士六15　　基甸说，主啊，请容我说，我凭什么拯救以色列人呢？我的家族在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的，我在我的父家又是至微小的。

　　徒二六19　　亚基帕王啊，我故此没有违背那从天上来的异象。

　　结十四7　　…凡与我疏远，将他的偶像接到心里…的，我耶和华必亲自回答他。

　　（要进入得胜的生命，我们）必须认透自己；必须看见自己只配死。…我们的尽头，是神的起头。我们不能接受基督的得胜，是因为对自己还有盼望。基督已经住在我们里面。不过，我们没有给祂地位，在我们里面作主掌权。

　　在神的面前谦卑顶容易，在人面前，和人比较地谦卑，却是顶难。说我是至微小的容易，说我在我的父家是至微小的，不容易。说我的家族是贫穷的容易，说我的家族在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的，不容易。别人看见他面上的光，自己还不知道有光的，就是得胜者。凡用镜子看自己面上的光的，都不是得胜者。…有得胜者的实际，而不负得胜者之名称的，都是得胜者（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一○六、一三七页）。

　　Judg. 6:15 …[Gideon] said to Him, Please, Lord, by what way can I save Israel? My clan here is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

　　Acts 26:19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

　　Ezek. 14:7 …Every man…who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart…

　　[To] enter into this victorious life…we must know the self thoroughly. We must see that the self deserves only to die…. Our end is God’s beginning. We cannot receive the victory of Christ if we still have hope in our self. Christ is living in us, but we have not given Him the ground to rule over us and reign within us.

　　It is easy to be humble before God, but it is very difficult to be humble before man in comparison with others. Saying, “I am the least” is easy, but saying, “I am the least in my father’s house” is not easy. Saying, “My family is poor” is easy, but saying, “My family is poor in Manasseh” is not easy (Judg. 6:15). The overcomers do not see the shining on their own faces, though others may see it. All those who see the shining on their own faces through a mirror are not overcomers…. The overcomers have the reality of an overcomer rather than the name of an overcomer. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 745, 771)

　　没有看见异象的，就不能出来作工。有了异象，虽遇难处，也必能达到目的。有了主的话，就必能渡到那边去。

　　当把微小的自己献上，交在神的手里。看自己大和看自己小，而不把自己交在神手里的，都是同样地没有用处。所有合乎神旨意的活祭，神都悦纳。得胜者，是神呼召的。

　　吹角（士六34），就是招呼人来，同作得胜者。单独地行动，不是得胜者当有的。我们当与失败者分开，却不当与其他的得胜者分开。

　　照普通的情形，信徒在经济上都发生困难。或因以前所作的事是不正当的，现在不能再作；或因属灵的原因，有神在背后管理这事，有一个专一的目的。神所以将我们的财物，给我们拿去，是要我们追求基督，叫基督在万有中居首位。财主不是不能进神的国，乃是难进神的国；不是不能事奉主，乃是难事奉主。当将宝贝丢在山野里，才能以耶和华为至宝（伯二二24~25）。神在旷野里对付以色列人，使他们衣食都没有地上的供给，好叫他们认识神的丰富。地上的供给停止了，天上的供给就来到。物质的困难，就是要我们追求叫基督在万有中居首位，学习信心的功课。困难来到了，当相信是出于神而快乐。但不可盼望困难来到。如果这样，撒但也能将困难加给我们。

　　我们失丧父母、丈夫、妻子、儿女、亲友，是神要我们以基督为万足。神给我们除掉这些，是要我们以基督为主，让祂在我们身上居首位。神并非严厉苦待我们，乃是要我们以基督为主。在主面前流泪，比在人前快乐更宝贝。我们在主里所找得的，是在父母、妻子、孩子里所找不着的（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一三七至一三八、一一○至一一一页）。

　　No one can work without seeing a vision, [a heavenly vision of the Lord]. If one has the vision, though he may encounter difficulties, he will still reach his goal. When we have the Lord’s word, we can cross to the other side.

　　We need to offer up ourselves, even what we regard to be the least, to the hand of God. It does not matter whether we see ourselves as big or as small. If we do not put ourselves in the hand of God, both are equally futile. All living sacrifices that are according to God’s will are acceptable to God. The overcomers were called by God.

　　The blowing of the trumpet (Judg. 6:34) is a call for others to join the ranks of the overcomers. Overcomers should not act independently. We should separate ourselves from the defeated ones, but we should not separate ourselves from the other overcomers.

　　In general all believers have financial difficulties. Perhaps this is because the things they formerly did were improper, things they now can no longer do. Or perhaps it is because of spiritual reasons, where God is behind the scene directing matters with some specific goal. God takes away our material possessions so that we will seek Christ that He may have the first place in all things. It is not impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, but it is difficult. It is not impossible for him to serve the Lord, but it is difficult. Cast your treasure in the dust, and Jehovah will be your treasure (Job 22:24-25). In the wilderness God dealt with the children of Israel by stripping them of all the earthly supply of food and clothing in order that they might know God’s riches. When the earthly supply stops, the heavenly supply comes. Difficulty in material supplies comes for the purpose that we may seek to have Christ take the first place in all things and learn the lessons of faith. When difficulty comes, we should believe that it is from God and rejoice. But we should not hope for difficulties to come. If we do, Satan also can cause difficulties to be added to us.

　　The reason we lose our parents, husband, wife, children, and relatives is that God wants us to take Christ as our satisfaction. God takes these away from us in order that we would take Christ as Lord and allow Him to have the first place in us. God has no intention to deal with us severely; His intention is only for us to take Christ as Lord. To weep before the Lord is more precious than to be happy before men. What we find in the Lord is what cannot be found in our parents, wife, and children. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 771-772, 748-749)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1954, vol. 1, pp. 417-418; CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, pp. 517-521