第十二章

1誇口固然無益，卻也是必要的。現在我要說說主的異象和啟示。2我認識一個在基督裡的人，他十四年前被提到第三層天上去。（是帶著身體被提的呢？我不知道，是離開了身體呢？我也不知道，只有神知道。）3我認識這個人，（是帶著身體被提，還是在身體以外被提，我都不知道，只有神知道。）4他被提到樂園裡去，聽見了難以言喻的話，那是人不可以說的。5為了這個人，我要誇口，但為了我自己，除了我的軟弱以外，我沒有可誇的。6即使我想誇口，也不算愚妄，因為我要說的是真話。但我閉口不提，免得有人把我看得太高，過於他在我身上所見所聞的。7又因為我所得的啟示太大，恐怕會高抬自己，所以就有一根刺加在我的身上，就是撒但的差役來攻擊我，免得我高抬自己。8為了這事，我曾經三次求主，使這根刺離開我。9他卻對我說：「我的恩典是夠你用的，因為我的能力在人的軟弱上顯得完全。」所以，我更喜歡誇自己的軟弱，好讓基督的能力臨到我的身上。10因此，我為基督的緣故，就以軟弱、凌辱、艱難、迫害、困苦為喜樂，因為我甚麼時候軟弱，甚麼時候就剛強了。

 

默想

1. 當我們告訴別人，神會保證祂的兒女在今世出人頭地；或是告訴有病的人，只要有足夠的信心，就必得痊愈；我們實在是在誤導人，而且我們在生活中也知道這並不真實。保羅為自己的疾病多次充滿信心的祈求，但從神來的答案卻是否定的。經過一段時間，他了解到，原來這個讓他痛苦的疾病，才是神的禮物；讓他能經歷神的恩典、同在、能力，是他原來根本不可能經歷到的。當災害悲劇發生時，我們需要告訴人，也要提醒自己，當我們尋求祂的力量時，我們與神的關係才會更加親密，並且得到能力，使我們的軟弱變成得勝的凱歌。
2. 我有沒有體驗過第9節所說的：「我的恩典是夠你用的，因為我的能力在人的軟弱上顯得完全。」？我的軟弱是什麼？我有沒有得到神的禮物？這禮物怎樣幫助我體驗神的能力和恩典？

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

CHAPTER 12

¹I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. ⁵I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

⁷To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

MEDITATION

1. When we tell people that God guarantees his children health and wealth in this life, or if they only have enough faith, they’ll be healed, that’s not true.  Paul prayed with total confidence, only to learn that the answer was no.  He learned in time that the weakness which devastated him was truly a gift from God.  A gift that enabled him to experience God’s grace, presence, and power, in ways he would never have experienced them otherwise.  So, when tragedy strikes and disaster comes, God will give his own strange gifts as we grow in our dependence on him.  As we seek His strength, we’ll discover a depth to our relationship with the Lord that we would otherwise never have known.  And a strength that makes weakness a triumph and a joy.
2. What is my weakness?  Have I received God’s gift?  How does this gift help me experience God’s power and grace?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.