February 6

"He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him."

(Psalm. 66:6)

 

It is a striking assertion, "through the floods" (the place where we might have expected nothing but trembling and terror, anguish¹ and dismay) "there," says the Psalmist, "did we rejoice in him!"

 

How many there are who can endorse² this as their experience: that "there," in their very seasons of distress³ and sadness, they have been enabled, as they never did before, to triumph and rejoice.

 

How near their God in covenant⁴ is brought! How brightly shine His promises! In the day of our prosperity we cannot see the brilliancy of these. Like the sun at noon, hiding out the stars from sight, they are indiscernible; but when night overtakes, the deep, dark night of sorrow, out come these clustering stars━blessed constellations⁵ of Bible hope and promise of consolation⁶.

 

Like Jacob at Jabbok, it is when our earthly sun goes down that the Divine Angel comes forth⁷, and we wrestle⁸ with Him and prevail.

 

It was at night, "in the evening," Aaron lit the sanctuary⁹ lamps. It is in the night of trouble the brightest lamps of the believer are often kindled¹⁰.

 

It was in his loneliness and exile John had the glorious vision of his Redeemer. There is many a Patmos still in the world, whose brightest remembrances are those of God's presence and upholding grace and love in solitude¹¹ and sadness.

 

How many pilgrims, still passing through these Red Seas and Jordans of earthly affliction, will be enabled in the retrospect¹² of eternity¹³ to say━full of the memories of God's great goodness━"We went through the flood on foot, there━there, in these dark experiences, with the surging waves on every side, deep calling to deep, Jordan, as when Israel crossed it, in 'the time of the overflowing¹⁴' (flood), yet, 'there did we rejoice in Him!'" ━Dr. Macduff

 

"And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the door of trouble for a door of hope: and she shall sing THERE." (Hosea 2:15)

 

　

二月六日

 

　　“祂将海变成干地；众民步行过河；我们在那里因祂欢喜“ （诗六十六：6）

 

　　按常情来说，百姓过红海时，波涛在两边翻腾，追兵在后面呐喊，他们一定惊恐，战栗，痛苦仓皇；可是作诗篇的人竟说，“我们在那里”━大水中━“因祂欢喜”。

 

　　有多少信徒能有这样的经历：“在那里”━在一个失望的绝境中，一个外患内忧的时侯，能“因祂欢喜“？

 

　　“在那里”立约的神来了！“在那里”祂的应许实现了！“在那里”仇敌消灭了！“在那里”信不过来的经历尝到了！如果不“在那里”，在一个顺利的境遇中，卽使花尽力气去找，也找不到这些荣耀的事实。好象白日有了阳光，把星光遮掩了；黑夜一到，满天的明星出现了━经上的应许，安慰，盼望，也都是在忧愁之夜出现的。

 

　　象雅各布在“雅博”一样，日落之后，才有天使前来，我们经过虔诚祈祷之后，才能获得结果。

 

　　亚伦在夜晚点燃神灯，在困苦艰难之夜晚，信徒的明灯，放出最灿烂的光亮。

 

　　拔摩海岛上的约翰，在孤单凄凉中得见主荣耀的异象。今天在地上仍有许多荒凉的拔摩海岛，那里有主的爱和恩典，有主的同在，可以消灭孤单和忧愁。读者，你愿不愿意去呢？

 

　　有多少旅客，在经过红海和约但河的苦难时，能一心想念神，说：“我们步行过河，在那里━在这些黑暗的经历里，在波涛四边翻腾的光景里━因祂欢喜。“━马克特夫

 

　　“…从那里…我必赐他葡萄园，又赐他亚割谷作为指望的门，他必在那里歌唱”（何二：15）。

1 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

2 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

3 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

4 covenant   

n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约

参考例句：

• They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
• The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。

5 constellations   

n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人）

参考例句：

• The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His time was coming, he would move in the constellations of power. 他时来运转，要进入权力中心了。 来自教父部分

6 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

9 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

10 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

11 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

12 retrospect   

n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯

参考例句：

• One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。
• In retrospect,it's easy to see why we were wrong.回顾过去就很容易明白我们的错处了。

13 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

14 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。