八月三十一日

倚賴我的膀臂。（賽51：5）

基督徒在受苦至極的時候，在地上幷沒有什麽可以依靠的，所以他不得不把自己完全交托給他的神。當他的船航到盡處的時候，人不能救他，他只能完全依靠神的大能和照顧。把人破碎在這磐石上的浪是有福的！把人吹到神，獨有神那裏的風是可稱頌的！我們不能從神那裏得到什麽，是因爲我們還有許多朋友；但當一個人在可憐無友、無依時，他不能到別的地方去，只能投在父的懷中，在其中享受福分！當他受到困難的重壓時，他不能向任何人談說，只能向神吐訴，他要爲它們感謝神，因爲他在這時更能多認識神。受風浪衝擊的信徒啊！那是一個令人快樂的困難，因爲它能把你驅到父前！現在你除了神之外，別無依靠，你要看看你是否全心相信他。不要用不當有的疑惑和懼怕羞辱你的神和你的主；要使信心堅强起來，要歸榮耀于神。要叫世人知道你的神比千千萬萬的世界更寶貴。要叫富足人知道你雖在貧窮之中但有主神作你的幫助，你便多麽豐富；要叫强壯人知道你在軟弱之時有神永遠的膀臂在你以下，你便多麽强壯。現在正是信心應當奮發有爲、有所建樹的時候。要剛强壯膽，那末主你的神必定，像創造天地那樣地確定，在你的軟弱中榮耀他，在你的苦難中顯出他的大能來。若是天有柱來支撑，同樣穹蒼的華美都必消失，同樣你的信若是用肉眼希望另外的東西，也必失去它的榮耀。願聖靈使你從此會依賴耶穌。

August 31

"On mine arm shall they trust." -- Isaiah 51:5

In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in Him. Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month.