九月十七日
把他带到我这里来吧！（可9：19）
那位可怜的父亲，失望地从门徒那里把他的孩子带到主跟前。他的儿子受到恶鬼的极大折磨，情况至爲凄惨，什麽方法都无效用，但那孩子因着他父亲听从主耶稣的话：“把他带到我这里来吧！”不久就脱离了那恶者。
儿女们是神所赐的宝贝，但他们也使父母操心劬劳，担忧负重。他们或是父母的欢乐，也许成爲父母的重担和痛苦；他们或被神圣善的灵充满，也许充满了恶鬼。不论什麽情形，只要听从神的话：“把他带到我这里来吧！”就能把一切病症治好。父母在他们年幼的时候就当爲他们痛哭流泪地切心祷告！他们有罪，要用我们的祷告来攻除。我们祷告的声音一定要高过他们来到这个罪恶世界时的呱呱之声。当他们到了青年时代之后，我们看到聋哑的鬼使他们不会开口祷告，也不会听神的话，但耶稣仍旧说：“把他带到我这里来吧！”他们成人之后，他们或许在罪恶中翻来覆去，口中流沫敌对神；当我们的心被破碎的时候要记得大医生的话说：“把他带到我这里来吧！”若他们还有一口气，我们就当不停地祷告。只要耶稣活着，无论病情怎样都不会失望。有时主让他的民被挤到房角里，爲的是叫他们实在知道他们必须有主。
不信神的儿女们，当我们无力挽救他们心术的败坏时，就把我们赶到强壮的神面前祈求他的能力，这是我们的大福气。今天早晨，不论我们有什麽需要，愿它成爲急流把我们带到神爱的洋海里。耶稣不久就把我们的忧伤挪去，他喜欢安慰我们。他等待迎接我们，我们要快到他的面前。
September
17
“Bring
him unto me.” — Mark 9:19
Despairingly the poor disappointed father
turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst
possible condition, and all means had failed, but the miserable child was soon
delivered from the evil one when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus’
word, “Bring him unto me.” Children are a precious gift from God, but
much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to
their parents; they may be filled with the Spirit of God, or possessed with the
spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one receipt for the
curing of all their ills, “Bring him unto me.” O for more agonizing
prayer on their behalf while they are yet babes! Sin is there, let our prayers
begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries
which betoken their actual advent into a world of sin. In the days of their
youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit which will neither
pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands,
“Bring them unto me.” When they are grown up they may wallow in sin
and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should
remember the great Physician’s words, “Bring them unto me.” Never
must we cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while
Jesus lives.
The Lord sometimes suffers His people to be driven into a corner that
they may experimentally know how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children,
when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts,
drive us to flee to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to
us. Whatever our morning’s need may be, let it like a strong current bear us to
the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow, He delights to comfort
us. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet us.
