Desperate Solutions 非常手段
Dexu Xia
regard for the One who planned it long ago. Isaiah 22:11
In the late sixteenth century, William of Orange intentionally flooded much of his nation’s land. The Dutch monarch resorted to such a drastic measure in an attempt to drive out the invading Spaniards. It didn’t work, and a vast swath of prime farmland was lost to the sea. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” they say.
In Isaiah’s day, Jerusalem turned to desperate measures when the Assyrian army threatened them. Creating a water storage system to endure the siege, the people also tore down houses to shore up the city walls. Such tactics may have been prudent, but they neglected the most important step. “You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool,” God said, “but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago” (Isaiah 22:11).
We aren’t likely to encounter a literal army outside our homes today. “The batterings always come in commonplace ways and through commonplace people,” said Oswald Chambers. Yet, such “batterings” are genuine threats. Thankfully, they also bring with them God’s invitation to turn to Him first for what we need.
When life’s irritations and interruptions come, will we see them as opportunities to turn to God? Or will we seek our own desperate solutions?
What ordinary threats do you face today? What do you need to face them?
Today, loving God, I turn to You first with all of my challenges, large and small.
非常手段也不顾念从古定这事的。—以赛亚书22章11节
十六世纪末，威廉 · 奥伦治亲王（William of Orange）刻意引海水淹没大部分的国土。这位荷兰君王采取如此激烈的手段，为要试图驱逐入侵的西班牙人。然而，这方法行不通，还造成大片优质的农田都被海水吞噬。这就是人们所谓的：“非常时期要用非常手段。”
在以赛亚的时代，亚述的军队攻击耶路撒冷时，犹大百姓也采取了非常的手段。他们不但砌筑一座蓄水系统以度过围困期，还拆除房屋以支撑城墙。这也许是个精明的策略，但众人却忽略了最重要的第一步骤。上帝说：“[你们]又在两道城墙中间挖一个聚水池，可盛旧池的水；却不仰望做这事的主，也不顾念从古定这事的。”（以赛亚书22章11节）
今天，我们不大可能在家门口就遇到敌人的军队，但正如章伯斯所说：“打击都是以寻常的方式，透过寻常的人而来。”这样的打击的确是真实的威胁。值得庆幸的是，这些打击是上帝给我们的机会，学习先转向祂，寻求我们需要的一切。
当生活中的烦恼和阻碍来到时，我们会将其视为转向上帝的契机吗？还是我们会以自己的方式解决，采取非常手段？
今天，你面对什么生活上的挑战呢？
面对这些挑战，你需要什么呢？
慈爱的上帝，今天我要先转向祢，
将大大小小的挑战交托给祢，求祢帮助我。