January 6

“When thou passest through the waters…they shall not overflow¹ thee.” (Isa. 43:2)



"God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.



Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread² death, and lament³ that they have not “dying grace.” Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. – J. R. M.



"When thou passest through the waters"

Deep the waves may be and cold,

But Jehovah is our refuge,

And His Promise is our hold;

For the Lord Himself hath sait it,

He, the faithful God and true:

"When thou comest to the waters

Thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."



Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,

Bitterest anguish⁴, fiercest pain,

Rolling surges of temptation

Sweeping over heart and brain ━

They shall never overflow us

For we know His word is true;

All His waves and all His billows

He will lead us safely through.



Threatening breakers of destruction,

Doubt's insidious⁵ undertow,

Shall not sink us, shall not drag us

Out to ocean depths of woe;

For His promise shall sustain us,

Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!

We shall not go down, or under,

For He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."



━ Annie Johnson Flint.



一月六日



“你从水中经过...水必不漫过你” (赛四十三；2)



　　神并不为我们开路，如果我们尚未起步。神并不给我们帮助，如果我们还不需要帮助，神并不除去我们路上的拦阻，如果我们还没有碰到。可是一等到我们真有需要的时侯神的手就伸出来了。



　　许多神的儿女竟把这个原则忘了，终日挂虑前面未来的难处。他们盼望神先把前面几十里的路都铺平了；但是神只肯照着他们的需要一步一步的开路。你必须从水中经过，然后才可求神实现祂的应许。有许多人怕死，叹息自己并没有得到神在临终时所给的祝福。当然，他们得不到，因为身体健康，正在作工的时侯，离死还远得很哩。他们没有这种需要。祂们需要的是工作的恩典，生活的恩典；等到死期临到才需要临终时的恩典。━密勒



当你从水中经过，

浪何深，水何冷。

我们有耶和华神的庇护；

祂的诺言使我们无所恐怖，

因为真实的神可信的主，

祂曾亲口说过；

“当你来到江河，

你必不下沉，定能安渡。”



如海的悲哀，如海的磨难，

无限的烦恼，极顶的痛苦。

诱惑如汹涌的浪潮，

阵阵袭上心头，

都不能使我们沉沦偃仆，

我们深信祂的话为真。

一切的波涛，一切的风浪，

祂会引导我们安渡。



暗礁多么险恶，

潜流像可疑的陷阱，

但不能倾覆我们，

也不能把我们逐到大海深处。

因为祂的诺言给我们帮助，

赞美主，祂的话是真！

我们必不向下沉沦，

祂曾说：你们必得安渡。



━范丽

1 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

2 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

3 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

4 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。

5 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。