February 17

"The land which I do give them, even the children of Israel." (Joshua 1:2)

God here speaks in the immediate¹ present. It is not something He is going to do, but something He does do, this moment. So faith ever speaks. So God ever gives. So He is meeting you today, in the present moment. This is the test of faith. So long as you are waiting for a thing, hoping for it, looking for it, you are not believing. It may be hope, it may be earnest desire, but it is not faith; for "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb.11:1)The command in regard to believing prayer is the present tense. "…When ye pray, believe that ye receive the things that ye desire, and ye shall have them." (Mk.11:24) Have we come to that moment? Have we met God in His everlasting² NOW? ━Joshua, by Simpson

True faith counts on God, and believes before it sees. Naturally, we want some evidence that our petition is granted before we believe; but when we walk by faith we need no other evidence than God's Word. He has spoken, and according to our faith it shall be done unto us. We shall see because we have believed, and this faith sustains us in the most trying places, when everything around us seems to contradict God's Word.

The Psalmist says, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living" (Ps.27:13). He did not see as yet the Lord's answer to his prayers, but he believed to see; and this kept him from fainting.

If we have the faith that believes to see, it will keep us from growing discouraged. We shall "laugh at impossibilities," we shall watch with delight to see how God is going to open up a path through the Red Sea when there is no human way out of our difficulty. It is just in such places of severe testing that our faith grows and strengthens.

Have you been waiting upon God, dear troubled one, during long nights and weary days, and have feared that you were forgotten? Nay³, lift up your head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on its way to you. ━Life of Praise

二月十七日

“我……赐给以色列人的地” （书一：2直译）

　　这里神所说的“赐给”是现在式。并不是神将要作的事，乃是神就在此刻要作的。信心求神现在，神就现在赐给。神今天就要工作。许多时侯我们在神面前等候一件东西，盼望一件东西，寻求一件东西，却并没有相信。这不过是我们的盼望，这不过是我们的需要，并不是我们的信心；因为“信就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据”（来十一：1）。「…凡你们祷告祈求的,无论是甚么,只要信是得着的,就必得着。」(可11:24)这里说到信心的祷告，所用的动词都是现在式的。我们有没有这现在的信心呢？━宣信,<乔舒亚记>

　　真实的信心，就是以神的话为算数，在未见应验之前，就已经深信了。顶自然地，我们常要先有眼见，或是凭据，证明我们所求的已经蒙神应许，然后纔肯相信；但是如果我们走信心的道路，除了神的话以外，我们不需要别的凭据，虽然四周的环境仅可和祂的话相反。祂已经说了，必定会按照我们的信心，给我们成全的。我们将要看见祂话语的应验，因为我们已经信了。

　　写诗篇的人说：“我若不信在活人之地得见耶和华的恩惠，就早已丧胆了”（诗二十七：13）。他虽然还没有看见神对他祷告的答应，但是他已经相信得见；这就能保守他不丧胆。

　　若是我们也有“信得见”的信心，我们就不会灰心了。我们要笑“不可能”，我们要顶高兴地看神怎样在红海━人没有方法可以脱离艰难的时侯━开路。在这种试验中，我们的信心最会长发。

　　亲爱的受苦的信徒阿，你是不是日夜在等待神，深怕神已经把你忘了呢？决不会的，你当举起你的头来，为着那已经在半路上的拯救开始赞美祂。━译自赞美的生命

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

3 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。