Matthew 14:25-33 (NKJV) Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Real battles in times of difficulties are in the believer’s mind. The devil will try his very best to shift our focus from God and His Word towards our circumstances. He puts fear into us by making us look at the negatives and the worst outcomes. Processing the negatives through what we see, feel, and hear will cause us to be afraid and lose our peace. It causes us to take things into our own hands and thus never see the breakthrough that God has prepared for us.
Many times what affects us is impatience and pride. Impatience causes us to desire immediate results and thus there is no time to seek God. Pride, on the other hand, lures us to look at the circumstances through our own knowledge.
What we need is faith and patience. First see and understand what your trial is. Then pray the promise or word of assurance from God. Plead your case if you can find a word to justify your case. Then patiently wait for the promise or the Word to come to pass.
Mark 4:26-29 (NKJV) And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, “and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. “But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Just like how a farmer needs to wait patiently for his yield once he has sown, we must wait, too. The Word of God is the seed and it will yield the crop at the right time. While we are in the waiting process for the Word to come to pass, it is important to practice the Word of God.
Isaiah 26:3-4 (NKJV) You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
While waiting for God’s promise to come to pass, if we do not dwell in His Word, we will wear out easily. Keeping ourselves in the Word will help us to draw God’s strength for the situation.
Hebrews 6:12-15 (NKJV) that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Abraham had a word from God that He will have a son. It was through faith and patience that he inherited the promise. He refused to be moved by circumstances and facts. He was not moved by anything! Hence he became the father of faith. He chose to stand on the Word. After he had patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
Let us not give up on our battles by looking at the circumstances and taking things in our own hands with our own understanding. Through patient waiting in faith, we are called to be conquerors of every situation.
Sermon Series: God’s Wisdom
凭信心和忍耐得胜
马太福音 14:25-33 夜里四更天，耶稣在海面上走，往门徒那里去。门徒看见他在海面上走，就惊慌了，说：“是个鬼怪！” 便害怕，喊叫起来。耶稣连忙对他们说：“你们放心，是我，不要怕！” 彼得说：“主，如果是你，请叫我从水面上走到你那里去。” 耶稣说：“你来吧。” 彼得就从船上下去，在水面上走，要到耶稣那里去；只因见风甚大，就害怕，将要沉下去，便喊着说：“主啊，救我！” 耶稣赶紧伸手拉住他，说：“你这小信的人哪，为什么疑惑呢？” 他们上了船，风就住了。在船上的人都拜他，说：“你真是神的儿子了。”
在艰难时期真正的争战是在信徒的心思意念中。魔鬼会竭尽全力把我们的注意力从神和神的话语转移到我们的环境。牠让我们看到消极面和最坏的结果使我们感到恐惧。单靠我们所听所见所感受的来面对这些负面状况，会使我们感到害怕又失去平安。这导致我们把事情掌握在自己手中，却无法看到神为我们所预备的突破。
很多时候影响我们的，是急躁和骄傲。急躁使我们渴望立竿见影的效果，因此没有时间寻求上帝。另一方面，骄傲吸引我们凭借自己的知识来看待环境。
我们需要的是信心和耐心。首先观察并明白什么是你的试炼，然后祷告祈求神的应许或确据。请陈述你的状况，祈求神给你一句话语来验明你的状况，然后耐心地等待应许或神话语的成就。
马可福音 4:26-29 又说：“神的国如同人把种撒在地上。黑夜睡觉，白日起来，这种就发芽渐长，那人却不晓得如何这样。地生五谷是出于自然的：先发苗，后长穗，再后穗上结成饱满的子粒；谷既熟了，就用镰刀去割，因为收成的时候到了。”
就像一个农民在播种之后耐心地等待他的收成，我们也必须等待。神的话是种子，在适当的时候会长出庄稼。当我们在等待神话语来到的过程中，重要的是要实践神的话语。
以赛亚书 26:3-4 坚心倚赖你的，你必保守他十分平安，因为他倚靠你。你们当倚靠耶和华直到永远。因为耶和华是永久的盘石。
在等待神的应许来临的时候，如果我们不住在神的话语中，我们会很容易感到疲乏。 坚守这道，将帮助我们在这种境况中获得神的力量。
希伯来书 6:12-15 并且不懈怠，总要效法那些凭信心和忍耐承受应许的人。当初神应许亚伯拉罕的时候，因为没有比自己更大可以指着起誓的，就指着自己起誓，说：“论福，我必赐大福给你；论子孙，我必叫你的子孙多起来。” 这样，亚伯拉罕既恒久忍耐，就得了所应许的。
亚伯拉罕从神得着一句话，他将会得到一个儿子。他凭着信心和耐心得着了这个应许。他拒绝受现实和环境影响而动摇，什么都不能动摇他！因此他成为信心之父。他选择站立在神的道上，他得着了神的应许。
我们不要放弃我们的争战，不要看环境，不用我们的认识来掌握在自己的手中。藉着在信心中的耐心等候，我们能在神所呼召的任何处境中得胜。
讲章系列: 神的智慧
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