April 18

"And he shall bring it to pass." (Psa. 37:5)

I once thought that after I prayed that it was my duty to do everything that I could do to bring the answer to pass. He taught me a better way, and showed that my self-effort always hindered His working, and that when I prayed and definitely believed Him for anything, He wanted me to wait in the spirit of praise, and only do what He bade me. It seems so unsafe to just sit still, and do nothing but trust the Lord; and the temptation to take the battle into our own hands is often tremendous.

We all know how impossible it is to rescue a drowning man who tries to help his rescuer, and it is equally impossible for the Lord to fight our battles for us when we insist upon trying to fight them ourselves. It is not that He will not, but He cannot. Our interference hinders His working. --C.H.P.

Spiritual forces cannot work while earthly forces are active.

It takes God time to answer prayer. We often fail to give God a chance in this respect. It takes time for God to paint a rose. It takes time for God to grow an oak. It takes time for God to make bread from wheat fields. He takes the earth. He pulverizes¹. He softens². He enriches. He wets with showers and dews. He warms with life. He gives the blade, the stock, the amber³ grain, and then at last the bread for the hungry.

All this takes time. Therefore we sow, and till, and wait, and trust, until all God's purpose has been wrought⁴ out. We give God a chance in this matter of time. We need to learn this same lesson in our prayer life. It takes God time to answer prayer. --J. H. M.

　 四月十八日

“他就必成全”（诗三十七：5）。

　　我以前以为我祷告了之后，该负一个责任：按我所能作的尽力去作，来帮助神成全。后来，神亲自教导我，指示我，这是绝对的错误，这反能阻拦他的工作。他要我祷告了之后，完全相信，用赞美和感谢去等待他的答应。坐着不动，单信靠神，未免太不稳妥吧；我们常会有极大的试探想去自己活动。

　　我们都知道一个善于游泳者不能拯救一个溺者，如果后者不肯停止他自己的挣扎。神也照样不能替我们做什么，如果我们不肯停止我们自己的活动。并不是神不肯，乃是神不能。我们的干涉反拦阻他的工作。

　　属地的力在活动的时侯，属天的力不能工作。

　　神答应祷告是需要时间的。我们常不肯给神相当的时间。神需要时间去画一朵玫瑰。神需要时间去长一棵橡树。神也需要时间来供给我们面包：神先预备一块麦田，耕松，撒种，加肥料，降雨露，降日光，长嫩叶，生穗，结实，磨粉，烘烤，然后制成面包，使饥饿的人得着饱足。

　　每一部手续都需要时间。所以我们今天耕了地，撒了种，就应当等待，信靠，直到神的日期来到。我们应该给神相当的时间。让我们在祷告的生活中也学习同样的功课——神答应祷告是需要时间的。

1 pulverizes   

v.将…弄碎( pulverize的第三人称单数 )；将…弄成粉末或尘埃；摧毁；粉碎

参考例句：

2 softens   

（使）变软( soften的第三人称单数 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• Iron softens with heat. 铁受热就软化。
• Moonlight softens our faults; all shabbiness dissolves into shadow. 月光淡化了我们的各种缺点，所有的卑微都化解为依稀朦胧的阴影。 来自名作英译部分

3 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

4 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。