双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：3月4日 鹈鹕鸮鸟

3月4日
鹈鹕鸮鸟

“我如同旷野的鹈鹕；我好像荒场的鸮鸟。”
诗篇102:6

我太太特别喜欢书籍，尤其是那些绝版的精选宗教旧书。伦敦的福伊尔就是一家这样的大型二手宗教书籍的书店。1954年我们去伦敦举办布道会，我太太就去那家书店浏览旧书。这时候，一个愁眉苦脸的店员从书架后面跳出来问她是不是葛培理的夫人。她说是的。他就跟我太太分享自己的迷茫、绝望和沮丧。他的婚姻岌岌可危，家庭面临破裂，工作上问题重重。他说自己已经寻求了各种办法都没有解决。万不得已，他打算试试参加当天晚上我们在哈林盖举办的布道会。我太太路得向他保证一定会为他祷告。她的确这么做了。那是1954年的事。

第二年，我们又去伦敦。我太太又去福伊尔那个旧书店。这次又遇见那个店员从书架后面出来。他的脸上洋溢着微笑。他很开心又见到我太太，并告诉她1954年的那个晚上，他参加了哈林盖的布道会，他说他找到了救主，他生活中那些问题都解决了。

然后他问路得是否想知道神跟他说了什么？路得说她想知道。他便再次消失在书丛中。当他又出现时，他的手中拿着一本破旧的圣经，他翻到诗篇102篇，就是我在布道大会上分享的那一篇。他指着第六节说：“我如同旷野的鹈鹕；我好像荒场的鸮鸟。”这节经文如此确切地描述了他的境况，这让他第一次意识到神是如此了解他关爱他，结果他就彻底归信了主耶稣基督。后来，他全家都信了主。

1972年，我太太又去伦敦参加哈林盖的聚会。仪式结束时，一位男士走过来，我太太立刻认出他就是福伊尔书店的那位店员。他更加喜形于色，向我们介绍了他的基督徒家庭，而且他们都行在神的旨意中。这一切都因为当他好像荒场的鸮鸟时，神对他说话了。

上帝就是如此慈爱，在我们最艰难的时候，祂对我们说话，往往通过一些隐晦的语句。

今日祷告：
天父，感谢你的话语。感谢将你伟大的智慧赐给我们，感谢你将你独生爱子赐给我们；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

March 4
THE OWL AND THE PELICAN
I am like a pelican of the wilderness:I am like an owl of the desert.Psalm 102:6
My wife has a weakness for books-especially old,choice religious books which are now out of print.At one time Foyles in London had a large secondhand religious book department.One day during the 1954 London Crusade she was browsing through the books in Foyles when a very agitated clerk popped out from behind the stacks and asked if she was Mrs.Graham.When she was,he began to tell her a story of confusion,despair,and frustration.His marriage was on the rocks,his home was breaking up,and business problems were mounting.He explained that he had explored every avenue for help and as a last resort planned to attend the services at Harringay arena that night.Ruth assured him that she would pray for him,and she did.That was in 1954.
In 1955 we returned to London.Again my wife went into Foyles’secondhand book department.This time the same clerk appeared from behind the stacks,his face wreathed in smiles.After expressing how happy he was to see her again,he explained that he had gone to Harringay that night in 1954 as he had said he would,that he had found the Savior,and that the problems in his life had sorted themselves out.
Then he asked Ruth if she would be interested in knowing what verse it was that“spoke to him.”She was.Again he disappeared behind all the books and reappeared with a worn Bible in his hand.He turned to Psalm 102,which I had read the night that he had attended the Crusade.He pointed out verse 6,“I am like a pelican of the wilderness:I am like an owl of the desert.”This had so perfectly described to him his condition that he realized for the first time how completely God understood and cared.As a result he was soundly converted to the Lord Jesus Christ.And subsequently so was his entire family.
My wife was in London during 1972 at the time of a Harringay reunion.As the ceremonies closed,a gentleman came up to speak to her,but he didn’t have to introduce himself.She recognized the clerk from Foyles.He was radiantly happy,introduced his Christian family,and explained how they were all now in the Lord’s word-all because God spoke to him when he was“an owl of the desert”!
How graciously God speaks to us in our need…often through some obscure passage.
Pray for the Day:
Father,thank You for Your word.Thank You that You have given us great wisdom to look to.And thank you that You have given us Your Son;in Jesus’Name,Amen.