Pathway Through the Clouds

The spiritual thirst and futility in searching for generations of Chinese can be best summarized by a Tang Dynasty poet, Jia Dao. In the “An unsuccessful visit to an absent recluse” he wrote, “I ask your lad – beneath a pine tree, My master’s gone for herbs, says he. Amid the hills I know not where, for clouds have veiled them here and there.” (Translated by Xu Yuanchong) Chinese always believe that there are masters hidden away from the crowd, and the higher the master ranks, the harder he is for ordinary souls to find. In the third century AD, Emperor Liu Bei searched out and successfully recruited the famous General Zhu-Ge Liang through his repeatedly humble visits to Zhu-Ge’s hut and this has since become a household story for Chinese. This desire for masters has inspired some worthless fellows to a difference kind of “gold rush”. They pitched a hut on the Zhongnan mountain with signs along the way for recluse-seekers like Jia Dao. Once found, these pretenders would make a fortune out of the humble seeker’s pockets. Many so-called masters and monks have set up their tents wooing the crowd. Many have fallen before them as prey with others looking on as entertainment. In general, this scene has put many serious seekers on hold for searching the ultimate truth.


In a sharp contrast, Christ and His way of eternal life would not only face the onslaught from all these reclusive “masters”, but from the puzzlement of truth-seekers like Jia Dao. This Christ came with the unbelievable offer of eternal life, yet without the presumed arrogance matching that offer. Rather, He willingly descended into the troubling crowd, loved and served people without reserve, endured the suffering of the cross, and resurrected from the dead in three days. Each of these moves has brought a total surprise. No one has neither the desire nor the ability to copy His life. If there is anything in His life remotely resembling the recluse that Jia Dao was seeking, it might be His elusiveness: After His resurrection and when He finished his parting speech with his disciples, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9 ESV) Since then there is no sighting of Him on earth, with perhaps one bare exception of Saul of Tarsus. It was not a complete exception, because as soon as Saul saw Him, he became blind (Acts. 9:8). Is it true that clouds have veiled Him here and there? Is there a pathway leading us to the Son of God?


Over the table of the last supper He shared with the disciples, Christ has comforted them by saying, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (Jn. 14:3-5 ESV) Much more fortunate than Jia Dao’s quest some seven hundred years later, Thomas got his answer back right away, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” (Jn. 14:6-7 ESV) Jesus meant that by engaging our mind in knowing Him more and more, we are setting our feet upon a pathway through the clouds towards God. It is easy to walk with legs, but how do we walk with our mind?


Jesus once told a parable about a landlord, which can help us understand how people walk with their mind. This landlord is unusual, he let all his workers enjoy equal pay without equal work. He purposely let workers who worked the longest shift witnessing him giving out full-time pay to all part-time workers. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” (Matt. 20:10-12 ESV) The landlord replied right on target, I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (Matt. 20:14-15 KJV) No one would want to work for this landlord full time, but everyone would want to work for him for just one hour and receive a full pay. Consider how your mind would direct your feet to a different path. Be careful not to miss the pathway to the eternal life, because Jesus warned, So the last will be first, and the first last. (Matt. 20:16 ESV) The way to heaven opposes the way of man. You must ask God to first heal your evil eye so that you would be happy to serve this landlord full time, because that is the pathway towards God hidden from plain sight. God is a such a gracious landlord who has let mankind enjoying underserved benefit from ancient past even to the present time.

Prayer: O Lord! Help us not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our mind. Help us reset the things we like and things we don’t and enter the true freedom as children of God!

云深知处

中国人的心灵饥渴与求之不得的惆怅，可以用唐朝诗人贾岛的一首五言绝句来精辟地总结。这首《寻隐者不遇》这样说，“松下问童子，言师采药去。只在此山中，云深不知处。”中国人向来都相信世外有高人，而且越高明的隐士越难找到，所以三顾茅庐请诸葛亮出山就传为一时佳话。这种求贤若渴的心态，常被不肖之徒利用。他们跑到终南山里结一草庐，插上路牌，坐等贾岛们来找，被找到之后就狠狠地消费这些求道之人。走这条终南捷径的“高人”、“高僧”、“大师”们层出不穷，让当局者迷，旁观者清，也让人对自己的属灵追求感到心灰意冷。

而耶稣基督所传的永生之道，不但会引起终南山上“隐士”们的围攻，也让中国的贾岛们无所适从。虽然带着高不可攀之永生的应许，基督却毫无奇货可居的傲慢，相反，他却甘愿跌落红尘，鞠躬尽瘁，被高挂在十架上，三天后又从死里复活。他所行的，无论哪一步都出人意外，而且无人敢效尤，也无人能够。如果他与贾岛心中向往的得道隐士有任何相似之处，恐怕就是在基督复活之后，他在橄榄山上与门徒们话别。他们正看的时候，他就被取上升，有一朵云彩把他接去，便看不见他了。【徒一9】从那以后，真的就再没有人看见过基督。大数的扫罗勉强算个例外，说他勉强，因为一见之下，他就双目失明【徒九8】。神的儿子真的回到“云深不知处”，让人再无处可寻了吗？

在最后的晚餐桌上，基督临别安慰难过的门徒们说，我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去，我在哪里，叫你们也在哪里。我往哪里去，你们知道。那条路，你们也知道。多马对他说，主阿，我们不知道你往哪里去，怎么知道那条路呢？【约十四3-5】比七百多年后的贾岛幸运得多，多马立刻得到了指引，耶稣说，我就是道路，真理，生命。若不借着我。没有人能到父那里去。你们若认识我，也就认识我的父。【约十四6-7】耶稣的意思是说，人来了解和认识他的过程，就是在走一条穿过云彩的通天之路。用脚走路我们都会，怎样用心思意念来走认识耶稣这条路呢？

耶稣讲的一个葡萄园主的故事能帮助我们明白人如何用心思意念来走路。这个园主有点怪，他结算的时候同酬不同工，而且故意让出全勤的工人看见那些不配的工人纷纷拿到了全薪。及至那先雇的来了，他们以为必要多得。谁知也是各得一钱。他们得了，就埋怨家主说，我们整天劳苦受热，那后来的只做了一小时，你竟叫他们和我们一样吗？【太二十10-12】园主的回答也是一针见血，我给那后来的和给你一样，这是我愿意的。我的东西难道不可随我的意思用吗？因为我作好人，你就红了眼吗？【太二十14-15】真遇到这样的雇主，没人愿意去排队给他打全工，人人都要争着排队只给他打一小时的工。不同的心思意念就指挥人的脚去排不同的队。小心，别错过了永生之路！因为耶稣说，那在后的将要在前，在前的将要在后了。【太二十16】意思是说天国的路和人间的路刚好是反方向。你当求神治好你天生的红眼病，甘愿全心全意全天服事天国的园主。这就是那条熟视无睹却能引我们到神那里去的云中之路，因为神就是这样一位乐意施恩的园主，而全人类从一开始就从神那里享受着不配有的福利，直到如今。

祷告：主啊，求你让我们不要效法这个世界，每日心意更新而变化，让我们的喜怒哀乐脱离罪的败坏，得享神儿女的自由！

Why Are You Angry?

Even though there is no rigorous dress code for attending Sunday service, the outfit we put on does reflect our inner attitude. Imagine an unkempt chap with sloppy clothes attending a stately wedding ceremony, he would be driven out for his untidy attires. Each Sunday, we would dress up on the outside and cleanse up from inside and come together to worship the Holy God, but for our personal time with God, there is no restriction in neither location nor time. The outside washing and dressing up may happen once a week, but the inner cleansing must be a daily continual process, since it is a lot more frequent and easier for sin to splash into our heart than for mud to splash upon our clothes. When mud splash unto clothes, the clothes will stain; when sin splash into heart, the heart too will stain.

One obvious stain of sin is anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (Jas. 1:20 ESV) When the LORD had no regard for Cain and his offering, So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?” (Gen. 4:5-6 ESV) This is the question to every angry man, because anger is the stain sin leaves on the human heart. You must quickly wash it up by subduing the anger, as God instructed Cain, sin lies in wait at the door: its urge is for you, yet you can rule over it. (Gen. 4:7 NAB) But Cain listened not, rather he let his anger burn red hot and cooked out the evil action and killed his brother. Still, there is hope. When God confronted David about the murder he committed, David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Sam. 12:13 ESV) When David confessed his sin, his sin was forgiven, but when the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Gen. 4:9 ESV) Cain made no confession, and therefore his sin remained. He fell all the way from an angry man to a murderer, to a blatant liar, and finally died as a restless wanderer.

Self-centered sinners always express jealousy in anger. Imagine a patient tells his doctor that he gets well because he received a different treatment from another doctor. The doctor may congratulate him in words, but he would certainly feel angry in his heart. This other doctor may not be Dr. Abel, but he certainly makes his fellow doctor look as bad as Cain and as angry as Cain too. This is true not just for doctors but for anyone with talents. Whenever you lost a bid to someone else, you are hit with anger. You have no time to duck it and such home run happens everyday in our lives. Only when we know God and know that everything we have comes from above, then we can quench this jealous fire. This takes true humility. When Moses was told about some Israelites prophesying in the camp, even Joshua was angry, But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” (Num. 11:29 ESV) Moses was not afraid of being surpassed, he would rather every Israelite run pass him towards God. No wonder the Bible declares, Now the man Moses was very humble, more than anyone else on earth. (Num. 12:3 NAB)

Whoever wants to draw closer to God must subdue his anger. As road rage comes without warning and can instantly turn an angry man into a murderer, anger hits a man as quick as mud splashed into clothes. Though we cannot duck it, we can certainly cleanse it after we get splashed. Here is the secret of removing the stain of anger, that you pray for more grace from God to everyone around you, more than you have received. Keep this scripture in mind: Refrain from anger; abandon wrath; do not be provoked; it brings only harm. Those who do evil will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD will inherit the earth. (Ps. 37:8-9 NAB)
Prayer: O Lord! Help us to pursue spiritual cleanliness. Help us to refrain from anger and honestly wish our neighbor’s lawn greener than ours!

无名之火

去教会崇拜不一定非要西装革履，但人外面的装束确实能反映出里面的心态，就像一个蓬头垢面的人一定会被赶出隆重的婚礼现场一样。所以每七天一次，我们以清洁的内心，配上整洁的外表，一起来敬拜那圣洁的神。但我们自己亲近神，却是不分场合，每时每刻都可以发生的。外面的沐浴更衣，我们可以七天来一次，里面的清洁反省，却要时常操练，因为罪弄脏我们的心，比泥土弄脏我们的衣服要频繁和容易得多。泥溅在衣服上，会留下污迹；罪侵入人心，也有迹可寻。罪有一个明显的痕迹，就是人的怒气，因为人的怒气，并不成就神的义。【雅一20】

当神看不中该隐和他的供物。该隐就大大地发怒，变了脸色。耶和华对该隐说，你为什么发怒呢？你为什么变了脸色呢？【创四5-6】神对该隐说的话，是对每个心中发怒的人说的，因为心中的怒气就是罪溅到心头留下的污迹。这时候要赶紧清洗，止住怒气。所以神对该隐说，罪就伏在门前。它必恋慕你，你却要制伏它。【创四7】 但该隐却不听，于是怒从心头起，恶向胆边生，杀了他的兄弟。即便如此，该隐还有一线生机。当大卫杀人之罪被揭露出来，他说，我得罪耶和华了。拿单说，耶和华已经除掉你的罪，你必不至于死。【撒下十二13】大卫认罪，他的罪就被神除掉。但当耶和华对该隐说，你兄弟亚伯在哪里？他说，我不知道，我岂是看守我兄弟的吗？【创四9】该隐不认罪，罪就在他里面安了家，他就从一个愤怒的人堕落成杀人犯，最后成了厚颜无耻的撒谎者，在流放与不安中死去。

以自我为中心的罪人，天生会因嫉妒而生气。好比一位医生，听见自己的病人吃了另外一位医生的药，病就好了。如果这位医生为此而高兴，那一定是假装的，他一定真的很生那位医生的气。那位医生不一定叫亚伯，但他却能把自己的同行气得像该隐一样。这样的例子比比皆是，任何人都有自己的刷子，听到别人的刷子更好，一听见就来气，一定躲闪不及。这样的怒气，天天都在人间上演。唯有认识神的人，既知道自己所有的一切都是从神而来，就能止住妒火，这是真正的谦卑。当有人来告诉摩西说，有人擅自在营中说预言，连约书亚都生气了，摩西却不敢生气，摩西对他说，你为我的缘故嫉妒人吗？惟愿耶和华的百姓都受感说话。愿耶和华把他的灵降在他们身上。【民十一29】摩西不怕被人超越，他是巴不得人人都超越他。难怪圣经说，摩西为人极其谦和，胜过世上的众人。【民十二3】

每个想要亲近神的人，都要留意自己心中的怒气。就像路忿可以在毫无预警之下，让人在怒中杀人。怒气来袭时，就像泥溅过来，人总是躲闪不及。虽然躲不掉，但我们可以用力擦掉。除去妒火的秘诀，就在于希望别人比你更多得到神的恩典。谨记圣经的教训：当止住怒气，离弃忿怒。不要心怀不平，以致作恶。因为作恶的，必被剪除。惟有等候耶和华的，必承受地土。 【诗卅七8-9】
祷告：主啊，求你让我们有属灵的洁癖，让我们随时能止住心中的怒气，甘心情愿成人之美！

Sleepless Nights

Sleepless Nights

If you had your finger smashed by a hammer, you would instantly let out a wail by the excruciating pain. Even after bandaging the wound, the pain would continuously buffet you, as if your whole body weight was raised off the ground by a tight string tied to that wounded finger. Once I had my wisdom teeth extracted and afterwards suffered severe toothache for two days and two nights and could enjoy neither food nor sleep. The pain level was not constant but varied in a cycle and I felt like I was chained by my mouth and was pulled up by that chain and swing midair like a pendulum. After two days, my feet could finally touch the ground. My suffering was partly self-inflicted, because I didn’t take the pain killer my doctor prescribed. Later I hear that many people would even take opioids painkiller for toothaches, and thus fall victims to drug addiction.

Unlike physical pain that you feel like being suddenly pulled up by a string tied to your wound, and slowly let down to the ground, the pain of insomnia induced by anxiety has no physical wound. After a few sleepless nights, you feel like being slowly hung up with pressure mounting up in your head, yet you could not find the peg on your body upon which you were hung. For toothache, we could get rid of the tooth, and a few days later, that tooth would never hurt us again. But for the ache of anxiety disorder, we often have no idea where the anxiety come from, and have no way of surgically removing the source of pain. We find no promise of toothache relief from the Bible, but we do have this promise: He (God) gives to his beloved sleep. (Ps. 127:2 ESV) Therefore, if we loose sleep because of anxiety, let us run quickly towards God in love.

To do that we must Strive … for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Heb. 12:14 ESV) Sin is the peg that Satan buried into our life upon which we are chained (Eph. 4:27). Satan thus controls us like puppets, we sin during the day, and at night, the same chain would tighten over us and pulls us up, to a point that we loose sleep. The only relief is to run to God like David did, he said, For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Ps. 32:3-5 ESV) Let us bring to God sins both apparent and hidden, that He may forgive them, and thus remove these pegs from our life, then the Accuser cannot trouble us anymore. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Ps. 131:2 ESV)

All who want to come close to God, have walked through the valley of shadow of death, including the valley of sleepless and anxious nights. God allows Satan to trouble us with anxiety that surpasses all understanding, so that we may be forced to cleanse ourselves (2 Tim. 2:21), so that our inner being may be strengthened (Eph. 3:16), and be able to received the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Phi. 4:7). As it is written, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. (Ps. 119:71 ESV) Whenever I suffer, I purposely hide away the painkillers, because I believe the promises from the Bible: You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Ps. 66:12 ESV) For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Ps. 30:5 ESV) If you also believe the blessing hidden in the bitter cup, then drink it until the sweetness fills your mouth, then you too can testify, Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Ps. 34:8 ESV)
Prayer: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions! Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken leap up in praise!

夜不成寐

如果你的手指不小心被榔头砸了，你马上会痛得尖叫起来。就算你把流血的手指上药包扎好，仍然痛彻心扉，仿佛有根看不见的绳索栓住你的指尖，然后这根绳把你整个人吊在半空中。有次我去拔牙回来，两天两夜被牙痛所折磨，食不甘味，夜不成寐，而且那牙痛时强时弱，呈现周期性的震荡。我整个人好像被挂在一条钉在嘴里的绳索上，像钟摆一样在空中被甩了两天，才被慢慢地放回地面。其实我是自讨苦吃，因为我忍住没吃医生给的止痛药。后来听说，还有人因拔牙而服用鸦片类的止痛药而染上毒瘾。

如果肉体之痛好像肉身上被钉上钉子一样，突然被挂在空中，再慢慢地放回地面；那么人因焦虑而带来的失眠之痛正好相反。它并没有特别的痛点，但几夜无眠以后，整个人就像被慢慢地吊在半空中，头重脚轻，痛苦不堪，却又不知道那根吊索究竟栓在自己身上哪个部位。牙痛可以拔牙，忍过几天之后，那颗牙就再也无法让你痛了；但人得了焦虑症，就不知道要拔掉什么，才能一劳永逸地止住焦虑。在圣经中，神没有给我们缓解牙痛的应许，但却应许说，惟有耶和华所亲爱的，必叫他安然睡觉。【诗百廿七2】所以当我们因焦虑而失眠的时候，就当快快地来亲近耶和华。

但非圣洁没有人能见主。【来十二14】罪是魔鬼钉在人里面的钉子【弗四27】，上面有看不见的锁链。罪人就这样成了魔鬼手中的傀儡，被牵引着白天去犯罪。这绳索也会在半夜把人给吊起来，经历失眠之痛。而唯一的解脱，就是像大卫那样去亲近耶和华。他说，我闭口不认罪的时候，因终日唉哼，而骨头枯干。黑夜白日，你的手在我身上沉重。我的精液耗尽，如同夏天的干旱。我向你陈明我的罪，不隐瞒我的恶。我说，我要向耶和华承认我的过犯，你就赦免我的罪恶。【诗卅二3-5】 当我们把明显的和隐而未现的罪都带到神的面前，求神赦免，罪的钉子就一个一个被拔掉。那控告人的，就再也无法搅扰我们了，因为我的心平稳安静，好像断过奶的孩子在他母亲的怀中。我的心在我里面真像断过奶的孩子。【诗百卅一2】

想要与神亲近的人，都会走过死荫的幽谷，包括焦虑无眠的幽谷。神允许撒但用出人意外的焦虑来搅扰我们，是在催逼我们自洁【提后二21】，让我们里面的人刚强起来【弗三16】，从而领受从主而来那出人意外的平安【腓四7】。如经上所记，我受苦是与我有益，为要使我学习你的律例。【诗百十九71】 所以每当我落在患难中，甘愿把止痛药藏起来而自讨苦吃，因为我相信经上的话：你使人坐车轧我们的头。我们经过水火。你却使我们到丰富之地。【诗六十六12】因为他的怒气不过是转眼之间。他的恩典乃是一生之久。一宿虽然有哭泣，早晨便必欢呼。【诗三十5】如果你也相信，就知道苦杯中藏有祝福，当你喝到苦尽甘来的时候，你也会见证说，你们要尝尝主恩的滋味，便知道他是美善。投靠他的人有福了。【诗卅四8】
祷告：主啊，求你按你的慈爱怜恤我，按你丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯！求你使我得听欢喜快乐的声音，使你所压伤的骨头，可以欢呼跳跃！

Into the Deep

Under a calm and dim condition, on the surface you cannot tell the difference between a 10-meter deep water and a 10,000-meter deep water. This thousand-time difference in depth would eventually show up. The Proverb says, The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. (Prov. 20:5 ESV) The word purpose here, can also be translated as wisdom. The purpose and wisdom of life come from the depth of our hearts. Our hearts like waters, are evaluated by its depth. This is our calling from Jesus, that we put out our hearts into the deep. (Lk. 5:4)

Born into sin, we by nature are a pool of shallow water, and are found in want of either purpose or wisdom. Jesus came and demonstrated His heart of unfathomable depth. Yet People believe Him not. They mock His teaching for His love is too deep for them to understand. When He said, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matt. 5:39 ESV) How many people believe there is wisdom in these words? They come from a heart of love as deep as ocean. Faith is the necessary channel connecting His heart and ours. Once connected, there will be living water flowing into and overflowing out of our hearts. As Jesus promised, Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (Jn. 7:38 ESV)

Earth quake can cause seismic sea wave, which is often less then one meter in amplitude with a long wavelength of hundreds of kilometers. If you sail across these waves, you must travel across hundreds of kilometers to experience one cycle of crest to trough. You would not be able to feel the wave motion at all. However, according to Green’s law in fluid dynamics, when this seismic sea wave propagates into shallow water, it will evolve into monstrous tsunami waves of hundreds of meters tall and tens of kilometers apart. It can wipe out a port city and bring catastrophe to all who live at shallow bay areas. All sinners are like residents by the shallow water. Sooner or later they will be wiped out by such tsunamis in life. Our only escape is to follow Jesus out into the deep.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Ps. 119:105 ESV) Jesus leads us daily with His words. Of His words, those that we understand the least, reveal our shallowness the most, and are particularly meant to lead us into the deep. Road rage can instantly drive a person crazy to a point to commit a murder. Such a small offense can generate a tsunami that destroys lives. It testifies how shallow we are, because we are all angry drivers on life’s highway and are destined to die in road rage. Now that we are saved by Jesus, whenever we are offended, His words would ring in our ears, and we would not return with our fist, but turn the other cheek. Whenever we do that, we are following Jesus into the deep. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Rom. 6:14 ESV) If you treat every offense against you, not as an insult, but an invitation into the deep, you will leave the shallow bay of sin behind, and move deeper into the grace of God, which is an ocean of love too deep to fathom.
Prayer: O Lord! Lead us daily with your amazing love, so that we will not wander around, but to follow you into the deep. Help us live according to the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the body. Let the life of Jesus be found deep in our hearts!

水深之处

如果仅从水面上望过去，一片十米深和一片万米深的洋面，在风平浪静和光线不强的情况下，看起来没什么区别。但这千倍的深度之差，迟早会显露出来。圣经箴言中说，人心怀藏谋略，好像深水。惟明哲人，才能汲引出来。【箴二十5】其中谋略这个字，也有意义和目标的意思。也就是说，人要在自己的内心深处去挖掘人生智慧与人生意义。人心如水，但这水深浅有别，而主耶稣对我们的呼召就是跟他进到水深之处【路五4】。

人生在罪中，天生如一池浅水，无处可寻智慧与价值。当耶稣来到世上，向世人展示他无比深广的心，但人们不信他，嘲笑他的道，完全不能体会他里面那深不可测的爱。当耶稣说，不要与恶人作对。有人打你的右脸，连左脸也转过来由他打。【太五39】有多少人相信这话中有智慧呢？耶稣的心里是一片爱的汪洋大海。信心就像一条管道，把耶稣的心和我们的心连在一起，使活水源源不断地流进我们里面，又从我们里面满溢出来。正如他所应许的，信我的人，就如经上所说，从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。【约七38】

海底地震在深海会引发不到一米高的海浪，而且这浪的波长很宽，宽达上百公里。也就是说，你在深海中沿这海浪的方向航行上百公里，你的船才能经历一次从波谷到浪尖的起伏，船上的人根本感觉不到这浪的颠簸。但这海浪传到水浅之处，按照流体力学的格林原理，就会被压缩成近百米高，十几公里宽的海啸！可以瞬间将一座滨海城市夷为平地，给一切住在浅水湾的人带来灭顶之灾。一切心胸狭窄的罪人，也都要如此被淹没在人生的风浪中，而唯一的逃生之路，就是跟从耶稣，到水深之处。

你的话是我脚前的灯，是我路上的光。【诗百九篇105】 跟从耶稣，就是听他的话，越是我们心中不明白的话，越显明我们里面的肤浅，也越要引我们去到水深之处。遭遇路忿，人会怒从心头起，开枪杀死人。你看这样一件极小的冒犯，却能带来一场人生海啸。可见，人是何等地肤浅，我们天生都是人生公路上的愤怒司机，迟早要死于路忿。如今既被主拯救，当我们再被人冒犯，就有主的教导回响在耳中，我们可以止住马步加冲拳的冲动，去爱那伤害我们的人。当你这样努力，就是在跟随耶稣，去往水深之处。罪必不能作你们的主。因你们不在律法之下，乃在恩典之下。【罗六14】你若把所遇到的每一个对你的冒犯，都当作是去往水深之处的邀请，你就必能脱离罪的浅水湾，进入基督的恩典中，那是一片爱的汪洋大海。

祷告：主啊，愿你的爱每日牵引我们，不随波逐流，而是跟你到水深之处。让我们每天随从圣灵，治死肉体的恶行，让耶稣的生命，深入我心！

Spreading Joy

If “Joy” can be packaged for sale, it would definitely be a hot commodity, and the larger the size is, the higher the demand would be. The abundance of material procession cannot make us happy, and oftentimes make it worse. A recent study shows that the well-known capital of pleasure, Las Vegas, is also the capital of suicide, with suicidal rate two to three times higher than the national average. Not long ago, a famous comedian committed suicide. This entertainer had made millions of people feeling happy through his performance, yet he had no joy in his life. Joy is not the same thing as simply feeling happy. There are places we can purchase comedy shows and funny performances, but where can we buy joy?

The Joy that money cannot buy, God has freely given to us in Christ Jesus. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Only with our full participation, this fruit of Joy can slowly grow in our heart. That is why we Christians are commanded to Rejoice always, (1 Thess. 5:16 ESV) for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:18 ESV) If joy merely means to feeling happy whatsoever, did God ask too much from us? Who can instantly feel happy on demand? But if “Joy” is a tree God plants in our hearts, then whenever you are tending the tree, you are rejoicing! When the tree starts to bear fruit of Joy,  people would notice and be attracted by you. As the Chinese idiom goes, “Peaches and plums speak not, yet the world beats a path to them.”

People like stars in the sky (Dan. 12:3). Our planet earth is beaming with life, yet our neighbor Mars is a barren planet, lifeless and joyless. Some scientists say that the difference between these two planets come down to the ocean. We have an ocean on earth, but the ocean on Mars has long dried up. The ocean not only provides the water for life, it also stores up enormous amount of carbon dioxide. The phytoplankton living in the ocean help replenish the atmosphere with oxygen. The ocean also helps heat transfer to offset day-night and summer-winter temperature contrast. For those scientists who devoted themselves to search for life in outer space, if they can find another planet with an ocean, their joy would be complete.

If the “joy” of a planet comes down to an ocean, what is the joy of a man? The Bible tells us, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab. 3:18 ESV) Without God, man is a dry and barren planet. It is only through God’s Word, through the Gospel, that man begins to know God. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. (Jer. 15:16 ESV) If you do not neglect His Word, but indeed eat and live out the Word. God’s Word will form an ocean of living water inside of you and turn your barren heart into a world of rivers and valleys with abundant produce and peaches and plums. This Joy may not always give you smiles, but it will always give you strength for the day. The tougher your day becomes, the greater your strength would be. Like Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2 ESV) No wonder Paul repeatedly reminded us, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Phil. 4:4 ESV)
Prayer: O Lord! You are my only Joy! The bad news we hear every day, only make us rejoice even more in the Good News. Help us bearing this fruit of Joy and use it to beat a path for people to find Christ!

桃李不言

如果“喜乐”可以制作成商品出售的话，一定会供不应求，而且越大号的“喜乐”越抢手。因为人们在物质上越富裕，生活上就越不开心。据统计，美国有名的享乐之城拉斯维加斯的自杀率是全美最高的，高出平均水平两到三倍。不久前，有位著名的谐星自杀身亡。这位曾让成千上万的人笑得前仰后合的人，其实在他的人生中，毫无喜乐。喜乐不仅仅是快乐的心情。我们可以买到喜剧和幽默，但是从哪里可以买到喜乐呢？

金钱无法买到的“喜乐”，神却在基督里赐给了我们，“喜乐”是圣灵在我们基督徒身上结的属灵的果子之一【加五22】。这果子是在我们全力配合下，慢慢结出来的。所以，圣经才会命令我们说，要常常喜乐。【贴前五16】，并且说这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。【贴前五18】如果你所了解的喜乐只是快乐的心情，神这个旨意就显得有些强人所难了。谁能想要高兴，就能马上兴高采烈起来呢？但如果喜乐是神种在我们里面的一棵果树，每当你在护理这棵树的时候，你就在“喜乐”中了。当喜乐这棵树开始在你里面结出果子来，周围的人都能感受到果子的芳香，所谓“桃李不言，下自成蹊。”

有人用天上的星体来比喻人。【但十二3】我们生活的地球生机盎然，充满活力。而我们的邻居火星，则是一颗死气沉沉的不毛之地，毫无喜乐。有科学家说，这两个行星间的巨大差异，就是因为地球上有一片大海，而火星上的海却枯干了。地球上的大海不但提供了生命不可或缺的水，也溶解了大量的二氧化碳，其中浮游生物的光合作用释放了氧气。大海还通过洋流的调节作用，帮助缓和了日夜与冬夏的温差。所以那些寻找地外生命的科学家们，只要找到一颗有大海的行星，他们就会有满足的喜乐。

如果一颗行星的“喜乐”，在乎大海，那么人的喜乐在乎什么呢？圣经说，然而我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。【哈三18】不认识神的人，好像无水的行星，毫无喜乐；而人能够认识神，相信福音，是从领受神的话开始。耶和华万军之神阿，我得着你的言语就当食物吃了。你的言语是我心中的欢喜快乐，因我是称为你名下的人。【耶十五16】如果你不是听过就忘，真把神的话吃下去，活出来，神的话要在你里面聚成一片活水的汪洋大海，把你心中的不毛之地变成一个山清水秀，花果飘香的地方。这样的喜乐，不一定总让你心中高兴，但会总让你心中有使不完的力，而且越是在困难中，越显出喜乐的力量来，如经上所说，耶稣因那摆在前面的喜乐，就轻看羞辱，忍受了十字架的苦难，便坐在神宝座的右边。【来十二2】难怪保罗再三再四教导我们说，你们要靠主常常喜乐。我再说，你们要喜乐。【腓四4】
祷告：主啊，是的，你是我唯一的喜乐！当我们越听到坏的消息时，你就让我们越发体会到福音的好处，就越发喜乐！求你让我们的喜乐成为忧伤之人的指路牌，引他们走上基督的永生之路！