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經文：「我再說你們要喜樂。」（腓4:4） 在基督裡喜樂，是何等地佳美！也許你曾試著要凡事喜樂，可是不久即告失敗。沒有關係，繼續下去！當不能感覺喜樂，也沒有可以喜樂的理由、安慰和鼓勵時，仍然喜樂，這就算作喜樂。甚至當你落在百般試煉的時候，仍要算作喜樂。這樣神就要證明你的「算」，不是徒然的。 想想看，父親會不會讓你擧著得勝和喜樂的旗號向前線去，卻冷冷地往後一退，任憑你被仇敵擊敗擄去呢？絕不！父的聖靈必定會在你勇敢前進的時候支持你，將喜樂和讚美充滿你的心。到那時你就會因著裡面的滿足，感到非常的新鮮和歡樂了。主阿，請教導我們怎樣在祢裡面「常常喜樂」（帖前5:16）。--選 「要被聖靈充滿，口唱心和的讚美主。」（弗5:18-19）這裡使徒保羅勸我們，用歌唱來增進我們的靈命。一位弟兄對我說：「我若早知道讚美的秘訣，許多失敗也早就不會發生了。」這是眞的，當你讚美，甚麼過不去的事，都過得去了。 請讓我們不息地歌唱、讚美，甚至不喜歡唱的時候也唱。猶如在笨重的雙腿裝上活潑的翅膀，使疲乏的生命可以重添力量。--喬懷德 Dr. Jowett 「約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告、唱詩、讚美上帝，眾囚犯側耳而聽。」（徒16:25） 哦，使徒保羅眞是眾聖徒的表率，能夠這樣榮耀神：「身上帶著耶穌的印記！」（加六17）；還有被石擲傷的記號、三次棍打的傷疤、猶太人加上的一百九十五鞭的鞭痕、腓立比監獄中無數的血斑！靠著恩典還能在受苦的牢獄中唱出讚美來。啊，我相信那恩典一定是夠用的恩典！--羅輯 J. Roach 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "And again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). It is a good thing to rejoice in the Lord. Perhaps you have tried this, and the first time seemed to fail. Never mind, keep right on and when you cannot feel any joy, when there is no spring, and no seeming comfort and encouragement, still rejoice, and count it all joy. Even when you fall into divers temptations, reckon it joy and delight and God will make your reckoning good. Do you suppose your Father will let you carry the banner of His victory and His gladness on to the front of the battle, and then coolly stand back and see you captured or beaten back by the enemy? NEVER! The Holy Spirit will sustain you in your bold advance, and fill your heart with gladness and praise, and you will find your heart all exhilarated and refreshed by the fullness within. Lord teach me to rejoice in Thee, and to "rejoice evermore." --Selected "Be filled with the Spirit...singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:18-19). Here the Apostle urges the use of singing as one of the inspiring helps in the spiritual life. He counsels his readers not to seek their stimulus through the body, but through the spirit; not by the quickening of the flesh, but by the exaltation of the soul. Let us sing even when we do not feel like it, for thus we may give wings to leaden feet and turn weariness into strength. --J. H. Jowett "At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25). Oh, Paul, thou wondrous example to the flock, who could thus glory, bearing in the body as thou didst "the marks of the Lord Jesus"! Marks from stoning almost to the death, from thrice beating with rods, from those hundred and ninety-five stripes laid on thee by the Jews, and from stripes received in that Philippian jail, which had they not drawn blood would not have called for washing! Surely the grace which enabled thee to sing praises under such suffering is all-sufficient grace. --J. Roach ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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