十一月三十日

亞瑪謝問神人說：“我給了以色列軍的那一百他連得銀子怎麽樣呢？”神人回答說：“耶和華能把更多的賜給你。”（代下25：9）

這一個問題在猶大王看來是非常重要的，或許受苦受試的基督徒把它看得更重些。破財總是一件不痛快的事，尤其是當義利不可兼全的時候，肉體總是不甘忍受犧牲的。“爲什麽坐失良機呢？那些錢不是可以派很多的用處嗎？交臂失之豈不可惜？爲了真道付出這麽大的代價豈非太不上算了嗎？我們少了那些錢該怎麽辦呢？想想孩子們和自己微薄的收入吧！”當基督徒受到極大的損失時，這一些和很多別的理由就叫他們猶豫不决，不知還是染指不義之財呢，或是仍舊本著良心持守信仰？人們不能都在真道的亮光中來看這些事，甚至跟從耶穌的人也是不能。“我們必須生活下去”的思想是根深蒂固，大有重量的。

“耶和華能把更多的賜給你”是這一個困難問題的滿意答覆。我們的父掌管著財富的來源，若我們爲他的緣故受了虧損，他能償還千百倍。我們只要順服他的旨意，深信他必爲我們預備。神至少總不會欠人的債。聖徒知道心裏的平安比千鎰黃金更有價值。身上穿著破舊的衣服，良心中却滿了平安就是極大的靈福；雖然吃虧也是快樂無比的。在牢獄中有神的笑容，便使真正的信徒感到心滿意足；在王宮中使神皺眉，蒙恩的人也必當作是地獄。任憑環境愈趨惡化，任憑財富喪失殆盡，我們却未失去我們的寶庫，因爲是存在天上，基督在那裏坐在神的右邊。現在，神却使溫柔的人承受地土；“他未嘗留下一樣好處，不給那些行動正直的人。”

November 30

"And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."--2 Chronicles 25:9

A very important question this seemed to be to the king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more weight with the tried and tempted O Christian. To lose money is at no times pleasant, and when principle involves it, the flesh is not always ready to make the sacrifice. "Why lose that which may be so usefully employed? May not the truth itself be bought too dear? What shall we do without it? Remember the children, and our small income!" All these things and a thousand more would tempt the Christian to put forth his hand to unrighteous gain, or stay himself from carrying out his conscientious convictions, when they involve serious loss. All men cannot view these matters in the light of faith; and even with the followers of Jesus, the doctrine of "we must live" has quite sufficient weight.

The Lord is able to give thee much more than this is a very satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father holds the purse-strings, and what we lose for his sake he can repay a thousand-fold. It is ours to obey his will, and we may rest assured that he will provide for us. The Lord will be no man's debtor at the last. Saints know that a grain of heart's-ease is of more value than a ton of gold. He who wraps a threadbare coat about a good conscience has gained a spiritual wealth far more desirable than any he has lost. God's smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart; his frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile, even now, the Lord maketh the meek to inherit the earth, and no good thing doth he withhold from them that walk uprightly.