忽然有惊人的大黑暗落在他身上。（创十五12）
神什么时候把异象给信徒，就什么时候把他放在他手的阴影底下。圣徒那时的责任，是要安静聆听。在极度强烈的光线下，会产生一种黑暗，那时就得洗耳恭听。创世记十五章就是个好例子。在黑暗中，人只会寻求人的指示，却不等候神的光照。每逢神赐下异象，黑暗却接踵而来的话，就要等候。只要等候神的时间，他会按照给你的异象成就。切勿自告奋勇地帮助神成就他的应许。亚伯拉罕有十三年在静默中度过，在那些年日里，一切自己的办法都行不通，故不能凭头脑理智去解决问题。那段寂静的日子是操练的日子，而不是愁苦的日子。不必故意制造喜乐和勇气，只要心坚依靠神。（赛五十10-11）
我对肉体还有所倚恃吗？还是我已经脱离了对自己、对神的儿女、对书本、对祷告、及兴奋感觉的信赖，甚至是他的祝福，而把信心完全放在神身上，“我是全能的神”——是作为父母的神。我们受操练的目的，是要认识神是真实的。一旦看见神是真实的，其他人就成为影子了。其他信徒无论说什么，做什么，再也无法影响一个建造在神里面的人。
祈祷◆噢，主啊，我在重重的黑暗中靠近你，求你为我驱散黑暗，并以你的脸光照我。
January 19 Vision And Darkness
“An horror of great darkness fell upon him.” Genesis 15:12
Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, He puts him, as it were, in the shadow of His hand, and the saint's duty is to be still and listen. There is a darkness which comes from excess of light, and then is the time to listen. Genesis 16 is an illustration of listening to good advice when it is dark instead of waiting for God to send the light. When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfil His word. Abraham went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all self-sufficiency was destroyed; there was no possibility left of relying on common-sense ways. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not of displeasure. Never pump up joy and confidence, but stay upon God (cf. Isaiah 50:10,11).
Have I any confidence in the flesh? Or have I got beyond all confidence in myself and in men and women of God; in books and prayers and ecstasies; and is my confidence placed now in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am the Almighty God” – El-Shaddai, the Father-Mother God. The one thing for which we are all being disciplined is to know that God is real. As soon as God becomes real, other people become shadows. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever perturb the one who is built on God.