Daily Devotion - Jan 9 - ¥q¥¬¯u¨C¤éÆF­×(©]) Evening by Evening

司布真每日靈修(夜) Evening by Evening

一月九日

經文: 你們當樂意奉耶和華。（詩篇一○○：2）

在神聖的事奉中滿有喜樂，是蒙上帝悅納的表微。有一些人在事奉中愁眉苦臉，感到自己是在作一件不愉快的事，這些人其實並沒有事奉上帝。他們有服事的外形，卻沒有生命。我們的上帝並不需要奴隸來為祂的寶座增光。祂是愛的王國之主，祂期盼服事祂的人穿著喜樂的外袍。上帝的眾天使是以歌聲來事奉祂，而不是以呻吟歎息來事奉，一聲抱怨或一聲歎息就是不稱職的表現。不出於自願的服從就是不服從。主是鑒察人心的，如果祂看到我們事奉祂是出於勉強而不是因為愛祂，祂將拒絕我們所獻上的。從基督徒身上除去喜樂的意願，亦即移去了他的誠意。人若被逼去爭戰，那他並不是一個愛國者。帶著閃耀的眼光步入戰場，並且高歌：「為國犧牲是光榮的」，這人的表現證明了他愛國的心是真誠的。喜樂是我們力量的支柱。在主�的喜樂使我們剛強，而所發生的作用能排除困難。喜樂於我們的事奉，如同潤滑油之於車輛的輪子。缺乏潤滑油，不久輪軸就會發熱，接著意外事故就發生了。如果缺乏屬上帝的喜樂來潤滑我們的車輪，我們的心靈很快就因疲勞而受阻礙。在事奉上帝中滿有喜樂的人，證實了他的生命是順服的。你是否樂意事奉上帝？世人以為我我們的信仰是奴役我們的，讓我們向世人表明，上帝是我們的喜樂，是我們的歡欣。但願我們以喜樂向世人宣告，我們所事奉的是一位良善的主。

Evening, January 9

Scripture: "Serve the Lord with gladness."(Psalm 100:2)

Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving him at all; they bring the form of homage, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace his throne; he is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have his servants dressed in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the heart, and if he seeth that we serve him from force, and not because we love him, he will reject our offering. Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, "It is sweet for one's country to die," proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism. Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service of God, proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,

"Make me to walk in thy commands,
'Tis a delightful road."
Reader, let us put this question—do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.


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