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經文：「他們...觀看，不料，耶和華的榮光在雲中顯現。」（出16:10）
每當烏雲浮現時，應當養成一個習慣：就是直視它銀色的內層，不去看它黑色的表面。也就是無論事情怎樣惡劣，不可落到失望的地步。人一旦失望就幾乎等於絕望；因為一個失望的人，既不能抵擋仇敵的攻擊，又不能為人有效地代禱。所以應當逃避「失望」這可怕的仇敵，猶如逃避一條致命的毒蛇那般。不要在它面前慢慢轉身，除非你願意一敗塗地。 在神面前搜尋祂的應許，既得著了就指著它說：「神呀，祢曾說過，這應許是給我的。」若是你仍感到懷疑或失望，就向神傾心吐意地祈求，請祂斥責那欺騙你的仇敵。一旦你決心離開不信和失望，聖靈將立刻復活你的信心，將屬天的能力吹入你的生命。 剛開始也許不覺得有甚麼不同，可是只要決心抵抗每個疑惑和失望的傾向，就會看見黑暗勢力的節節敗退。哦，真希望能親眼看見天父在黑暗勢力之上的權能，我們就不會懼怕仇敵的欺騙了。--選 某日我看見草場上躺著一隻老鷹，雖然身受重傷但是眼睛仍然發出光彩。牠慢慢地轉過頭，望向那曾經疾馳高飛令牠依舊渴慕的天空。這美麗的天空，是牠心中的家。牠曾千萬次在那展現牠的能力，在高處與閃電同玩，與疾風競走。然而現在竟離家如此遙遠；只為一次不小心飛得太低，就在此受傷等死。 請讓我們用老鷹的故事來比喻我們的內心：世界並不是我們的老家，雖然我們在世上受了創傷，但是我們的心可以向著天家。我們應該守住信心、守住盼望、守住勇氣、守住基督。如果我們沒有勇氣，還是早些離開戰場較好。我的魂哪，你當仰望天！--選 「如果我們守望西方，就永遠不會看見日出」--日本諺語 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "They looked…and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud" (Exod. 16:10). Get into the habit of looking for the silver lining of the cloud and when you have found it, continue to look at it, rather than at the leaden gray in the middle. Do not yield to discouragement no matter how sorely pressed or beset you may be. A discouraged soul is helpless. He can neither resist the wiles of the enemy himself, while in this state, nor can he prevail in prayer for others. Flee from every symptom of this deadly foe as you would flee from a viper. And be not slow in turning your back on it, unless you want to bite the dust in bitter defeat. Search out God's promises and say aloud of each one: "This promise is mine." If you still experience a feeling of doubt and discouragement, pour out your heart to God and ask Him to rebuke the adversary who is so mercilessly nagging you. The very instant you whole-heartedly turn away from every symptom of distrust and discouragement, the blessed Holy Spirit will quicken your faith and inbreathe Divine strength into your soul. At first you may not be conscious of this, still as you resolutely and uncompromisingly "snub" every tendency toward doubt and depression that assails you, you will soon be made aware that the powers of darkness are falling back. Oh, if our eyes could only behold the solid phalanx of strength, of power, that is ever behind every turning away from the hosts of darkness, God-ward, what scant heed would be given to the effort of the wily foe to distress, depress, discourage us! All the marvelous attributes of the Godhead are on the side of the weakest believer, who in the name of Christ, and in simple, childlike trust, yields himself to God and turns to Him for help and guidance. --Selected On a day in the autumn, I saw a prairie eagle mortally wounded by a rifle shot. His eye still gleamed like a circle of light. Then he slowly turned his head, and gave one more searching and longing look at the sky. He had often swept those starry spaces with his wonderful wings. The beautiful sky was the home of his heart. It was the eagle's domain. A thousand times he had exploited there his splendid strength. In those far away heights be had played with the lightnings, and raced with the winds, and now, so far away from home, the eagle lay dying, done to the death, because for once be forgot and flew too low. The soul is that eagle. This is not its home. It must not lose the skyward look. We must keep faith, we must keep hope, we must keep courage, we must keep Christ. We would better creep away from the battlefield at once if we are not going to be brave. There is no time for the soul to stampede. Keep the skyward look, my soul; keep the skyward look! We can never see the sun rise by looking into the west. --Japanese Proverb ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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