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經文：「因你們要在火中榮耀耶和華」（賽24:15） 注意這個小字「在」！我們要在火中--試煉中（彼前4:12）--榮耀神。雖然那是一個受苦的地方，我們仍然要用信心榮耀祂。要相信我們的神是良善與慈愛，祂既准許「火煉的試驗」臨到我們，祂必賜夠用的力量使我們能承擔。 我們要相信每個試煉經過之後，就會得著更多讚美和感謝的依據；並且我們的信心「既被試驗，就比那被火試驗，仍然能壞的金子，更顯寶貴。可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候，得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。」（彼前1:7）--Margaret Bottome 但以理書中那三個人，從七倍熱的爐火中全身而退--身體不傷，頭髮不焦，衣服不變色，甚至沒有火燎氣味。唯一不同的就是身上缺了捆綁，臉上添了榮光。難怪原本褻瀆神的尼布甲尼撒也不得不屈服來讚美榮耀真神了。今天的基督徒若從試煉的爐中走出來時，也該這樣脫離捆綁，充滿的榮光絲毫不受火的影響。--選 「就仗著十字架誇勝。」（西2:15）。這是真正的得勝；從疾病中戰勝病魔，從奄奄一息中戰勝死亡，從逆境中戰勝失敗。我們必需相信，在奮鬥中有一種得勝的力量，使我們能從試煉中獲取勝利。基督自所受的屈辱中得到勝利，而我們的勝利或許也要從別人認爲屈辱的境遇中被發現。--Margaret Bottome 有許多人背負著最重的擔子卻仍充滿喜樂，這不是一種神奇？有許多人在仇敵逼迫攻擊之下仍能得勝有餘，這豈非立人敬佩？有許多人身體破碎卻仍保持完好的信心，這真是令人羨慕！他們的見證何等美好！--Dr. Jowett 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "Glorify ye the Lord in the fires" (Isa. 24:15). Mark the little word "in"! We are to honor Him in the trial--in that which is an affliction indeed and though there have been cases where God did not let His saints feel the fire, yet, ordinarily, fire hurts. But just here we are to glorify Him by our perfect faith in His goodness and love that has permitted all this to come upon us. And more than that, we are to believe that out of this is coming something more for His praise than could have come but for this fiery trial. We can only go through some fires with a large faith; little faith will fail. We must have the victory in the furnace. --Margaret Bottome A man has as much religion as he can show in times of trouble. The men who were cast into the fiery furnace came out as they went in--except their bonds. How often in some furnace of affliction God strikes them off! Their bodies were unhurt--their skin not even blistered. Their hair was unsinged, their garments not scorched, and even the smell of fire had not passed upon them. And that is the way Christians should come out of furnace trials--liberated from their bonds, but untouched by the flames. "Triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15). That is the real triumph--triumphing over sickness, in it; triumphing over death, dying; triumphing over adverse circumstances, in them. Oh, believe me, there is a power that can make us victors in the strife. There are heights to be reached where we can look down and over the way we have come, and sing our song of triumph on this side of Heaven. We can make others regard us as rich, while we are poor, and make many rich in our poverty. Our triumph is to be in it. Christ's triumph was in His humiliation. Possibly our triumph, also, is to be made manifest in what seems to others humiliation. --Margaret Bottome Is there not something captivating in the sight of a man or a woman burdened with many tribulations and yet carrying a heart as sound as a bell? Is there not something contagiously valorous in the vision of one who is greatly tempted, but is more than conqueror? Is it not heartening to see some pilgrim who is broken in body, but who retains the splendor of an unbroken patience? What a witness all this offers to the enduement of His grace! --J. H. Jowett ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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