Finding Open Spaces 开阔之地
Dexu Xia
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11
In his book Margin, Dr. Richard Swenson writes, “We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity. . . . Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions. Is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn’t He lead people beside the still waters anymore? Who plundered those wide-open spaces of the past, and how can we get them back?” Swenson says we need some quiet, fertile “land” in life where we can rest in God and meet with Him.
Does that resonate? Seeking open spaces is something Moses lived out well. Leading a nation of “stubborn and rebellious” people (Exodus 33:5 nlt), he often withdrew to find rest and guidance in God’s presence. And in his “tent of meeting” (v. 7), “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (v. 11). Jesus also “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Both He and Moses realized the importance of spending time alone with the Father.
We too need to build margin into our lives, some wide and open spaces spent in rest and in God’s presence. Spending time with Him will help us make better decisions—creating healthier margins and boundaries in our life so we have the bandwidth available to love Him and others well.
Let’s seek God in open spaces today.
By: Tom Felten
Why do you need margin in your life? How will you build some space into your schedule to spend time with God?
Jesus, help me to seek some quiet moments with You each day.
耶和华与摩西面对面说话，好像人与朋友说话一般。—出埃及记33章11节
在一本关于生活空间的书中（Margin），作者（Dr. Richard Swenson）写道：“我们需要呼吸的空间；我们需要思想的自由，并让自己得疗愈。快节奏的生活步调，将我们的人际关系压得奄奄一息⋯⋯我们极速成效的好意，让孩子们遍体鳞伤、不支倒地。难道上帝也主张精疲力尽？祂不再领人到可安歇的水边了吗？是谁掠夺了以往的开阔空间，我们要如何找回呢？”作者说，人们在生活中需要宁静、能得滋养的地方，好亲近上帝并在祂里面得安息。
你是否深有同感？寻找开阔之地是摩西常做的事。当他带领一群顽梗叛逆的百姓时（出埃及记33章5节），他经常退到上帝面前寻求安息和引导。在“营外的会幕那里”（7节），上帝“与摩西面对面说话，好像人与朋友说话一般”（11节）。耶稣也经常“退到旷野去祷告”（路加福音5章16节）。耶稣和摩西都明白，花时间与天父独处至关重要。
我们也需要在生活中留下一些空间，一些开阔的空间，让自己可以安歇，可以享受上帝的同在。花时间亲近上帝能帮助我们做更好的决定，在生活中创造更健康的空间和界线，让我们能有充裕的时间和精力爱上帝和爱其他人。
今天就退到开阔之地寻求上帝吧！
作者： 冯得恩
在你的生活中为何需要“开阔之地”？
你要如何预留空间和时间去亲近上帝？