双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：3月30日 经历熬炼

3月30日

经历熬炼

“我熬炼你，却不像熬炼银子；你在苦难的炉中，我拣选你。”

以赛亚书48:10

一名服苦役多年的囚犯最近被释放。在狱中他没有圣经，但是凭借小时候信主后的记忆，他从圣经的经文中得到精神力量。他特别提到诗篇66。当我再读这首诗篇时，我得到很深的印象。诗人写到：“神啊，你曾试验我们，熬炼我们，如熬炼银子一样。你使我们进入网罗，把重担放在我们的身上。你使人坐车轧我们的头；我们经过水火，你却使我们到丰富之地。”（诗篇66:10-12）

在圣经中，我们也在约伯身上看到见证。约伯不知撒旦必须得到神的允许才可以来试验他。然而，当约伯失去一切时，他没有说：“赏赐的是耶和华，夺走的是魔鬼。”而是说：「赏赐的是耶和华，收取的也是耶和华。耶和华的名是应当称颂的。”（约伯记1:21）

所以，当我们受伤害的时候，要记得神允许一些事情发生，是有祂的目的和旨意的。

十九世纪神学家爱德华·普西（Edward B.Pusey）说得好：神不会拿走或者免除我们的试炼，而是通过困境来坚固我们。

今日祷告：

天父，我们仰望你。我们不明白我们所经历的所有试炼，但我们知道你爱我们。我们的祷告是奉耶稣的名，阿门。

March 30

THROUGH THE TRIALS

See,I have refined you,though not as silver;I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.Isaiah 48:10 NIV

A prisoner recently released from years at hard labor,without a Bible,drew for his spiritual nourishment on the passages of Scripture which he had memorized since his conversion as a young boy.One he mentioned particularly was Psalm 66.As I read that psalm I was impressed by the fact that the psalmist recognized no secondary causes.Beginning with verse 10 he says,“For you,O God,tested us;you refined us like silver.”Verse 11,“You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.“Verse 12,“You let men ride over our heads;we went through fire and water,but you brought us to a place of abundance”(italics mine).

In the Scriptures we find this also true in the case of Job.Job did not know that Satan had to get permission from God before he could touch Job,much less Job’s possessions.Yet when Job had lost everything he did not say.“The Lord gave and the devil has taken away,”but“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;may the name of the Lord be praised”(Job 1:21 NIV,italics mine).

So when we are hurt it is important to remember that God Himself has allowed it for a purpose.

It was a theologian from the nineteenth century,Edward B.Pusey,who said it so well:“God does not take away trials or carry us over them,but strengthens us through them.”

Pray for the Day:

Father,we look to You.We do not understand all the trials that come our way,but we know that You love us.We pray in Jesus’Name,Amen.