Daily Devotion - Feb 16 - ¥q¥¬¯u¨C¤éÆF­×(¤é) Morning by Morning

司布真每日靈修(日) Morning by Morning

二月十六日

經文: 「我無論在什麼景況，都可以知足，這是我已經學會了。」(腓立比書四：11)

這節經文告訴我們，知足常樂不是人生的傾向，反而貪心、抱怨是人之常情，就像地上沒撒種，長出雜草一樣；只有細心栽培，才會長出有價值的農作物。如果你要收成稻麥，你就得播種耕耘；如果你要種出美麗的花，你就得常常澆灌剪枝。知足是屬天的花朵，若你想擁有它，你必須有心去栽培，它是不會自然而然長出的。惟有耶穌的新生命才會產生知足的性情，但你仍需謹慎、刻意地去培育這美德。
<BR> 保羅說：「我已經學會知足。」可見他曾經有一段時間，沒有學會，他也必定花了一番功夫，付上心血代價，才學會這真理的奧秘。不可否認地，他曾經以為他學會了，結果卻又失敗，所以，最後在他學會後，他才敢說：「我已經學會，無在何種情況，我都能知足。」他說這話時，已是白髮皤皤的一位老者，關在羅馬尼祿皇帝時的牢裡。親愛的朋友們，不要天真地妄想，你不學就會有知足的性情，這不是一種自然產生，可以供你隨心所欲使用的能力。由經驗得知，這是經過不斷操練，由失敗中學習，方可獲得的美德。弟兄姐妹們，你還是常怨天尤人，常埋怨命運乖舛嗎？學習順服，接受上帝所安排的環境，用禱告的心，求主改變自己成為聖經話語的樣式，養成感恩的美德與知足常樂的性情。


Morning, February 16

Scripture: "I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content."(Philippians 4:11)

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. "Ill weeds grow apace." Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener's care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, "I have learned ... to be content;" as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content," he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave—a poor prisoner shut up in Nero's dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul's infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.

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