8月2日 苦难的操练

在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。（约十六33）

一般人都以为基督徒的人生，是没有苦难的。其实并非如此，基督徒乃是患难中得拯救。“住在至高者隐密处的，必住在全能者的荫下……祸患必不临到你。”没有灾难能临到你与神合一的处所。你若是神的儿女，必定会遭遇困难，但主耶稣说不必惊奇：“在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。”意思就是没有什么值得你害怕。在信主前不屑谈苦难的人，重生后往往变得软弱无力，因为他们对作圣徒有错误的理解。

神没有给我们胜过一切的生命；却在我们夸胜时，赐给生命。压力就是力量。没有压力，就没有力量。你求神赐生命、自由与喜乐吗？除非你肯接受压力，否则他无法把这些赐给你。你一面对压力，就得力量。胜过胆怯，踏上那一步，神就让你得吃生命树的果子，你就得着滋养。你若消耗体力，会觉得疲惫；但若你在属灵上愈用力，便愈发得力。神从来不赐明天的力量，也不赐下一刻的力量，他只给你胜过现今压力的力量。我们很容易以常理去面对困难；但圣徒若被苦难压透，反会大大喜乐，因为事情是这样困难，除了神以外，根本没有人能有办法。

祈祷◆主啊，你的思想是何等令人惊服！可是，我何时才发现自己顺服的心全然被你所占据？我似乎已被本身的渺小、自私和罪恶弄得毫无力量。

August 2 The Discipline Of Difficulty

“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High . . . there shall no evil befall thee” – no plague can come nigh the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet, but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, there is nothing for you to fear.” Men who before they were saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become “fushionless” after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy? He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more strength. God never gives strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God.