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經文：「過了些日子，溪水乾了，因為雨沒有下在地上」（王上17:7） 一周又一周地過去，以利亞帶著堅忍不撓的精神，守著那日漸乾涸的溪水；撒但常常試探想使他產生懷疑，但是他始終不許可環境阻礙他與神的關係。 我們也常會藉著環境來看神，就像從烟霧中看太陽，以為太陽的光輝減少了一樣；但是信心是要將神放在環境和自己中間，要用神的眼光來看環境的。 等到日子過去，那漸漸乾枯的溪水祇剩下一條銀色的細線；然後又斷成小小的池沼；再一點一點地消失。飛鳥遠離，田間和林中的百獸也不再就飲。直到某一天，溪水全然枯竭。以利亞堅持忍耐直到那時，才有「耶和華的話臨到他，說，你起身往撒勒法去。」（王17:8-9） 如果是我們一定早就著急不已，早就蠢蠢欲動地想憑自己的聰明改變。早在流水潺潺的聲響漸少的時候，我們感謝讚美的歌聲可能也就停止；就把敬拜神的樂器丟在柳樹枝上，光是在枯黃的草地上走來走去，焦慮得像是失去了魂一般。也或許在溪水乾涸之前，我們會更早籌算自己的方法來向神求祝福，然後就離開前往別處去了。 神常常按照祂自己的時候來拯救我們，因為祂的慈愛是永遠常存的；我們如果願意先等候明白祂的旨意，就不會流落到來不及得救的地步，也不會帶著羞愧的淚眼走回頭路了。所以讀者們，應當耐心等候，等候神的旨意向我們顯明！--梅爾 F.B.Meyer 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "It came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land" (1 Kings 17:7). Week after week, with unfaltering and steadfast spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling brook; often tempted to stagger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God. Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him. And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders; and the pools shrank. The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, "the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath." Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps swinging on the willows, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering grass, lost in pensive thought. And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God's blessing on it, would have started off elsewhere. God often does extricate us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never have found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth; and we should never have been compelled to retrace our steps with so many tears of shame. Wait, patiently wait! --F. B. Meyer ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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