二月二十七日

耶和華是我的避難所，你已將至高者當你的居所……（詩91:9）

以色列人在曠野裡一直得準備停當好，隨時移動。雲柱火柱什麼時候停下，他們就張起帳棚來；但第二天，太陽還未升起，號聲一響，約櫃前行，雲柱火柱便領導著隊伍經過荒山曲徑，或是曠野沙漠。他們的喘息還未定就有聲音對他們說：“起來！這並不是你們安息之處，你們要起程前往迦南！”他們不長久定居一地，就是有澄清的泉水和美麗的棕樹也不能留他們在那裡；但他們的神卻是他們永遠的居所，他的雲柱便是他們家中的樑柱，火柱便是他們夜間的燈火。他們從這裡走到那裡，繼續地前行，絕不能逗留苟安說：“現在我們穩妥了，我們要在這裡定居。”摩西說：“雖然我們常常移動，神哪，你卻是我們的居所，直到萬代。”基督徒知道他與神的關係是不會改變的。或許他今天富足，明天貧窮；或許他今天患病，明天痊癒；或許他今天快樂，明天悲傷——但他與神的關係是永不改變的。若他昨天愛我，他今天也必愛我。我永不動搖的居所是我可稱頌的神。即使興盛敗落，盼望消失，快樂枯萎，黴菌黴爛了一切，我在神裡面所有的仍一無所損。他是“我常住的磐石……我的山寨”。我在這個世界上是一個過客，但我的家是在神裡面。我在世上漂流不定，但在神裡面我必永遠安然居住。

“……在世上是客旅，是寄居的。……他們卻羡慕一個更美的家鄉，就是在天上的。所以神被稱為他們的神，並不以為恥，因為他已經給他們預備了一座城。”（來11:13/16）

February 27

"Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation." --Psalm 91:9

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of "Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!" They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, "Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell." "Yet," says Moses, "though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations." The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed--but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is "my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort." I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.