二月二十七日
耶和华是我的避难所，你已将至高者当你的居所……（诗91:9）
以色列人在旷野里一直得准备停当好，随时移动。云柱火柱什么时候停下，他们就张起帐棚来；但第二天，太阳还未升起，号声一响，约柜前行，云柱火柱便领导著队伍经过荒山曲径，或是旷野沙漠。他们的喘息还未定就有声音对他们说：“起来！这并不是你们安息之处，你们要起程前往迦南！”他们不长久定居一地，就是有澄清的泉水和美丽的棕树也不能留他们在那里；但他们的神却是他们永远的居所，他的云柱便是他们家中的梁柱，火柱便是他们夜间的灯火。他们从这里走到那里，继续地前行，绝不能逗留苟安说：“现在我们稳妥了，我们要在这里定居。”摩西说：“虽然我们常常移动，神哪，你却是我们的居所，直到万代。”基督徒知道他与神的关系是不会改变的。或许他今天富足，明天贫穷；或许他今天患病，明天痊愈；或许他今天快乐，明天悲伤——但他与神的关系是永不改变的。若他昨天爱我，他今天也必爱我。我永不动摇的居所是我可称颂的神。即使兴盛败落，盼望消失，快乐枯萎，霉菌霉烂了一切，我在神里面所有的仍一无所损。他是“我常住的磐石……我的山寨”。我在这个世界上是一个过客，但我的家是在神里面。我在世上漂流不定，但在神里面我必永远安然居住。
“……在世上是客旅，是寄居的。……他们却羡慕一个更美的家乡，就是在天上的。所以神被称为他们的神，并不以为耻，因为他已经给他们预备了一座城。”（来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.
