理由之一，掃羅在吉甲獻上了不被神允許的祭。
百姓已經聚集要去攻打以色列人，但是等待撒母耳來到獻祭之前，已經過了七天，
掃羅變得沒有耐心，自已就獻燔祭，在這過程中，不遵守神的命令，因而失去了神的喜愛。
接著馬上在他獻完祭之後，撒母耳就剛好到了。
掃羅真的只要多一點信心，再等一下下就可以了。
Waiting for God is a training that
we must all undergo. Waiting can be
a difficult thing, and the longer we
wait for something, the more anxious
we become. Yet if we are able to wait
for the Lord’s time to come, then we
will be truly blessed.
等候神，是一種我們必須經歷的訓練。
等候也可能是一種很困難的事，為了某事我們等的越久，我們就會變得越焦慮。
然而若我們可以等候神的時候來到，那麼我們就真的會受到祝福。
Therefore the LORD will wait, that
He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted,
that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for
Him. (Isa 30:18)
18耶和華必然等候，要施恩給你們；必然興起，好憐憫你們。
因為耶和華是公平的神；凡等候他的都是有福的！
(賽 30：18)
Often, we focus on the latter
portion of this verse, but the first
part is just as important. The Lord
is waiting for us to be ready so that
He may be gracious to us. This is
especially true for those who have
yet to receive the Holy Spirit. They
may think, “I’ve been praying for so
long; why has God not given me the
Holy Spirit?” Whatever blessing from
God we are seeking, we may wonder
why He is making us wait so long. But
have we considered that perhaps God
is waiting for us?
常常我們只注意到這個經節的後半部份，但前面的部份也同樣很重要。
主正等候我們準備好，那麼祂才能向我們賜下恩典。
對那些還沒有得到聖靈的人，這種等候是真實的。
他們或許會想，"我已經禱告這麼久了，為什麼神還沒有給我聖靈？"
不論我們從神那裡尋求什麼祝福，我們或許會想，
為什麼祂要讓我們等那麼久。
但是我們是不是有想過，或許是神在等我們，而不是我們在等候神？
This is like the story of a little girl
whose father promised to give her
a gold watch one day. She waited
day after day, year after year, until
she forgot all about it. Finally, on
her twenty-first birthday, her father
presented the watch to her, saying,
“Here is the watch that I promised
you. I’ve been waiting all these years
for you to come of age so that I may
give it to you.”
這就像一個故事，有一個小女孩，祂爸爸答應有一天要給她一隻金錶。
她天天等待，年年等待，直到有一天她完全忘了這件事。
最後在她21歲生日的時候，她爸爸才把這隻錶拿給她，並說：
"這是我答應你的手錶。這幾年我們一直等待你長這麼大，到這年紀我才可以把它送給你"。
We may feel like we are the ones
who are waiting for God, but in fact,
God is waiting for us. He is waiting
as we undergo our training to become
spiritually mature. Indeed, we may
become impatient and give up, but
God is willing to wait for us no matter
how long it takes:
我們或許覺得，我們是那麼等候神的人，
但事負上，是神在等我們。
他在等候我們，直到我們通過了訓練，可以在屬靈上變得更加成熟。
是的，我們會沒有耐心，甚至放棄了，
但神為了我們，願意繼續等下去，不論需要花多久的時候。
But, beloved, do not forget this
one thing, that with the Lord one
day is as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day. The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance.
(2 Pet 3:8–9)
8親愛的弟兄阿，有一件事你們不可忘記，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。
9主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。
(彼後 3：8-9)
Elijah succeeded in waiting patiently
for the Lord, without giving up or
pursuing his own methods. When the
time was ripe and the brook had dried
up, God’s word came to him. When
the time is ripe, God does not delay.
It is therefore our responsibility to
always be ready to receive His grace
and not give up midway.
以利亞成功耐心等候主，沒有放棄，也沒有用自已的方法。
當時機成熟了，溪水乾了，神的話就臨到他。
當時機成熟了，神不會遲延。
所以，我們的責任就是要時時準備好，來領受祂的恩典，不要半途而廢。
CONCLUSION 結論
In our life of faith, we may
sometimes feel as though our
prayers go unanswered, our trials are
interminable, and we are just waiting
for God to show us what our next
step should be. We may be zealous
to serve God in a greater capacity but
feel frustrated when it seems that God
is delaying in sending us to do His
work. As the example of Elijah shows
us, this may be because God has an
important task in store for us and so
He wishes to fully prepare us to serve
Him. Just as He did with Elijah at the
Brook Cherith, so will He train us to
overcome indifference and distraction
so that we can fully focus our minds
on Him, to trust in His providence no
matter how impossible the situation
seems, and to wait patiently for His
word no matter how long it takes.
We can trust that after our period
of preparation, we will be ready to
perform great works for the glory of
the Lord.
在我們信仰生活上，有時候我們會感到，
我們的禱告沒有得到垂聽，我們的試煉好像永無止境，
我們只要等候神，讓祂向我們指示下一步要怎麼作。
我們可能非常熱心，盡最大的力氣來服事神，
當神看起來好像延遲了分派給我們祂的工作，而感到了挫折。
就像以利亞的故事一樣，這或許是神已經準備好了重要的工作，
所以祂希望我們為了祂的工作，能夠好好的準備。
就像祂在基立溪為以利亞所作的一切，
所以，祂也會訓練我們，克服那些為讓我們變冷淡及分心的事，
這樣，我們才會集中心力在祂的事上，
無論情況看起來有多麼的不可能，都能相信祂必有所準備，
無論需要等候多長的時候，都能耐心等候祂的話語。
我們可以相信，在我們準備完的時間之後，
就可以準備好，為了讓神得到榮耀，來執行偉大的工作。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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