May 24

"Sarah bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him." (Gen. 21:2)

The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:11). But we must be prepared to wait God's time. God has His set times. It is not for us to know them; indeed, we cannot know them; we must wait for them.

If God had told Abraham in Haran that he must wait for thirty years until he pressed the promised child to his bosom¹, his heart would have failed him. So, in gracious love, the length of the weary years was hidden, and only as they were nearly spent, and there were only a few more months to wait, God told him that "according to the time of life, Sarah shall have a son." (Gen. 18:14.)

The set time came at last; and then the laughter that filled the patriarch's home made the aged² pair forget the long and weary vigil.

Take heart, waiting one, thou waitest for One who cannot disappoint thee; and who will not be five minutes behind the appointed moment: ere long "your sorrow shall be turned into joy."

Ah, happy soul, when God makes thee laugh! Then sorrow and crying shall flee away forever, as darkness before the dawn. --Selected.

It is not for us who are passengers, to meddle³ with the chart and with the compass. Let that all-skilled Pilot alone with His own work. –Hall.

"Some things cannot be done in a day. God does not make a sunset glory in a moment, but for days may be massing the mist out of which He builds His palaces beautiful in the west."

"Some glorious morn--but when? Ah, who shall say?

The steepest mountain will become a plain,

And the parched⁴ land be satisfied with rain.

The gates of brass⁵ all broken; iron bars,

Transfigured, form a ladder to the stars.

Rough places plain, and crooked⁶ ways all straight,

For him who with a patient heart can wait.

These things shall be on God's appointed day:

It may not be tomorrow--yet it may."

　 五月二十四日

“当亚伯拉罕年老的时候，撒拉怀了孕；到神所说的日期，就给亚伯拉罕生了一个儿子”（创二十一：2）。

　　“耶和华的筹算永远立定，他心中的思念万代常存”（诗三十三：11）。但是我们必须预备等待神的时间。神有他的定时，我们不能预知；只能等待。

　　如果神在哈兰，就告诉亚伯拉罕：他必须等待三十年，然后才得到以撒，亚伯拉罕的心要何等难过呢！所以，这是神的爱——神特意将这长而乏味的时期不说，只说“到了日期，撒拉必生一个儿子”。

　　最后，神的定时来了；喜乐充满了信心之父的家；这对年老的夫妇忘了他们所等的长而乏味的时期。

　　啊，焦急的信徒们啊，你要知道你所等的那一个，是不会叫你失望的；他不会比定时迟五分钟的：不久“你们的忧愁，要变为喜乐”（约十六：20）。神要使你欢笑！忧愁要在你面前逃跑，好像黑暗在早晨前逃跑一般。——选

　　我们是船上的乘客，尽可不必去过问那航海图与罗盘针。让全能的舵手单独去驾驶吧。

　　有的事情绝非一天之内可以完成的。神并非在片刻之间构成落日时的彩霞，他要经过好几天的积聚云雾，才在天的西边造成了那美丽的宫殿。

光荣的黎明，谁能说何时出现？

到那时崎岖的地形将变为平原，

干枯的土地有充分的雨水，

紧锁的铜门，再不将你阻拦，

铁栅改成阶梯，通往天国堂殿，

平原千里，弯曲的道路都修齐，

一切都为了那些忍耐等候的人。

何时出现？神会确定他的时间，

也许不是明天，也许就是明天。

1 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

2 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

3 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

4 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

5 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

6 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。