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經文：「神是我們的避難所，是我們的力量，是我們在患難中隨時的幫助。」（詩46:1） 常常有人會問：「神為甚麼不早一點幫助我？」。我們的回答是：因為這不是神的次序；祂希望你先在患難中學習功課；祂的應許是：「他在急難中，我要與他同在，我要搭救他，使他尊貴。」（詩91:15） 神必須先和你同在急難中，然後再將你從其中救出來。那麼，甚麼時候才救你出來呢？那是當你不再躁動也不再煩躁，完全鎮定與全然安靜的時候。那時候神要說：「夠了」（撒下24:16） 因為，神常常藉著患難給我們寶貴的功課，祂的目的為要教導我們。而當祂的目的達到以後，我們就能獲得榮耀的獎賞。所以患難當中蘊藏的，乃是甘甜的喜樂和眞實的價值。這樣看來，神給我們的不是患難，而是機會。--選 曾經有一位年老的弟兄對我說：「當神試驗你的時候，正是你試驗神的好機會；你可以把祂的應許拿來放在祂面前，盡量向祂索取你在試煉中所需用的一切！」 要脫離試煉有兩種方法；一種是直接求神救你脫離試煉，當試煉過去以後，就當獻上感謝。另一種是承認試煉是從神來的挑戰，並抓住這個機會，向神索取更大的祝福。這樣，連仇敵也被我們所利用；反對我們的，竟然成為我們的幫助。這就是靠著愛我們的主使我們得勝有餘了。 --信宣 A. B. Simpson 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). The question often comes, "Why didn't He help me sooner?" It is not His order. He must first adjust you to the trouble and cause you to learn your lesson from it. His promise is, "I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him." He must be with you in the trouble first all day and all night. Then He will take you out of it. This will not come till you have stopped being restless and fretful about it and become calm and quiet. Then He will say, "It is enough." God uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to educate us. When their good work is done, a glorious recompense will come to us through them. There is a sweet joy and a real value in them. He does not regard them as difficulties but as opportunities.--Selected. We once heard a simple old colored man say something that we have never forgotten: "When God tests you, it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary." There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of Divine grace. Thus even the adversary becomes an auxiliary, and the things that seem to be against us turn out to be for the furtherance of our way. Surely, this is to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.--A. B. Simpson ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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