八月五日

我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。（羅8：28）

有幾件事是信徒所當確實知道的。例如：當船顛簸得最厲害的時候，他當知道有神坐在船尾。他相信有一隻看不見的手永遠掌著世界的舵，無論世界走到哪裏，都是在神的旨意之中，幷且神操舵的手是不會放鬆的。確實知道這一點之後，他才能應付將要來到的一切事。他看到澎湃汹涌的波濤，看到耶穌曾踏過狂浪，幷聽到他的聲音說：“是我，不要怕。”他也知道神永遠是智慧的，既然如此，他便信他不會作偶然的、錯誤的事；不應當發生的事是不會發生的。他說：“若我應當失去我所有的，那末我失去比不失去好得多。如果是神的旨意，出于神的安排，那末臨到我的最不幸的事，也是最有智慧、最有恩慈的事。”“我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。”

基督徒不應當把這真理當作理論看待，而當知道它是實在的事。萬事曾互相效力叫人得益；各種毒藥按著一定的成份調合起來，便能治療某種疾病；割病刀能割除贅瘤幷有醫療的功用。一切事至終都成爲神賜恩的工具；因此，當信神管理一切，幷且他以大能和智慧主宰一切，他能使凶變吉，使人從凶惡中蒙受利益。信徒的心應當確知此事，那末他便能逆來順受，坦然地面向一切灾害。信徒當依靠順服地禱告說：“神啊！只要是從你來的，那末就按你的旨意行吧！你絕不會把不好的東西給你的兒女。”全能者到處都有他的僕役。他的方法雖然嚴厲，但他的心却是慈祥的。神的時候是正合適的，不早，也不晚；不先，也不後。

August 5

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." -- Romans 8:28

Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world's tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he hears a voice saying, "It is I, be not afraid." He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He can say, "If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall to me if God ordains it." "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet; the poisonous drugs mixed in fit proportions have worked the cure; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed out the proud flesh and facilitated the healing. Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil, the believer's heart is assured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, "Send me what thou wilt, my God, so long as it comes from Thee; never came there an ill portion from Thy table to any of Thy children."

"Say not my soul, 'From whence can God relieve my care?

Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.

His method is sublime, His heart profoundly kind,

God never is before His time, and never is behind.'"