七月十六日

他們每日早晨……收取（嗎哪）。（出16：21）

我們要殷勤工作好保持幷繼續豐享神的喜悅和歡喜。不要吃陳腐的嗎哪，不要尋求埃及的幫助。一切都必須來自耶穌，否則你便不能生存下去。陳舊的膏油不能滋潤你的靈；你的頭必須常受金角裏的新鮮的油所澆灌。今天或許你上到神的山頂，但那使你升到山頂的神也必保守你，不然你必迅速地滾下來。他使你的山穩固屹立；若他掩面，你馬上就有了難處。若救主看爲合宜，他能在頃刻之間使天空變成烏黑，一綫光亮也不會透出來。約書亞使日頭停止不動，但耶穌能完全用黑暗把它遮蔽起來。他能撤去你心中的快樂、你眼中的亮光和你生命的力量；他手中有你的安慰，他能按著他的旨意使它們離開你。

我們時時都得依賴神，這是我們所感到、所承認的。因爲他叫我們求“日用的飲食”，也只應許我們說：“你的日子如何，你的力量也必如何。”我們這樣常常到他的寶座前面，時時得到他愛的激勵，不是很好的一件事嗎？他不斷地賜我們豐富的恩，幷不因我們忘恩負義而中止！恩雨永不停止，福雲常覆蓋我們的居處。

主耶穌啊！我們要跪拜在你的脚前，因爲我們知道若沒有你，我們在一切事上，幷在一切所領受的恩典上就必失敗。我們要敬拜你可稱頌的名，幷宣揚你無窮的大愛。神不叫我們把他的恩典積蓄起來慢慢使用，因爲他時時都有特別爲我們所預備的新鮮而足够的恩典。

July 16

"They gathered manna every morning." -- Exodus 16:21

Labour to maintain a sense of thine entire dependence upon the Lord's good will and pleasure for the continuance of thy richest enjoyments. Never try to live on the old manna, nor seek to find help in Egypt. All must come from Jesus, or thou art undone for ever. Old anointings will not suffice to impart unction to thy spirit; thine head must have fresh oil poured upon it from the golden horn of the sanctuary, or it will cease from its glory. To-day thou mayest be upon the summit of the mount of God, but He who has put thee there must keep thee there, or thou wilt sink far more speedily than thou dreamest. Thy mountain only stands firm when He settles it in its place; if He hide His face, thou wilt soon be troubled. If the Saviour should see fit, there is not a window through which thou seest the light of heaven which He could not darken in an instant. Joshua bade the sun stand still, but Jesus can shroud it in total darkness. He can withdraw the joy of thine heart, the light of thine eyes, and the strength of thy life; in His hand thy comforts lie, and at His will they can depart from thee. This hourly dependence our Lord is determined that we shall feel and recognize, for He only permits us to pray for "daily bread," and only promises that "as our days our strength shall be." Is it not best for us that it should be so, that we may often repair to His throne, and constantly be reminded of His love? Oh! how rich the grace which supplies us so continually, and doth not refrain itself because of our ingratitude! The golden shower never ceases, the cloud of blessing tarries evermore above our habitation. O Lord Jesus, we would bow at Thy feet, conscious of our utter inability to do anything without Thee, and in every favour which we are privileged to receive, we would adore Thy blessed name and acknowledge Thine unexhausted love.