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經文：「迦勒問他說，你要甚麼。他說，求你賜福給我，你既將我安置在南地，求你也給我水泉。他父親就把上泉下泉賜給他。」（書15:18-19） 押撒的地是「南地」；一塊在烈日之下非常炎熱的地。他父親給了他水泉，從此山上有不竭的泉水流下，使全地涼爽與肥沃。 我們所處的環境，無論如何炎熱、荒蕪、艱難、痛苦、寂寞、平庸，總能在其中找到喜樂和祝福，因為天父已經把活水的泉源賜給我們了。亞伯拉罕曾在迦南的山中，摩西在米甸的岩石裏，都曾發現過這種泉水。 大衛王在洗格拉的灰燼中，雖然他的妻子與兒女都被擄去，並且眾人說要用石頭打死他，「大衛卻倚靠耶和華」（撒上30:6）。 先知哈巴谷雖然看見無花果樹不發旺、田地不出糧食，他仍能唱說：「然而我要因耶和華歡欣，因救我的神喜樂。」（哈3:18） 以賽亞在西拿基立上來攻擊猶大的時候，其排山倒海之勢，不但沒有使他們喪膽；反而激發他們高唱：「有一道河。這河的分汊，使神的城歡喜....神在其中。城必不動搖。」（詩46:4-5） 許多殉道者在火燄中仍有喜樂；許多信徒在患難中仍有平安；為甚麼？是因為他們能和大衛一同唱說：「我的泉源都在祢裡面。」（詩87:7） 是呀！天父賜給我們的水泉真是何等寶貴！--信宣 A. B. Simpson 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "And Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? Who answered, give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs" (Joshua 15:18, 19). There are both upper and nether springs. They are springs, not stagnant pools. There are joys and blessings that flow from above through the hottest summer and the most desert land of sorrow and trial. The lands of Achsah were "south lands," lying under a burning sun and often parched with burning heat. But from the hills came the unfailing springs, that cooled, refreshed and fertilized all the land. There are springs that flow in the low places of life, in the hard places, in the desert places, in the lone places, in the common places, and no matter what may be our situation, we can always find these upper springs. Abraham found them amid the hills of Canaan. Moses found them among the rocks of Midian. David found them among the ashes of Ziklag when his property was gone, his family captives and his people talked of stoning him, but "David encouraged himself in the Lord." Habakkuk found them when the fig tree was withered and the fields were brown, but as he drank from them he could sing: "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation." Isaiah found them in the awful days of Sennacherib's invasion, when the mountains seemed hurled into the midst of the sea, but faith could sing: "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of her: she shall not be moved." The martyrs found them amid the flames, and reformers amid their foes and conflicts, and we can find them all the year if we have the Comforter in our hearts and have learned to say with David: "All my springs are in thee." How many and how precious these springs, and how much more there is to be possessed of God's own fulness! --A. B. Simpson ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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