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經文：「總要效法那些憑信心和忍耐承受應許的人。」（來6:12） 直到今日，信心的英雄仍在榮耀中指示我們：凡他們所成就的，我們也可以。其中的秘訣不只是信心，還要忍耐。所以請讓我們不要疑惑、焦急、沮喪，以免失去那出於神的愛的鍛鍊。 曾經有位打鐵匠說：「我最畏懼的只有一件事，就是被神拋棄到碎鐵堆裡。當我鍛鍊鋼鐵的時候，會先將它放在爐火中燒紅，然後再用鐵錘敲擊，然後把它直接投入一桶冷水中。不久之後便能試驗出這塊鐵到底經不經得起鍛鍊，會不會裂成碎片。」 「我把它這樣試驗至少二三次，如果它經不起鍛鍊，我就把它甩在碎鐵堆裡，等到收舊貨的來了，我就以一磅一分錢來賣給他。照樣，我覺得神也是用火、用錘、用水試驗我。如果我沒有信心和忍耐就經不起試驗，若是不能合乎祂的標準，我怕也會被丢到碎鐵堆裡去呢！」 雖然火是酷熱，錘是沉重，水是寒冷，你還是要憑信心和忍耐站住，因為上好的祝福就在其後。就讓我們和約伯同聲說：「祂試煉我之後，我必如精金。」（伯23:10）--選 一架鋼琴要發出聲響，須用十一噸重的壓力。如果你經得起壓力，神就要將你壓出音響來和天上的音樂相和。--選 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "Followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12). They (heroes of faith) are calling to us from the heights that they have won, and telling us that what man once did man can do again. Not only do they remind us of the necessity of faith, but also of that patience by which faith has its perfect work. Let us fear to take ourselves out of the hands of our heavenly Guide or to miss a single lesson of His loving discipline by discouragement or doubt. "There is only one thing," said a village blacksmith, "that I fear, and that is to be thrown on the scrap heap. "When I am tempering a piece of steel, I first beat it, hammer it, and then suddenly plunge it into this bucket of cold water. I very soon find whether it will take temper or go to pieces in the process. When I discover after one or two tests that it is not going to allow itself to be tempered, I throw it on the scrap heap and sell it for a cent a pound when the junk man comes around. "So I find the Lord tests me, too, by fire and water and heavy blows of His heavy hammer, and if I am not willing to stand the test, or am not going to prove a fit subject for His tempering process, I am afraid He may throw me on the scrap heap." When the fire is hottest, hold still, for there will be a blessed "afterward"; and with Job we may be able to say, "When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold." --Selected Sainthood springs out of suffering. It takes eleven tons of pressure on a piano to tune it. God will tune you to harmonize with Heaven's key-note if you can stand the strain. ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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