我们在教会中，乃是神所拣选的人。我们是在祂的手中，我们是在祂的路上，无论你是否领悟、认识或承认，事实乃是你在主的对付之下。迟早你会觉得你被祂摸了一把。时候到了，你就知道你瘸了，你永远不会和以前一样了。也许你还有软弱，但你不会和以前一样了。如果你还能一样，就指明你从未经历主的摸。
在雅各身上，主的摸是一次永远的。但在我们身上，我们也许被摸过好几次。然而，原则是一样的。我们很多人能见证，从我们爱主的第一天，特别是进入教会生活，开始在祂的恢复里跟从主，我们就发现自己在受对付的环境中。我们一直在摔跤。很长的一段时间，我们不领悟主在对付我们。有一天，主突然摸了我们一把，我们瘸了。此后，我们就不一样了。也许我们仍是天然或软弱的，但我们不一样了。
不要期望藉着一摸，你的整个生活就会改变，你就会完全被变化。不，在雅各身上，那一摸发生在创世记三十二章，但成熟乃是四十七章才完全显明。从二十六章至三十二章，有许多的失败、错误和过犯。被神摸过以后，在三十三章，表面上雅各还没有多少改变，但实际上，在生命里他有了很大的改变。在三十二章以前，雅各是天然的，从未被主摸过。但在三十二章以后，无论他作甚么，都是瘸着腿作的。你有没有看到雅各走向以扫，向他俯伏时，是瘸着腿的？以扫没有看见一个完整的雅各，只看见一个瘸腿的雅各。这里我们看见，虽然他在生活上没有改变，但在生命里发生了改变。被主摸过的，不是外面的生活；被主摸过的，乃是里面天然的力量。
很少基督徒领悟，在这段话里雅各经历的重要意义。很多人专注意对付外面的罪、过犯和世俗，从未想到他们天然的生命、天然的力量必须被摸过。但主不仅关心我们外面生活的改变，祂更要摸着我们天然的生命。无论你有没有和妻子争吵，你天然的生命若没有被摸过，你还是天然的。在神眼中，你对妻子发脾气或控制脾气，并没有多少区别。你若发脾气，你是你；你若控制脾气，你还是你。但雅各一旦被摸过，虽然外面和从前一样，但里面天然的生命已经受了对付。这不是外面的改变或改良，这是里面的一摸。你里面的筋，你里面天然的力量，必须被主摸着。我们都需要这一摸。
信息重点：神所摸着的，不是外面的行为，乃是里面天然的生命。
应用祷告：主耶稣，求你不要只改变我的行为，更变化我的生命。愿你摸着我里面天然的力量，使我从里面被更新，活出你的生命。阿们。
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Jacob’s Experience – Being Broken (5) — Gen. 32:29-30
We in the church are the ones God has chosen. We are in His hand, and we are on His way, whether or not we realize, recognize or admit it — the fact is that we are under the Lord’s dealing. Sooner or later you will feel that He has touched you. When the time comes, you will know you are lame, and you will never be the same again. You may still have weaknesses, but you will not be as you were before. If you can still remain the same, that shows you have never experienced the Lord’s touch.
With Jacob, the Lord’s touch was once for all. But with us, we may be touched several times. Nevertheless, the principle is the same. Many of us can testify that from the first day we loved the Lord, especially when we entered the church life and began to follow the Lord in His recovery, we found ourselves in an environment of dealing. We have been wrestling all along. For a long time we do not realize that the Lord is dealing with us. Then one day the Lord suddenly touches us, and we become lame. From then on we are not the same. We may still be natural or weak, but we are different.
Do not expect that through one touch your entire life will change, that you will be fully transformed. No — with Jacob, that touch took place in Genesis 32, but his maturity was not fully manifested until chapter 47. From chapter 26 to chapter 32, there were many failures, mistakes and offenses. After being touched by God, in chapter 33, outwardly Jacob had not changed much, but actually, in life, he had undergone a great change. Before chapter 32, Jacob was natural, never having been touched by the Lord. But after chapter 32, whatever he did, he did it while limping. Did you notice that as Jacob approached Esau and bowed down to him, he was limping? Esau did not see a whole Jacob — he saw only a lame Jacob. Here we see that although Jacob had not changed outwardly, a change had taken place in his life. What the Lord touches is not our outward living; what He touches is the strength of our inward natural life.
Very few Christians realize the significant meaning of Jacob’s experience in this passage. Many people focus only on dealing with outward sin, offenses and worldliness, never considering that their natural life, their natural strength, must be touched. But the Lord is not only concerned with the change in our outward living; He wants even more to touch our natural life. Whether or not you argue with your spouse, if your natural life has not been touched, you are still natural. In God’s eyes, there is little difference between losing your temper with your spouse and controlling your temper. If you lose your temper, you are still you; if you control your temper, you are still you. But once Jacob was touched, outwardly he was the same as before, inwardly his natural life had been dealt with. This is not an outward change or improvement — it is an inward touch. The tendon within you, the natural strength within you, must be touched by the Lord. We all need this touch.
Message Main Points: What God touches is not our outward behavior, but our inward natural life.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, do not merely change my behavior — transform my life. Touch the natural strength within me, that I may be renewed from within and live out Your life. Amen.