七月八日
求你告诉我，你因何有这麽大力气。（士16：6）
信心力量的诀窍在于什麽呢？乃是在于喂养它的食物；信心学着知道应许是什麽——是神恩的流露，是神伟大心胸的广布；信心便说：“这应许是出于神的爱和恩，因此他必成全他的话。”信心也必想：“谁赐下这应许呢？”它幷不多想到那应许有多大，而想到“谁是应许者”。信心必定牢记神是不会说谎的——全能的神，不变的神；因此得到一个结论，深信应许必定要成全，且在这坚定不移的信念上前进。信心知道，爲什麽有应许。
——就是，爲了神的荣耀，信心也确切感到神的荣耀是可靠的，他不能以己之矛攻己之盾，也不能使他的冠冕暗淡无光；因此他的应许必定站立不动。信心也会因基督所成就的奇妙工作清楚证明父必成全他的话。“神既不爱惜自己的儿子爲我们衆人舍了，岂不也把万物和他一同白白地赐给我们吗？”不但如此，信心还回顾过去，信心因爲经过许多争战的锻炼，所以力量更增强壮大起来，信心因着胜利更加鼓勇向前了。
信心从记忆中知道神是不会使它失望的，幷且神没有一次使他的儿女失望过。信心记得当大祸临头的，神的救援也随之面来；到了山穷水尽，最急需的时候，信心的日子怎样，他的力量也必怎样，他必会说：“不，我现在绝不以爲他能改变，他绝不会把他的仆人置之不理的。神既然帮助了我，他必仍要帮助我。”因此信心每逢看到一个应许，就想到赐应许的神；因爲如此，所以信心能确实地说：“我一生一世必有恩惠慈爱随着我！”
July 8
“Tell me I pray thee wherein thy great strength
lieth.” — Judges 16:6
Where lies the secret
strength of faith? It lies in the food it feeds on; for faith studies what the
promise is–an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of the great heart of
God; and faith says, “My God could not have given this promise, except
from love and grace; therefore it is quite certain His Word will be
fulfilled.” Then faith thinketh, “Who gave this promise?” It
considereth not so much its greatness, as, “Who is the author of it?”
She remembers that it is God who cannot lie–God omnipotent, God immutable; and
therefore concludeth that the promise must be fulfilled; and forward she
advances in this firm conviction. She remembereth, why the promise was given,–
namely, for God’s glory, and she feels perfectly sure that God’s glory is safe,
that He will never stain His own escutcheon, nor mar the lustre of His own
crown; and therefore the promise must and will stand. Then faith also
considereth the amazing work of Christ as being a clear proof of the Father’s
intention to fulfil His word. “He that spared not His own Son, but freely
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all
things?” Moreover faith looks back upon the past, for her battles have
strengthened her, and her victories have given her courage. She remembers that
God never has failed her; nay, that He never did once fail any of His children.
She recollecteth times of great peril, when deliverance came; hours of awful
need, when as her day her strength was found, and she cries, “No, I never
will be led to think that He can change and leave His servant now. Hitherto the
Lord hath helped me, and He will help me still.” Thus faith views each
promise in its connection with the promise-giver, and, because she does so, can
with assurance say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life!”
