May 10

"I had fainted unless…!" (Psalm. 27:13).

"FAINT NOT!"

How great is the temptation at this point! How the soul sinks, the heart grows sick, and the faith staggers under the keen trials and testings which come into our lives in times of special bereavement¹ and suffering.

"I cannot bear up any longer, I am fainting under this providence². What shall I do? God tells me not to faint. But what can one do when he is fainting?"

What do you do when you are about to faint physically³? You cannot do anything. You cease from your own doings. In your faintness, you fall upon the shoulder of some strong loved one. You lean hard. You rest. You lie still and trust.

It is so when we are tempted⁴ to faint under affliction. God's message to us is not, "Be strong and of good courage," for He knows our strength and courage have fled away. But it is that sweet word, "Be still, and know that I am God."

Hudson Taylor was so feeble in the closing months of his life that he wrote a dear friend: "I am so weak I cannot write; I cannot read my Bible; I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust."

This wondrous⁵ man of God with all his spiritual power came to a place of physical suffering and weakness where he could only lie still and trust.

And that is all God asks of you, His dear child, when you grow faint in the fierce fires of affliction. Do not try to be strong. Just be still and know that He is God, and will sustain you, and bring you through.

"God keeps His choicest cordials for our deepest faintings."

"Stay firm and let thine heart take courage." (Psa. 27:14 --After Osterwald)

Stay firm, He has not failed thee

In all the past,

And will He go and leave thee

To sink at last?

Nay⁶, He said He will hide thee

Beneath His wing;

And sweetly there in safety

Thou mayest sing.

--Selected.

　 五月十日

“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）。

　　“不要…丧胆”（弗三：13）。这句话是何等重大的考验关头，当我们受到了特别的痛苦和丧失的时候，我们的灵何其之消沉，我们的心又是何等的悲痛，我们的信心如何在试炼中发生摇动。

　　“我不能再忍受了，我丧胆了；我心里发昏，快要倒下来了。我该怎样作呢？神叮嘱我不要丧胆。但是我连一分钟都不能支持了。怎么办呢”？

　　当你身体要昏倒的时候，你怎样作呢？你什么事情都不能作。你停止你自己的活动。你倒在你所爱的人身上，紧紧靠着他，安息。你不再自己设法或努力了，因为你信靠他。

　　当你灵性软弱要昏倒的时候，也该如此。神给我们的信息不是“你当刚强壮胆”，因为他知道我们已经筋疲力尽，奋兴不起来了；他知道我们的力量和胆量已经消失了。他给我们的信息乃是“你要休息，要知道我是神”。

　　戴德生（Hudson Taylor）先生在临终几个月，身灵软弱到极顶，他给他知己朋友的信中说：“我极其软弱，我不能写信，我不能读经，甚至不能祷告。我只能像一个小孩子一样躺在神的怀中安静，休息，信靠。”

　　神要你也如此，当你在痛苦的烈火中丧胆的时候，不必自己设法，只要休息，知道他是神，他必支持你，带你过去。——选

　　“神为了我们的昏晕，准备着最佳良的起死回生之药剂”。

　　“当壮胆，坚固你的心”。（诗二十七：14）

你当坚定，你当壮胆，

过去他从未使你失望，

难道他将撤离去，

让你沉沦，失去了依仗？

不，他曾经说过，

他将以翅翼将你围护，

在那最安全之地，

你可以愉快唱歌。

1 bereavement   

n.亲人丧亡，丧失亲人，丧亲之痛

参考例句：

• the pain of an emotional crisis such as divorce or bereavement 诸如离婚或痛失亲人等情感危机的痛苦
• I sympathize with you in your bereavement. 我对你痛失亲人表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

5 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

6 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。