GRACE的珍貴角落

『只剩下雅各一人。有一個人來和他捽跤，直到黎明。』（創三十二章二十四節）

在這裡我們看見神來和雅各摔跤。在黎明以前，雅各的大腿窩扭到了。但是他一倒下去，正倒在神的雙臂中，雅各就緊緊抓住不放，直到得著了他所要的祝福；一個新生命由此產生了。－他倒下去的時候，是一個屬地的、屬人的、天然的生命，他起來的時候，已成了屬天的、屬神的、超然的生命了。他那天早晨前行的時候，雖然成了一個疲弱殘廢的人，神卻宣言說：『你的名不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列；因為你與神與人較力，都得了勝。』（二十八節）。

親愛的讀者，如果神要我們進入最高最美的一步，我們每一個人都必須經歷同樣的爭戰－一切策略都會失敗，所遭遇的盡是想不到的毀滅－那時候，我們必須從神領受超然的能力才能站住；但是，在領受神超然的能力之前，我們必須先付出代價－我們必須完全順服；我們必須停止我們自己的智慧、能力和公義，與基督同釘十字架，在祂裡面復活。神知道怎樣引領我們走上這一步，祂也知道用甚麼方法引領我們經過。  

親愛的讀者，神現在是不是正在這引領你呢？你是不是正遭到了極嚴重的試煉、極困難的環境、極險惡的情勢呢？你是不是沒有神竟不能過去呢？你是不是沒有力量來得勝呢？

去投靠雅各的神罷！將你已無力地摔到祂的腳前。在祂慈愛的雙臂中死去你自己的能力和智慧，像雅各一樣，帶著神的能力和充足起來。如果你想走出你的困難狹窄的處境，出路是在頂上。你必須向上走，才能得到釋放。哦，巴不得你也能得到雅各所得到的一切！－選

"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." (Gen. 32:24.)

GOD is wrestling with Jacob more than Jacob is wrestling with God. It was the Son of man, the Angel of the Covenant. It was God in human form pressing down and pressing out the old Jacob life; and ere the morning broke, God had prevailed and Jacob fell with his thigh dislocated. But as he fell, he fell into the arms of God, and there he clung and wrestled, too, until the blessing came; and the new life was born and he arose from the earthly to the heavenly, the human to the diving, the natural to the supernatural. And as he went forth that morning he was a weak and broken man, but God was there instead; and the heavenly voice proclaimed, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

Beloved, this must ever be a typical scene in every transformed life. There comes a crisis-hour to each of us, if God has called us to the highest and best, when all resources fail; when we face either ruin or something higher than we ever dreamed; when we must have infinite help from God and yet, ere ve can have it, we must let something go; we must surrender completely; we must cease from our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness, and become crucified with Christ and alive in Him. God knows how to lead us up to this crisis, and He knows how to lead us through.

Is He leading you thus? Is this the meaning of your deep trial, or your difficult surrounding, or that impossible situation, or that trying place through which you cannot go without Him, and yet you have not enough of Him to give you the victory?

Oh, turn to Jacob's God! Cast yourself helplessly at His feet. Die to your strength and wisdom in His loving arms and rise, like Jacob, into His strength and all-sufficiency. There is no way out of your hard and narrow place but at the top. You must get deliverance by rising higher and coming into a new experience with God. Oh, may it bring you into all that is meant by the revelation of the Mighty One of Jacob! --- But God.

"At Thy feet I fall,
Yield Thee up my All,
To SUFFER, LIVE, OR DIE
For my Lord crucified."