Daily Devotion - Apr 30 - ¥q¥?‾u‥C?eAF-×(?e) Morning by Morning

司布真每日靈修(日) Morning by Morning 四月三十日 經文: 「以色列眾人向摩西亞倫發怨言。」（民數記十四：2 ） 像以色列民一般，基督徒當中有很多人也常抱怨上帝；因著上帝管教的杖臨到，他們就向上帝哭訴：「為何要遭遇這些苦難折磨？」容我向這些人說一句話──你怎敢向上帝這樣頂撞不服？想想你曾經是怎樣一個不折不扣頑劣悖逆的叛徒，上帝卻赦免你，並沒有照你所應得的刑罰報應你，現在只是給你一些小小的磨練考驗？你還有何可抱怨？ 你心懷不平，口出怨言，豈不越發證明心裡剛硬，靈裡傲慢，一點也沒有上帝兒女聖潔順服的形象？而且要謹慎，若你仍繼續抱怨，所受到的磨練考驗將會加重加深。 要知道上帝是慈愛的，「祂並不甘心使人受苦，使人憂愁。」（哀三：33）祂讓我們受苦的動機，完全出於愛，為使我們聖潔，更親近祂，而且祂必不使試探超過你所能忍受的，祂的恩手必扶持你，使你能經歷水火。「因為主所愛的祂必管教，又鞭打凡所收納的兒子。你們所忍受的，是上帝管教你，待你們如同待兒子，焉有兒子不被父親管教的呢？」（來十二：6、7）「你們也不要發怨言，像他們有發怨言的，就被滅命的所滅。」(林前十：10) Morning, April 30 Scripture: "And all the children of Israel murmured."(Numbers 14:2) There are murmurers amongst Christians now, as there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the afflictive dispensation. They ask, "Why am I thus afflicted? What have I done to be chastened in this manner?" A word with thee, O murmurer! Why shouldst thou murmur against the dispensations of thy heavenly Father? Can he treat thee more hardly than thou deservest? Consider what a rebel thou wast once, but he has pardoned thee! Surely, if he in his wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins deserve? Consider the corruption which is in thy breast, and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so much of the rod to fetch it out? Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross is mingled with thy gold; and dost thou think the fire too hot to purge away so much dross as thou hast? Does not that proud rebellious spirit of thine prove that thy heart is not thoroughly sanctified? Are not those murmuring words contrary to the holy submissive nature of God's children? Is not the correction needed? But if thou wilt murmur against the chastening, take heed, for it will go hard with murmurers. God always chastises his children twice, if they do not bear the first stroke patiently. But know one thing—"He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." All his corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and to draw thee nearer to himself. Surely it must help thee to bear the chastening with resignation if thou art able to recognize thy Father's hand. For "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons." "Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer." www.glorypress.com