双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：9月9日 信徒样式

9月9日

信徒样式

似乎忧愁，却是常常快乐的；似乎贫穷，却是叫许多人富足的；似乎一无所有，却是样样都有的。

哥林多后书6:10

使徒保罗这些话让我想起贾艾梅（Amy Carmichael）。尽管她在去世前二十年因一场意外事故卧床不起，而且几乎一直在忍受着疼痛，但她仍然藉着她的灵修著作和诗歌继续服事。她敏锐的属灵眼光和令人耳目一新的属灵文章，展示了她与基督同行的深度。她始终是基督徒的杰出典范，她身体的痛苦使她能够反映基督的品格。她在苦难中喜乐度日，脸上散发着基督的爱，她用喜乐的心去面对苦难，达到了神圣的境界，她的生活就是一个顺服基督的见证。

在身体疼痛的岁月里，贾艾梅写了许多属灵书籍，这些书成了全世界成千上万人的祝福。如果没有卧床不起的“祝福”，她可能会忙得无暇写作。

有一个关于马丁·路德的故事，他曾经历了一段忧郁沮丧的时期。一连几天，在餐桌前他都是愁眉苦脸的，使整个家庭气氛也变得沉闷阴郁。一天，他妻子穿着一身黑衣来到早餐桌前，像要去参加葬礼一样。马丁问她谁死了？她回答说：“马丁，从你最近的举止来看，我以为上帝已经死了，所以我准备参加他的葬礼。”

她温柔而有效的责备直击路德的内心，那次教训之后，这位伟大的改革家决心再也不让世俗的忧虑、怨恨、沮丧、气馁或挫折打败他。他发誓，靠着神的恩典，无论发生什么，他都会把自己的生命献给救赎主，并以喜乐的心显明主的恩典。他可以和保罗一起高呼：“感谢神，使我们藉着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。”（哥林多前书15:57）。

你最后一次在绝望中赞美神是什么时候？不要等到你“觉得想做”时才去做，否则你将永远做不到。现在就去做，你就会觉得想要做！

今日祷告：

天父，当我们面临苦难，让我们为主的名而受苦，帮助我们以对祢的爱和对人的忍耐，坦然去面对苦难；奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

September 9

THE CHRISTLIKE CHRISTIAN

Sorrowful,yet always rejoicing;poor,yet making many rich;having nothing,and yet possessing everything.2 Corinthians 6:10,NIV

These words from the apostle Paul remind me of Amy Carmichael.Though bedridden as a result of an accident some twenty years before her death,and in almost constant pain,she continued to minister through her devotional writings and poetry.Her keen insight and her refreshingly spiritual writings revealed the depth of her walk with Christ.She remains a striking example of a Christian whose physical suffering enabled her to reflect the character of Christ.She lived a life of rejoicing in the midst of tribulation.Her face radiated the love of Christ,and her life epitomized the saintly stature the surrendered Christian can reach if he reacts to suffering by rejoicing in it.

During those years of physical pain,Amy Carmichael wrote the many books that have blessed untold thousands around the world.Without the“blessings”of being confined to her bed,she might have been too busy to write.

There is a story about Martin Luther going through a period of depression and discouragement.For days his long face graced the family table and dampened the family’s home life.One day his wife came to the breakfast table all dressed in black,as if she were going to a funeral service.When Martin asked her who had died,she replied,“Martin,the way you’ve been behaving lately,I thought God had died,so I came prepared to attend His funeral.”

Her gentle but effective rebuke drove straight to Luther’s heart,and as a result of that lesson the great Reformer resolved never again to allow worldly care,resentment,depression,discouragement,or frustration to defeat him.By God’s grace,he vowed,he would submit his life to the Savior and reflect His grace in a spirit of rejoicing,whatever came.With Paul he would shout,“Thanks be to God!He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Corinthians 15:57,NIV).

When was the last time you praised God in the midst of despair?Don’t wait until you“feel like it”or you’ll never do it.Do it,and then you’ll feel like it!

Pray for the Day:

Father,when we suffer,let it be for the Name of Jesus,and help us to do so with the right attitude,an attitude of love for you and patience toward others;in Jesus’Name,Amen.