等候和工作 Waiting and Working

等候和工作
經文: 「耶和華的手在那裡降在我身上，祂對我說，你起來往平原去，我要在那裡和你說話。」（結三22）

凡被上帝大用的人，都先有一個特別等待的時期。摩西的四十年，保羅的三年，主的三十年，都是頂好的例子。可是多少時候，上帝給我們安排一個等待的時期，一個安息的地方，我們不能忍耐，我們以為太無聊了。我們常不能了解上帝的美意，以為自己被上帝厭棄了。
要知道，上帝有時給我們工場，有時也給我們憩所。祂給我們出發的日子，也給我們等待的時期。無論在工作中，在休息中，祂的愛毫不改變；雖然我們看不見、覺不到，祂的愛仍然照舊。所以安息罷，存著感謝的心，接受上帝所安排的時間和地點罷！──選
我的等待情形，遠不及保羅那樣嚴重，原則卻有相通的道理，當我以爲職業之門已給我打開，歡迎我投入文學工作時，卻被阻擋了，有一位先進直截了當地表示：「絕對不行，她必須在寫作和謀生之間作一選擇，兩者不能兼得。」
那是主後一八六零年，到了一八六九年，我的「歌之使命」問世，瞭解了在韜光隱晦中，等待了九年，確有主明智的道理。上帝的愛是不變的，當我們看不見或覺不到他的愛時，他還是一樣的愛我們。祂的愛和祂的能力，是對等而交相爲用的，祂阻止我們享樂，不要我們自以爲進步，因爲我們究竟是否真正成熟，以及如何策勵我們，祂知道得最清楚。——海弗格
上帝給我們準備了工作的界限，和休息的所在，因此我們在極其疲乏時，他帶領我們到路旁的井邊，你當該休息，並將讚美歸給主。


Waiting and Working
Scripture: "And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth unto the plain, and I will there talk with thee" (Ezek. 3:22).


Did you ever hear of any one being much used for Christ who did not have some special waiting time, some complete upset of all his or her plans first; from St. Paul's being sent off into the desert of Arabia for three years, when he must have been boiling over with the glad tidings, down to the present day?

You were looking forward to telling about trusting Jesus in Syria; now He says, "I want you to show what it is to trust Me, without waiting for Syria."

My own case is far less severe, but the same in principle, that when I thought the door was flung open for me to go with a bound into literary work, it is opposed, and doctor steps in and says, simply, "Never! She must choose between writing and living; she can't do both."

That was in 1860. Then I came out of the shell with "Ministry of Song" in 1869, and saw the evident wisdom of being kept waiting nine years in the shade. God's love being unchangeable, He is just as loving when we do not see or feel His love. Also His love and His sovereignty are co-equal and universal; so He withholds the enjoyment and conscious progress because He knows best what will really ripen and further His work in us. --Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal

God provides resting places as well as working places. Rest, then, and be thankful when He brings you, wearied to a wayside well.