五月廿二日
又领他们行走直路……（诗107：7）
变幻不定的经验常使烦扰的信徒要问：“为什么我会遭遇这事呢?”我要光，可是偏偏有暗来到；要平安，却有困难。我心中说，我的山是稳固的，我必不至动摇。主啊，你一掩面，我就有困难。昨天我还能清楚地看到我的名分，而今天我的证据都模糊了，我的盼望都被乌云遮没起来；昨天我还能上毗斯迦山顶观看全地，并且满心快乐地相信我将来要承受那地，而今天我的灵魂失去了盼望，倒来了许多惧怕，没有快乐，只有患难。这是神为我所定的计划中的一部份吗?神能用这方式把我带到天堂上去吗?是的，就是这样。你的信心的晦暗，你的心中的黑荫，你的盼望的消失，这一切都是神使你得以成熟的步骤，是在不久就能承受他基业的方法。这些苦难都是为了要试验并加强你的信心一一它们是把你冲上磐石的波浪，它们是推着你的小船快快赶到所愿去的海口的微风。大卫这样对你说：“他就引他们到所愿去的海口。”借着尊荣和羞辱，美名和毁谤，丰富和缺乏，快乐和忧患，逼迫和平安，藉这一切保守你的生命，并帮助你行走你的道路。但，信徒啊！不要想你所受的愁苦的事都不是神的计划，那些都包括在其中。“我们进入神的国，必须经历许多艰难。”但是也要学会，“你们落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜乐。”我们的心虽然不明白主智慧而圣洁的旨意，但我们要知道他是不会错的。
May 22
“He led them forth by the right way.” — Psalm 107:7
Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire “Why is it thus with me?” I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; to-day my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah’s top, and view the landscape o’er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God’s plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God’s method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith–they are waves that wash you further upon the rock–they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David’s words, so it might be said of you, “so He bringeth them to their desired haven.” By honour and dishonour, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God’s plan; they are necessary parts of it. “We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom.” Learn, then, even to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”
“O let my trembling soul be still,
And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will!
I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see,
Yet all is well since ruled by Thee.”
