十月五日
他就起来吃了喝了，仗着这饮食的力，走了四十昼夜。（王上19：8）
恩慈的神赐给我们力量，是叫我们服侍他，幷非叫我们浪费或是炫耀。当以利亚躺在罗腾树下时，在头旁发现炭火烧得饼和一瓶水，但那美食幷非叫他吃了之后仍旧躺在那里伸伸懒腰；而是叫他靠那饮食的力走四十昼夜，往神的山，就是和烈山去。主耶稣叫门徒“来吃早饭”，饭后叫彼得“喂养我的羊”，以后又说：“你跟从我吧！”我们也是一样，我们吃天粮，爲的是叫我们有力量服侍主；我们吃逾越节的羔羊当腰间束带，手中拿杖，好当吃饱之后立即开拔。有一些基督徒乃是靠基督而活，幷不计议当爲基督而活。在地之时必须爲天堂多作准备；天堂是圣徒常坐席、多作工的地方。他们与主一同坐席，他们昼夜在他的殿中服侍他。他们吃天粮完全爲了服侍他。信徒啊！当用你天天从基督所得的力量爲他殷勤工作。我们还得多明白主赐我们恩典的用意是什麽。我们不当把真道的珍贵谷粒囤积起来像埃及与木乃伊（干尸）同藏的麦粒一样，经过许多年代仍然没有生长的机会：我们必须撒播幷浇灌。神爲什麽把雨赐给干旱的地呢？爲什麽赐暖和的阳光呢？这些不都是叫地上的五谷百果及时结实好养活人类吗？神喂养振奋我们的灵魂，爲了叫我们用所得的力量来增加他的荣耀。
往前走，往前走！耶稣的军兵要往前走，打败魔鬼不能退后；耶稣的军兵要往前走。
October
5
“He
arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days
and forty nights.”–1 Kings 19:8
All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is meant for
service, not for wantonness or boasting. When the prophet Elijah found the cake
baked on the coals, and the cruse of water placed at his head, as he lay under
the juniper tree, he was no gentleman to be gratified with dainty fare that he
might stretch himself at his ease; far otherwise, he was commissioned to go
forty days and forty nights in the strength of it, journeying towards Horeb,
the mount of God. When the Master invited the disciples to “Come and
dine” with him, after the feast was concluded he said to Peter, “Feed
my sheep”; further adding, “Follow me.” Even thus it is with us;
we eat the bread of heaven, that we may expend our strength in the Master’s
service. We come to the passover, and eat of the paschal lamb with loins girt,
and staff in hand, so as to start off at once when we have satisfied our
hunger. Some Christians are for living on Christ, but are not so anxious to
live for Christ. Earth should be a preparation for heaven; and heaven is the
place where saints feast most and work most. They sit down at the table of our
Lord, and they serve him day and night in his temple. They eat of heavenly food
and render perfect service. Believer, in the strength you daily gain from
Christ labour for him. Some of us have yet to learn much concerning the design
of our Lord in giving us his grace. We are not to retain the precious grains of
truth as the Egyptian mummy held the wheat for ages, without giving it an
opportunity to grow: we must sow it and water it. Why does the Lord send down
the rain upon the thirsty earth, and give the genial sunshine? Is it not that
these may all help the fruits of the earth to yield food for man? Even so the
Lord feeds and refreshes our souls that we may afterwards use our renewed
strength in the promotion of his glory.
