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經文：「我無論在甚麼景況，都可以知足，這是我已經學會了。」（腓4:11） 保羅輕看了一切的福樂，在監獄中寫下上面的幾句話。 有一個故事講到：有位國王，某天早晨獨自在花園散步。他發現所有的花草樹木都枯萎凋謝，園中充滿了死寂一無生氣。國王非常詫異，就問園門口的一棵橡樹：它們中間究竟發生甚麼問題。然後才知道： 橡樹因為自怨沒有松樹的高大俊秀，就生出厭世之心不想活了；松樹埋怨自己，不能像葡萄藤那樣多結果子；葡萄藤因為終日匐伏不能直立，又不像桃樹那般開出美麗可愛的花，奄奄一息；牽牛花，自嘆沒有紫丁香的氣息芬芳，也病倒了。 其餘植物都垂頭喪氣，自怨自艾。只有一枝頂小的心安草 Heart's-ease 仍在噴香吐豔，維持原狀。國王高興極了說：「心安草，我眞歡喜，別的植物都悲觀厭世，只有你如此勇敢，沒有一點沮喪。」 小草兒回答說：「王阿，我絕對沒有，連一絲的灰心，一毫的失望，都沒有。我雖然算不得甚麼，但是我知道如果你想要一棵橡樹，一棵松樹，或葡萄藤，或者桃樹，或牽牛花，或紫丁香，你就會去種了。我知道你要我作一枝小小心安草，所以我就心滿意足地盡力作好這枝小小心安草。」 那些不為自己留下絲毫地位的奉獻者，在萬事上都能知足；因為他們只願意神所願意的，只願作神所指派的。他們放下自己的一切，在這樣的赤露敞開中，神在今世償還他們百倍。--選 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11). Paul, denied of every comfort, wrote the above words in his dungeon. A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes, like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac; and so on all through the garden. Coming to a heart's-ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. "Well, heart's-ease, I'm glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened." "No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would have planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart's-ease, I am determined to be the best little heart's-ease that I can." They who are God's without reserve, are in every state content; for they will only what He wills, and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do; they strip themselves of everything, and in this nakedness find all things restored an hundredfold. ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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