一月九日

我要作他們的神（耶31:33）

基督徒呀！你所要的一切在此都能得到。你需要一些東西來滿足你的快樂的，這還不夠嗎？若你能把這應許倒在你的杯中，你就能和大衛一樣地說：“‘我的福杯滿溢’超過我心所求所想的。”既然“我是你的神”，這話成全之後，那麼你不就有了一切了嗎？欲壑像死一樣地難以滿足，但那充滿萬有的能充滿它。誰能測量我們欲望的能量呢？但那無限豐盛的神能使它充溢。神既屬你，你還不完全嗎？你所需要的不就只是神嗎？若別的不能滿足你，在一切事上都足夠的神不能滿足你嗎？但你所要的並不僅是滿足而已，你還要極大的喜樂。來吧！各位，這是天堂上得音樂，乃是你的份，因為神是天堂的創造者。一切美妙的樂器和靈活的琴弦都不能像這甜蜜的應許“我要作他們的神”一樣奏出那幽雅動聽的曲調。這是深邃的福海，無邊的樂洋；來吧，盡情在裡面沐浴你靈，你遊一生也找不到邊，泳到永遠也摸不到底。“我要作他們的神”，若這話不能使你的眼露出歡愉的光芒，不能使你的心快樂得跳動起來，那麼你的生命一定是不健全的。你所需要的不只是暫時的快樂——你還得渴慕一些使你有盼望的東西；有什麼能比這大應許“我要作他們的神”能使你有盼望呢？這是一切應許中最大的，它能使人得到天下和天上一切的快樂。我們心中有這應許在地就如在天一樣，並得進入上面的天堂。住在你神的光中，讓你的生命永遠在他的愛中狂歡嚮往。你可以從這話裡選取其精髓和肥甘，得到你所當得的，並用說不出來的喜樂歡欣踴躍吧！

January 9

"I will be their God." --Jeremiah 31:33

Christian! here is all thou canst require. To make thee happy thou wantest something that shall satisfy thee; and is not this enough? If thou canst pour this promise into thy cup, wilt thou not say, with David, "My cup runneth over; I have more than heart can wish"? When this is fulfilled, "I am thy God," art thou not possessor of all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but He who filleth all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can measure? but the immeasurable wealth of God can more than overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when God is thine? Dost thou want anything but God? Is not His all-sufficiency enough to satisfy thee if all else should fail? But thou wantest more than quiet satisfaction; thou desirest rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit for heaven in this thy portion, for God is the Maker of Heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments, or drawn from living strings, can yield such melody as this sweet promise, "I will be their God." Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight; come, bathe thy spirit in it; swim an age, and thou shalt find no shore; dive throughout eternity, and thou shalt find no bottom. "I will be their God." If this do not make thine eyes sparkle, and thy heart beat high with bliss, then assuredly thy soul is not in a healthy state. But thou wantest more than present delights--thou cravest something concerning which thou mayest exercise hope; and what more canst thou hope for than the fulfillment of this great promise, "I will be their God"? This is the masterpiece of all the promises; its enjoyment makes a heaven below, and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of thy Lord, and let thy soul be always ravished with His love. Get out the marrow and fatness which this portion yields thee. Live up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.