8月2日 苦難的操練

在世上你們有苦難，但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。（約十六33）

一般人都以為基督徒的人生，是沒有苦難的。其實並非如此，基督徒乃是患難中得拯救。“住在至高者隱密處的，必住在全能者的蔭下……禍患必不臨到你。”沒有災難能臨到你與神合一的處所。你若是神的兒女，必定會遭遇困難，但主耶穌說不必驚奇：“在世上你們有苦難，但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。”意思就是沒有什麼值得你害怕。在信主前不屑談苦難的人，重生後往往變得軟弱無力，因為他們對作聖徒有錯誤的理解。

神沒有給我們勝過一切的生命；卻在我們誇勝時，賜給生命。壓力就是力量。沒有壓力，就沒有力量。你求神賜生命、自由與喜樂嗎？除非你肯接受壓力，否則他無法把這些賜給你。你一面對壓力，就得力量。勝過膽怯，踏上那一步，神就讓你得吃生命樹的果子，你就得著滋養。你若消耗體力，會覺得疲憊；但若你在屬靈上愈用力，便愈發得力。神從來不賜明天的力量，也不賜下一刻的力量，他只給你勝過現今壓力的力量。我們很容易以常理去面對困難；但聖徒若被苦難壓透，反會大大喜樂，因為事情是這樣困難，除了神以外，根本沒有人能有辦法。

祈禱◆主啊，你的思想是何等令人驚服！可是，我何時才發現自己順服的心全然被你所佔據？我似乎已被本身的渺小、自私和罪惡弄得毫無力量。

August 2 The Discipline Of Difficulty

“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High . . . there shall no evil befall thee” – no plague can come nigh the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet, but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, there is nothing for you to fear.” Men who before they were saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become “fushionless” after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy? He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more strength. God never gives strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God.