March 8

"Do as thou hast said, that thy name may be magnified forever." (1 Chron. 17:23, 24)

This is a most blessed phase of true prayer. Many a time we ask for things which are not absolutely promised. We are not sure therefore until we have persevered¹ for some time whether our petitions are in the line of God's purpose or no. There are other occasions, and in the life of David this was one, when we are fully² persuaded that what we ask is according to God's will. We feel led to take up and plead some promise from the page of Scripture³, under the special impression that it contains a message for us. At such times, in confident faith, we say, "Do as Thou hast said." There is hardly any position more utterly⁴ beautiful, strong, or safe, than to put the finger upon some promise of the Divine word, and claim it. There need be no anguish⁵, or struggle, or wrestling; we simply present the check and ask for cash, produce the promise, and claim its fulfillment; nor can there be any doubt as to the issue. It would give much interest to prayer, if we were more definite. It is far better to claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely⁶. --F. B. Meyer.

Every promise of Scripture is a writing of God, which may be pleaded before Him with this reasonable request: "Do as Thou hast said." The Creator will not cheat His creature who depends upon His truth; and far more, the Heavenly Father will not break His word to His own child.

"Remember the word unto thy servant, on which thou hast caused me to hope," is most prevalent pleading. It is a double argument: it is Thy Word. Wilt⁷ Thou not keep it? Why hast thou spoken of it, if Thou wilt not make it good. Thou hast caused me to hope in it, wilt Thou disappoint the hope which Thou has Thyself begotten⁸ in me? --C. H. Spurgeon.

"Being absolutely certain that whatever promise he is bound by, he is able also to make good." (Rom. 4:21, Weymouth's Translation)

It is the everlasting⁹ faithfulness of God that makes a Bible promise "exceeding great and precious." Human promises are often worthless. Many a broken promise has left a broken heart. But since the world was made, God has never broken a single promise made to one of His trusting children.

Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian¹⁰ to stand at the door of the promise, in the dark night of affliction, afraid to draw the latch¹¹, whereas he should then come boldly for shelter as a child into his father's house. --Gurnal.

Every promise is built upon four pillars: God's justice and holiness, which will not suffer Him to deceive; His grace or goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget; His truth, which will not suffer Him to change, which makes Him able to accomplish. --Selected.

　 三月八日

“求你...照你所说的而行。愿你的名永远...被尊为大”(代上十七：23/24)。

　　这是一个真信的祷告的样本。许多时侯，我们所求的，并不是神所应许的。　因此我们一时不会明白我们的祷告是否合乎神的旨意。大卫在这里的祷告，告诉我们，他深信所求的应许；在这种时候，我们只须带着信心，用手指按着那应许祈求神说：“求你照你所说的而行”。这是最美丽，最有力，最稳妥的祷告。用不着焦急，用不着苦求，用不着挣扎；我们只要拿出支票来兑现就是了——拿出应许来，要求实践。这样必会增加我们祷告的兴趣。求一件神的应许，远胜求一百件不清楚神旨的事情。——梅尔

　　圣经中每一个应许，都是神亲笔签字的，我们都可以去要求：“求你照你所说的而行”。创造者决不会欺骗信靠他的受造者；天上的父决不会对他自己的孩子失信。

　　“求你记念向你仆人从所应许的那叫我有盼望的话”(诗一一九：49直译),是一个最有力的祷告。他给神的理由是:这是你的话,你岂不守信吗？如果你不实践,又何必说呢？你既叫我在你的话上有盼望,难道有使我失去你自己所给我的盼望吗?——司布真

　　“且满心相信,　神所应许的必能作成”(罗四：21)。

　　神的永久信实使圣经中的应许“又宝贵,又极大”(彼后一：4)。人的应许常是一无价值的。许多毁约使人碎心。但是神从创世以来,　从没有向他的孩子失过一次信。

　　哦，一个基督徒在痛苦之夜站在应许的门口，不敢拿门闩，这是何等可怜呢？他应该放胆进去，尤如一个孩子进父亲的家一般。

　　神每一个应许都是建立在四个根基上的：神的公义，神的圣洁，神的恩典，神的真实。神的公义，不让他失信；神的圣洁，不让他欺骗；神的恩典，不让他遗忘；神的真实，不让他改变

1 persevered   

v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She persevered with her violin lessons. 她孜孜不倦地学习小提琴。
• Hard as the conditions were, he persevered in his studies. 虽然条件艰苦，但他仍坚持学习。 来自辞典例句

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 scripture   

n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段

参考例句：

• The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。
• They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

4 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

5 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。

6 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

7 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

8 begotten   

v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 )；产生，引起

参考例句：

• The fact that he had begotten a child made him vain. 想起自己也生过孩子，他得意了。 来自辞典例句
• In due course she bore the son begotten on her by Thyestes. 过了一定的时候，她生下了堤厄斯式斯使她怀上的儿子。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 latch   

n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁

参考例句：

• She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
• The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。