Lift 起飞

[Dexu Xia]

Be strong and very courageous.  Joshua 1:7

During our tour of an aircraft carrier, a jet fighter pilot explained that planes need a 56-kilometer-per-hour wind to take off on such a short runway. To reach this steady breeze, the captain turns his ship into the wind. “Shouldn’t the wind come from the plane’s back?” I asked. The pilot answered, “No. The jets must fly into the wind. That’s the only way to achieve lift.”

God called Joshua to lead His people into the “winds” that awaited them in the promised land. Joshua required two things. Internally, he needed to “be strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7); and externally, he needed challenges. This included the daily task of leading thousands of Israelites, facing walled cities (6:1–5), demoralizing defeats (7:3–5), Achan’s theft (vv. 16–26), and continual battles (chs. 10–11).

The wind that blew in Joshua’s face would lift his life as long as his thrust came from God’s instructions. God said he must “be careful to obey all the law . . . do not turn from it to the right or to the left . . . meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (1:7–8).

Are you resolved to follow God’s ways, no matter what? Then look for challenges. Fly boldly into the wind and see your spirit soar.

Why are challenges necessary for a successful life? How might God use a present problem to lift you?

Father, life is hard, and it often hurts. May my problems lift me closer to You

只要刚强，大大壮胆。—约书亚记1章7节

当我们参观一艘航空母舰时，一位喷射战斗机飞行员解释说，飞机需要时速56公里的风，才能从如此短的跑道上起飞。为迎向这种稳定的风，舰长要将航舰转成逆风方向。我问道：“飞机不是要顺风起飞吗？”飞行员回答说：“不是。喷射机必须逆风而飞，而这也是唯一能起飞的方法。”

上帝呼召约书亚带领祂的子民，顶着强烈的“逆风”进入应许之地。约书亚有两方面的需要。于内，他需要“刚强，大大壮胆”（约书亚记1章7节）；于外，他需要接受挑战。这包括领导数千名以色列人的日常任务、攻打城墙高大的城邑（6章1-5节）、战事失利（7章3-5节）、亚干的盗窃（16-26节），以及持续不断的战争（10-11章）。

只要约书亚所做的事是来自上帝的指示，那么他所面对的挑战就能提升他的生命。上帝叮嘱约书亚必须谨守遵行一切律法，不可偏离左右并要昼夜思想，“好使你谨守遵行这书上所写的一切话。如此，你的道路就可以亨通，凡事顺利”（1章7-8节）。

你已下定决心无论如何都不偏离上帝的道路吗？那就接受挑战吧！勇敢地逆风而飞，你会看到你的心灵高飞翱翔。

为什么面对挑战会使生命成长呢？
上帝如何用当前的困难来使你逆风飞翔？

天父，人生充满艰难，而且常有伤痛。
求祢让我所经历的困境能使我更亲近祢。