十月七日

你爲何苦待僕人？（民11：11）

天父常用困難試驗我們的信心。若我們的信心經不起試驗，就算不得什麽。鍍的金怕火煉，但真金便不這樣；贋寶石怕鑽石，但真寶石便不怕試了。當朋友滿座、身體强健、事業興盛時才信神，那種信心是可憐的；但當朋友離去、身體患病、精神消沉、我們神的臉光隱藏的時候仍然相信，那才是被神的信實所扶持的真實信心呢！在極端困難中仍然能說：“他雖殺我，我仍信靠他。”（重譯伯13：15）這才是從神所得的信心。神有時苦待他的僕人是爲了要榮耀他自己，因爲他必因他的民，就是他手所造之民的德行得到榮耀。當我們因“患難生忍耐，忍耐生老練，老練生盼望”的時候，我們的神就因我們的信德有這樣的長進得了尊榮。若我們不彈，琴弦就發不出悅耳的樂聲；若我們不踹酒醡，就嘗不到葡萄的美味；桂皮不壓榨也發不出香氣；炭若不燃燒也不能叫人感到暖和。藉著患難我們才能發現靈匠的智慧和能力，他允准蒙憐憫的器皿經過患難。現在的苦難使我們將來也能得到更大的喜樂。圖畫中必須有陰暗的一面才能襯托出光彩的美麗來。若我們不知道罪的可咒和地上的憂患，我們能得到天堂的大福嗎？戰爭之後的和平，勞苦之後的安息不更加甜蜜可親嗎？想到過去的苦楚不更加增我們榮耀中的福樂嗎？舉一反三，此外還有許多使我們得安慰的事，讓我們今天多多回味吧！

October 7

"Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?"--Numbers 11:11

Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him," is heaven-born faith. The Lord afflicts his servants to glorify himself, for he is greatly glorified in the graces of his people, which are his own handiwork. When "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope," the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which his vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.