屹立在人生的風雨中 Stand Stong Through Life’s Stormas Luis Palau
有好一會兒我們呆坐在那兒，啞口無言，腦子裏嗡嗡響著醫生的話：「腫瘤是惡性的，必須馬上動手術，徹底根除，絕不能拖」手術時間排在下星期一。內人小佩罹患了癌症。
到家後，我逕自朝地下室走，進了我的辦公室。我得設法接受這個晴天霹靂的事實。千百種情緒湧上心頭，我忍不住哭了。過去我總認為這種事只會發生在別人身上，絕不會發生在我內人身上。小佩不該受這種折磨的。
我的思緒突然被一陣熟悉的旋律打斷。哪來的歌聲呢？我四個兒子都在學校上課，家裏除了小佩和我，沒有別人。莫非是小佩在自彈自唱？是，是她。歌名是「耶穌眾門徒有穩妥的根基」。雖然我們的生活正受到前所未有的撞擊，內人對救主耶穌的信靠卻堅定如昔，使
她支取到力量、勇氣和安全感。
●無一例外
世界上沒有人能完全躲開痛苦、煩惱、和掙扎。也許你的人生此刻也受到重創，根基鬆動一如流沙。你已經盡力做個好家長，孩子還是一樣做惡、叛逆。你已經盡可能小心理財，還是擋不住飛來橫禍。妳只是覺得丈夫最近有點冷淡，沒想到他竟然有了外遇！人生的劫難林林總總，多不勝數。
暴風雨的日子總會來。風雨來襲、狂風大作的時候，你的房子站立得住嗎？
●堅固根基
主耶穌教導我們把生活建立在可靠的根基上，祂說：
「所以凡聽見我這話就去行的，好比一個聰明的人把房子蓋在磐石上。雨淋、水沖、風吹，撞著那房子，房子總不倒塌，因為根基立在磐石上。」
「凡聽見我這話不去行的，好比一個無知的人，把房子蓋在沙土上。雨淋、水沖、風吹，撞著房子，房子就倒塌了，並且倒塌得很大」（馬太福音七章廿四-廿七節）。
無論你懂再多的戒酒知識、戒毒知識、個人與家庭的協談技巧，都無法保證你的房子在風雨來襲時能屹立不搖。唯一的堅固磐石是耶穌基督，你把房子蓋在這個基礎上，才能在任何環境之下，站立得住。
家母在三十五歲那年，也曾遭遇人生極大的風暴，家父在那年過世。母親雖感欣慰父親去了天國，她終究得獨自面對生活的苦楚和貧困。我當時還是個孩子，但母親對上帝堅定不移的信心卻已深印在我腦海中。不管風雨吹得多麼強勁，母親總相信上帝的作為是最完美的，上帝絕不會棄她不顧。
●倚靠在磐石上
上帝的愛子耶穌基督，曾遭遇過人世間最慘痛的打擊。祂被人毆打、被人吐口水、被人用鞭子抽、最後被釘死在木頭架上，這些都不是因為祂做了什麼壞事，而是因為祂無罪，甘願替人類承擔罪惡的刑罰。聖經上說：「他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪，使我們既然在罪上死，就得以在義上活，因他受的鞭傷，你們便得了醫治」（得前書二章廿四節）
耶穌為我們犧牲，又為我們復活，只有祂是人生中最可靠的根基，其他根基都會搖晃、不穩、甚至全盤倒塌。天有不測風雲，可能你的朋友突然離你而去；你病了，沒有人照顧你；你傷心，沒有人安慰你，但耶穌是永遠的磐石，你信靠祂，祂必保守你不致被暴風吹垮。現在就來信靠這塊磐石，祈禱並投入祂的懷抱！
●站穩的力量
上帝也會賜你力量，安然度過淒風苦雨的日子。家母新寡的時候有六個嗷嗷待哺的孩子，上帝成為她的力量，她走過來了。內人受到癌症折磨的時候，上帝的平安也充滿她的內心，斷幫助她保持堅強。
現在就來找救主耶穌吧！以祂做為你人生的根基，祂決不會棄你於不顧。告訴祂：
「主，我需要你，我發現我的人生彷彿建築在搖晃不穩的沙堆上。我向你認罪，並謝謝你為我死在十字架上，償付了我的罪。我現在渴望以你做我人生的根基，因為你是堅固永恆的萬古磐石。謝謝你進入我的心，帶給我平安和力量，面對人生的暴風雨。我願把生命交託給你。」
For a moment we sat in stunned silence, trying to block out the doctor’s words: “The tumor is malignant and radical surgery must be performed immediately. We can’t delay.” Surgery was scheduled for the following Monday. Pat, my wife, had cancer.
When we arrived home, I headed for the basement to sit in my office. Somehow I had to come to grips with this terrible news. A hundred emotions welled up inside of me and I started to cry. This was the sort of thing that happened to other people. But not to my wife. Not Pat.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the strains of a familiar old hymn. Where was it coming from? My four boys were all at school. No one was in the hours except Pat and me. Slowly it dawned on me—Pat herself was playing the piano and singing.
“How Firm a Foundation.” While the bottom seemed to be falling out of our lives, my wife found strength and security in the firm foundation of her relationship with Jesus Christ.
●NO EXEMPTIONS
No one in this life is exempt from struggles, heartaches, and difficulties. Maybe you’ve reached the point of feeling as though your foundation is little more than sinking sand. You’ve been the best parent you know how to be, but your teenager is spiteful and rebellious. You’ve carefully managed your resources, but suddenly you’re facing financial disaster. You knew your husband seemed distant lately, but you never dreamed he was having an affair. The list of potentially devastating situations could go on and on.
The day of storms will come. Will your house stand when the rains and floods and hurricane winds beat against it?
●A SURE FOUNDATION
Consider what Jesus Christ taught about the importance of building your life on
the right foundation:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27)
No amount of information about alcoholism, no amount of knowledge about drug abuse, no amount of personal and family counseling can provide an adequate foundation when the storms hit your home. Only if you have built your house on the Rock—the Lord Jesus Christ—will you be able to stand.
The storm beat heavily against my mother when, at the age of 35, she was widowed. Although she rejoiced that my dad was in heaven, she struggled with facing the rains of adversity and the floods of financial reversal alone. But even as a child, I was deeply impressed by my mother’s steadfast trust in God. No matter how fiercely the stormy winds blew, she knew His ways were perfect and that He would not let her down.
●REST ON THE ROCK
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, faced the worst heartache and agony imaginable. He was beaten, spit upon, scourged and ultimately crucified—not for anything He had done, because He was sinless—but to take on Himself the punishment sinful mankind deserved. The Bible explains, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24)
Because Jesus Christ died for us and rose again, He is the only trustworthy foundation on which we can build our lives. Other foundations shift, tremble, or crumble altogether. Tragedy hits and your friends suddenly disappear; you’re ill and no one visits you; your heart is breaking and no one knows how to comfort you. But Jesus is an everlasting Rock. He will neither fail you nor forsake you. When you trust in Him, He will keep you from being blown over by life’s inevitable storms. Come to the Rock today. Pray and commit your life to Him.
●YOUR STRENGTH TO STAND
God will give you the power and strength to stand when the rains and floods come. When my mother was widowed and left to raise six children all by herself, she discovered that God was her abiding strength. Likewise, during my wife’s ordeal with cancer, God’s perfect peace filled her heart constantly and helped her to stand strong.
Come to the Lord Jesus Christ today and build your house on the only foundation that will never fail you. Right now tell Him,
“Lord, I need you. I recognize that until now my life has been built on shifting sand. I confess my sin to You. Thank You for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I want to build my life on You, the solid, everlasting Rock. Thank You for coming into my heart and giving me the peace and strength I need to face the storms of life. I give my life to You.”
