亚伯拉罕起初是拖泥带水。末了，他得胜了，一路走到示剑，后来又到了靠近伯特利的地方。那是相当的好。在那两个地方，他都筑了坛。在伯特利和艾的中间，他还呼求耶和华的名，并且支搭帐棚，向全世界宣告，他对巴别的情形是个反见证。亚伯拉罕这样作，不是已经达到经历神的高峰么？
你也许想，如果你是亚伯拉罕，你必定会留在那里。但我们不该这样想，因为我们就是今天的亚伯拉罕。亚伯拉罕的经历是我们经历的种子。你岂不是和主有过一段美妙的时光，那时你达到了高峰，并且喊说，“阿利路亚！这里真好！没有地方比这里更好。这对我是最好的地方。”你难道没有这样说过么？但是到了第二天，怎么样呢？你开始往下走了。晚上你还在迦南的高峰，第二天早晨你就往下走到世界的边缘了。要保持在神所指定的地方是非常困难的。在高峰周围布满了陷阱，很容易落到其中。蒙召的人通常不会退回老路，但很容易下到埃及。亚伯拉罕从未回到迦勒底，但他的确下到埃及。
在创世记十二章九节至十三章十八节，我们看见亚伯拉罕的试炼。试炼不是个令人愉快的辞。虽然没有人喜欢试炼，但试炼是好的经历。亚伯拉罕蒙召开始过信心生活不久，试炼就临到他。我确信没有人能说，自从他蒙主呼召以后，过的都是好日子。
我们的神不仅是爱的神，也是主宰的神。我们的神是主宰一切的。每一件事都在祂的经纶安排之下。祂乃是为着我们而支配全世界。我们都必须相信，神是为着我们每一个人而支配全宇宙。你也许说，“我太渺小了，主宰的神怎会为我支配全宇宙？”但祂的确为着你支配一切。
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The Trial of the Called Ones – Famine (1) — Gen. 12:9-10
Abram was dragging his feet at the beginning. Eventually, he overcame and walked all the way to Shechem, and later to a place near Bethel. That was quite good. In those two places, he built an altar. Between Bethel and Ai, he also called on the name of Jehovah and pitched his tent, declaring to the whole world that he was an anti-testimony to the situation of Babel. By doing this, had Abram not already reached the peak of experiencing God?
You might think that if you were Abram, you would surely have stayed there. But we should not think this way, because we are the Abram of today. Abram’s experience is the seed of our experience. Have you not had a wonderful time with the Lord, when you reached the peak and shouted, “Hallelujah! It is so good here! There is no place better than this. This is the best place for me”. Have you not said this? But when the next day came, what happened? You began to go down. In the evening you were at the peak of Canaan, but by the next morning, you walked down to the edge of the world. It is very difficult to remain in the place God has designated. Traps are spread all around the peak, and it is easy to fall into them. A called one usually will not return to the old way, but it is very easy to go down to Egypt. Abram never returned to Chaldea, but he indeed went down to Egypt.
In Genesis 12:9 through 13:18, we see Abram’s trial. Trial is not a pleasant word. Although no one likes trials, trials are good experiences. Not long after Abram was called to live the life of faith, a trial came upon him. I am sure no one can say that ever since they were called by the Lord, they have lived only good days.
Our God is not only a God of love but also a Sovereign God. Our God is the One who is sovereign over all. Everything is under the arrangement of His economy. He controls the whole world for our sake. We must all believe that God controls the entire universe for every one of us. You may say, “I am too small; how could the Sovereign God control the whole universe for me”? Yet, He indeed controls everything for you.