Nov 04

"As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God...and the hand of the Lord was there upon me"(Ezek. 1:1-3)

There is no commentator of the Scriptures half so valuable as a captivity. The old Psalms have quavered for us with a new pathos as we sat by our "Babel's stream," and have sounded for us with new joy as we found our captivity turned as the streams in the South.

The man who has seen much affliction will not readily part with his copy of the Word of God. Another book may seem to others to be identical with his own; but it is not the same to him, for over his old and tear-stained Bible he has written, in characters which are visible to no eyes but his own, the record of his experiences, and ever and anon he comes on Bethel pillars or Elim palms, which are to him the memorials of some critical chapter in his history.

If we are to receive benefit from our captivity we must accept the situation and turn it to the best possible account. Fretting over that from which we have been removed or which has been taken away from us, will not make things better, but it will prevent us from improving those which remain. The bond is only tightened by our stretching it to the uttermost.

The impatient horse which will not quietly endure his halter only strangles himself in his stall. The high-mettled animal that is restive in the yoke only galls his shoulders; and every one will understand the difference between the restless starling of which Sterne has written, breaking its wings against the bars of the cage, and crying, "I can't get out, I can't get out," and the docile canary that sits upon its perch and sings as if it would outrival the lark soaring to heaven's gate.

No calamity can be to us an unmixed evil if we carry it in direct and fervent prayer to God, for even as one in taking shelter from the rain beneath a tree may find on its branches fruit which he looked not for, so we in fleeing for refuge beneath the shadow of God's wing, will always find more in God than we had seen or known before.

It is thus through our trials and afflictions that God gives us fresh revelations of Himself; and the Jabbok ford leads to Peniel, where, as the result of our wrestling, we "see God face to face,"(Gen.32:30) and our lives are preserved. Take this to thyself, O captive, and He will give thee "songs in the night," and turn for thee "the shadow of death into the morning."(Amos 5:8) ━William Taylor

"Submission to the divine will is the softest pillow on which to recline."

" It filled the room, and it filled my life,

With a glory of source unseen;

It made me clam in the midst of strife,

And in winter my heart was green,

And in birds of promise sang on the tree,

When the storm was breaking on land and sea ."

十一月四日

「以西结在迦巴鲁河边被掳的人中，天就开了，得见上帝的异象。......耶和华的话特特临到。」（结一:1-3）

被掳的人是最佳的释经家。当我们坐在自己的巴别溪旁时，旧的「诗篇」用新的感力为我们发颤音；当我们发现自己被掳的人归还，好像南地的水复流，并为我们响起了新的喜乐之声。

凡是经历过许多苦难的人，不会轻易离开他的那本「圣经」。在别人看来，似乎另一本书与他自己的一本书相同，但是对他来说，却不相同，因为他曾在他的这本泪痕斑斑的旧「圣经」上写有许多字，这些字除了他自己外，别人的眼睛都认不出，其中记载着他自己的亲身经验，例如他一再遇到伯特利的柱子和以琳的棕树，所以这些字是他一生中几个关键性章节的备忘录。

如果我们要从自己「被掳」中得到益处，我们就必须接受自己的处境，并尽可能转变它为最好的处境。为已经挪去或已经除掉的环境烦恼，非但无补于事，反足以妨碍我们改进现有的环境。有时神喜欢把我们暂时幽禁在试炼、患难中；如果我们竭力挣扎的话，我们的桎梏就会越挣越紧。

一匹急躁的马，如果不肯安安静静地套着马头络，反竭力挣扎的话，结果无非在厩舍中勒死。一只负轭的动物，如果倔强挣扎，结果无非擦伤牠自己的颈肩。所以让我们不学愚昧好动的掠鸟，用翅膀拍扑鸟笼，结果反拍伤了自己的翅膀；让我们来作驯良的金丝雀，静坐在栖木上歌唱。

没有一件灾祸能伤害我们，如果我们立刻用虔诚的祷告把它带到神面前去。常有人在树下避雨，无意间在树上找到果子；照样当我们逃到神的翅膀荫下去避难的时候，也将在神着面找到许多我们以前所未曾看见，未曾知道的东西。

这样，神藉着我们的试炼、患难，给了我们新的启示；雅博渡口变成了毘努依勒━摔跤变成了「面对面见了神」（创卅二:30）。受苦的信徒阿，你还有甚么可伤心的呢？神将使你「夜间歌唱」，「使死荫变为晨光」（摩五:8）。你快来赞美祂罢！━戴威廉

「服从神的旨意是最柔软的靠头枕。

在我的周围,在我的生命中,

充满了不可见的荣光,

使我寒冷的心,有了春意,

使我在争斗时,保持安详,

当暴风笼罩了世界,

希望的歌声,如转笙簧。
关键字:荒漠甘泉
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