Monday, 29 June, 2020

Title: God Speaks to our Hearts
By: Ps Cheng Cheung

Psalm 27: 7-14

Last week, David expressed his heart’s desire, where he asked to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. And the purpose was so that he could gaze upon God’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. He wanted so much to seek God’s will and guidance and know God better. This was David’s ”pearl of great price.” Like the merchant, David had found that pearl and wanted to forgo everything he had in order to possess it (Matt 13: 45-46). David has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and now he has an unquenchable hunger for God. Nothing else will do. Everything else is a poor substitute and David knows it.

Friend, have you found your “pearl of great price”? What is it? Have you taken steps to possess it?

He sought God’s face
Verse 7 in NKJV reads ”7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me and answer me.”

Having read the Psalm to this point, we could be excused for thinking David’s relationship with the Lord was progressing well. We are under the impression that problems were under control. Not true.

In the original, verse 7 is short, broken and reads:
“Hear, O LORD;
with my voice I call;
pity me,
and answer me.”

David shows us that even he – the one who sought God with such passion – sometimes felt that God did not hear him immediately. He was anxious to be heard.

He sought God in prayer. He was deeply aware that in coming before God, he needed mercy. Prayer is many things – communication, worship, adoration, relationship, making petition – but the overriding posture of prayer is deep obeisance. One needs to throw oneself totally at the feet of Almighty God. We are totally dependent on Him. But it takes humility to admit that we do not have things under control in certain areas. For some, pride keeps them far away from God. Is it a wonder then, that we sometimes feel our prayers do not rise above the ceiling? That God has turned His face from us?

What was David’s response? He called upon God all the more in humility. He besought the Lord; he was desperate and appealed on the back of three “Do Nots”. He told God he believed God’s fatherly compassion and care exceeds that of the closest human bonds, even that of parents – verses 9 and 10.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

When he reached this point, God revealed a secret to David: God speaks to our hearts, the innermost core of our spiritual beings. Then our hearts speak to us. God does not speak to our rationale because He knows, very often, we will rationalise that thought away. God places the desire in our hearts to seek his face, or to perform certain actions, but we must be determined to follow through. Don’t take that desire for granted. When your heart calls to you to seek God in prayer, rejoice! When your heart calls to you to ask a brother or sister for forgiveness, don’t hesitate! When your heart convicts you to serve God in an area of service, avail yourself!

Brothers and sisters, are you prepared to re-tune your hearts? Listen well to your heart. Be aware when you are at a point of spiritual sensitivity in your life. Don’t dismiss it! Don’t assume that you will be at the same point of receptivity tomorrow. “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Prayer for Today

My father in heaven, truly, hallowed be Thy Name.
I pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Most of all, I pray Your will be done in my life and that I will not quench the Holy Spirit as His still, clear and gentle voice speaks to my heart. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that You are the perfect gentleman, never intrusive, and never confrontational in overriding my autonomy. Thank You that You respect my individuality.
Thank You, Holy Spirit for Your invisible hand in my life, guiding events for my ultimate spiritual benefit. I believe, Lord; help me my untimely unbelief. Help me understand what David meant when he prayed ” Teach me Your way, O LORD,” and ” Wait, I say, on the LORD!”

In Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期一，2020年6月29日
标题：上帝向我们说话
讲员：张祯祥传道
翻译：巫惠如姐妹

诗篇27：7-14

上周，我们看到大卫表达了他的心愿，他要一辈子住在上帝的殿中。其目的是能瞻仰上帝的荣美，在殿里求问。他渴慕寻求上帝的旨意和指引并想更认识祂。这是大卫「重价的珠子」。 与商人一样，大卫也找到了那颗珍珠，想放弃一切他拥有的(参马13:45-46)。 大卫已尝主恩，知道祂的美善，而现在他对上帝的渴望是难以抑止的。别无他法。大卫晓得其余的都是粗劣的替代品。

朋友，你找到「重价的珠子」了吗？那是什么？你有没有为了拥有它而采取行动？

他寻求上帝的面： 本篇的第七节是 「耶和华啊，求你垂听我的呼求，求你恩待我，应允我」。或许我们念到此节时会认为大卫与上帝的关系进展良好。一切问题似乎都在掌控之中。实际上，不是的。

第7节的原文简短且断续：
「耶和华啊，请听；
我呼求你。
怜悯我，
应允我。」

大卫在这里向我们展示，即使他是带着如此热情寻求上帝的人，他有时也会觉得上帝没有立刻听他。他渴望被听见。

他祈求上帝。他深知，在上帝面前，他需要恩慈。祈祷包涵许多事情， 如沟通、敬拜、关系、恳求。但祈祷的首要姿态是顺服。你必须彻底地降伏于全能的上帝。我们完全依赖他。但我们必须先谦卑承认，某些事不在我们的掌控之中。对一些人来说，骄傲使他们远离上帝。怪不得有时我们会觉得祷告达不到上帝那里？也难怪我们会觉得上帝掩面不看我们？

大卫怎么回应？他更谦卑地向上帝求助。他恳求主。在绝境中，他三次哀求主「别」。在第9和10节，他告诉上帝，他相信上帝慈父般的恩慈和怜悯是超越人类最亲密的情感关系，甚至多过亲子的纽带。

第八节：「你说：『来寻求我！』我心中响应：『耶和华啊，我要寻求你。』」

当大卫到这一点时，上帝向他透露了一个秘密：上帝向我们心的最深处说话。然后我们的心会告诉我们。上帝不会以理论来说明，因为他知道，我们会合理化上帝所说的话。上帝把寻求他的面或做某些事的渴望放在我们心中，但我们必须下决心实践。不要把这种渴望视为理所当然。若你的心呼唤你祈求上帝，当欢心！若你的心呼唤你请求弟兄姐妹的宽恕，请不要犹豫！若你的心呼唤你在某方面事奉主，请立即行动！

弟兄姐妹，你是否已准备好调整你的心？好好聆听它。切切留心自己的灵性敏锐。别消灭它！别以为你明天会有同样的灵敏度。那时我心向你说：「耶和华啊，你的面我正要寻求。」

今日祈祷

亲爱的天父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。 我祈求你的旨意行在地上如同行在天上。最重要的是，我祈祷你的旨意在我的生命中，我不会因为圣灵那安静、清亮和温柔的声音而消灭祂的感动。谢谢你，圣灵，因你犹如完美的绅士，从不打扰我，也从不挑战我的自主权。谢谢你尊重我的个性。谢谢圣灵你那看不见的手，引导我生命的各种事情，使我能得到最大的属灵好处。哦主，我相信。帮助我，除去我的不信。帮我理解大卫的祷告：「求你将你的道指教我」和「要等候耶和华！」奉主耶稣的名祷告，阿们。