May 26

"Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it." (Num. 21:17)

This was a strange song and a strange well. They had been traveling over the desert's barren sands, no water was in sight and they were famishing with thirst. Then God spake to Moses and said:

"Gather the people together, and I will give them water," and this is how it came. They gathered in circles on the sands. They took their staves and dug deep down into the burning earth and as they dug, they sang,

"Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it," and lo, there came a gurgling sound, a rush of water and a flowing stream which filled the well and ran along the ground.

When they dug this well in the desert, they touched the stream that was running beneath, and reached the flowing tides that had long been out of sight.

How beautiful the picture given, telling us of the river of blessing¹ that flows all through our lives, and we have only to reach by faith and praise to find our wants supplied in the most barren desert.

How did they reach the waters of this well? It was by praise. They sang upon the sand their song of faith, while with their staff of promise they dug the well.

Our praise will still open fountains in the desert, when murmuring will only bring us judgment², and even prayer may fail to reach the fountains of blessing.

There is nothing that pleases the Lord so much as praise. There is no test of faith so true as the grace of thanksgiving. Are you praising God enough? Are you thanking Him for your actual blessings³ that are more than can be numbered, and are you daring to praise Him even for those trials which are but blessings in disguise? Have you learned to praise Him in advance for the things that have not yet come? --Selected.

"Thou waitest for deliverance!

O soul, thou waitest long!

Believe that now deliverance

Doth wait for thee in song!

"Sigh not until deliverance

Thy fettered⁴ feet doth free:

With songs of glad deliverance

God now doth compass thee."

　 五月二十六日

“井啊！涌上水来。你们要向这井歌唱”（民二十一：17）。

　　一口希奇的井！一首希奇的歌！当以色列人在旷野流荡，没有水喝，几乎渴死的时候，耶和华对摩西说：

　　“招聚百姓，我好给他们水喝”（十六节）。于是他们集合在一处，用杖挖掘粗松的沙地；他们一面掘，一面唱，

　　“井啊，涌上水来。你们要向这井歌唱”。看哪，顷刻间，久藏地下的泉源，一起涌上来满足他们的需要。

　　这个故事也教训我们一件事：今天在这属灵的旷野行走的枯乾的我们也可以凭信心和赞美来得到祝福的泉源。

　　他们怎样得到井水呢？藉着赞美。他们在沙地上唱信心的歌，同时用应许的杖掘井。

　　赞美使我们得泉源，怨言使我们招审判。甚至祷告亦不能使井涌上水来，因为没有一件东西比赞美更能叫神喜悦。赞美是信心最准确的凭据。信徒啊，你有没有赞美神呢？神给你数不过来的恩典，你有否赞美他呢？你有没有胆量为着他所给你的患难——化装的祝福——来赞美他呢？你有否学会为着尚未来到的祝福预先赞美他呢？——选

灵魂啊，你等了好久，

等待主的拯救，

要相信此刻救主，

已在歌声中守候。

不要叹息，等待天父，

解除你双足桎梏，

他正在快乐的歌声中，

给你引路，赐你救赎。

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 fettered   

v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it. 我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Many people are fettered by lack of self-confidence. 许多人都因缺乏自信心而缩手缩脚。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》