March 6

"We trusted." (Luke 24:21)

I have always felt so sorry that in that walk to Emmaus the disciples¹ had not said to Jesus, "We still trust"; instead of "We trusted." That is so sad--something that is all over.

If they had only said, "Everything is against our hope; it looks as if our trust was vain², but we do not give up; we believe we shall see Him again." But no, they walked by His side declaring their lost faith, and He had to say to them "O fools, and slow of heart to believe!"

Are we not in the same danger of having these words said to us? We can afford to lose anything and everything if we do not lose our faith in the God of truth and love.

Let us never put our faith, as these disciples did, in a past tense--"We trusted." But let us ever say, "I am trusting." --Crumbs.

The soft, sweet summer was warm and glowing,

Bright were the blossoms³ on every bough:

I trusted Him when the roses were blooming;

I trust Him now…

Small were my faith should it weakly falter

Now that the roses have ceased⁴ to blow;

Frail were the trust that now should alter,

Doubting His love when storm clouds grow.

--The Song of a Bird in a Winter Storm.

　 三月六日

“我们曾信…”（路二十四：21直译）。

　　我常常觉得很难过；往以马忤斯去的两个门徒不对耶稣说：“我们仍信”；却说：“我们曾信…”。可怜，他们以为事情都完了。

　　他们若说：“似乎每一件事情都使我们失望；似乎我们的信心落了空，但是我们并不灰心；我们相信我们要再见他…”岂不好么？可惜他们并没有这么说，他们站在他旁边，脸上带着愁容，以为主已死了叁天；难怪主责备他们说：“无知的人哪…你们的心，信得太迟钝了”！（二十五节）

　　亲爱的，我们有否相类的情形，受主同样的责备呢？我们宁可放弃任何东西，每一件东西，却不能放弃对主的信心。

　　让我们不像这两个门徒一样，把我们的信心变成过去式——“我们曾信…”。让我们永远坚持现在式的信心——“我们永信”。——碎锦

温暖的春天已去，

那枝头开满如锦鲜花。

玫瑰怒放的季节，我曾盼望，

现在仍在盼望他……

如今玫瑰不开，花事阑珊，

若畏缩踌躇，我的信心何颟顸；

尤其风雪欲来的此刻，

若灰心失望，更是脆弱可叹。

——风雪中小鸟之歌

1 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

2 vain   

adj.徒劳的，徒然的，无效的，空虚的，自负的

参考例句：

• It was in vain that we tried to find his mother.我们百般设法找他的母亲，但毫无结果。
• He's very vain of his abilities.他对于自己的能力很自负。

3 blossoms   

n.（尤指果树的）花( blossom的名词复数 )；花丛，花簇v.（植物）开花( blossom的第三人称单数 )；发展；长成；变得更加健康（或自信、成功）

参考例句：

• It was springtime and the slopes were ablaze with almond blossoms. 时当春季，怒放的扁桃花使那片山坡鲜红似火。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The spring comes and peach blossoms [flowers] are all open. 春天了，桃花都开了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 ceased   

adj. 停止的, 终了的 动词cease的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He ceased to write at the age of sixty. 他60岁停止了写作。
• Never for a moment has the fire of war ceased. 战火一刻也没有间断过。