June 18

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame¹ be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." (Heb. 12:12, 13)

This is God's word of encouragement to us to lift up the hands of faith, and confirm the knees of prayer. Often our faith grows tired, languid, and relaxed, and our prayers lose their force and effectiveness.

The figure used here is a very striking one. The idea seems to be that we become discouraged and so timid that a little obstacle depresses and frightens us, and we are tempted² to walk around it, and not face it: to take the easier way.

Perhaps it is some physical trouble that God is ready to heal, but the exertion³ is hard, or it is easier to secure some human help, or walk around in some other way.

There are many ways of walking around emergencies instead of going straight through them. How often we come up against something that appalls⁴ us, and we want to evade⁵ the issue with the excuse:

"I am not quite ready for that now." Some sacrifice is to be made, some obedience⁶ demanded, some Jericho to be taken, some soul that we have not the courage to claim and carry through, some prayer that is hanging fire, or perhaps some physical trouble that is half healed and we are walking around it.

God says, "Lift up the hands that hang down." March straight through the flood, and lo, the waters will divide, the Red Sea will open, the Jordan will part, and the Lord will lead you through to victory.

Don't let your feet "be turned out of the way," but let your body "be healed," your faith strengthened. Go right ahead and leave no Jericho behind you unconquered and no place where Satan can say that he was too much for you. This is a profitable lesson and an intensely practical one. How often have we been in that place. Perhaps you are there today. --A. B. Simpson.

Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth--rain or shine. To carry your cargo⁷ and make your port is the point. --Maltbie D. Babcock.

　 六月十八日

“所以你们要把下垂的手，发酸的腿，挺起来。也要为自己的脚把道路修直了，使瘸子不至歪脚，反得痊愈”（来十二：12/13）。

　　这是神激励我们的话，叫我们挺起信心的手和祷告的腿来。我们的信心时常会疲惫，衰弱，疏懈：我们的祷告时常会失了能力和功效。

　　这节圣经真有能力，它似乎看出我们已经气馁，已经胆怯了——一点极小的试炼就会使我们沮丧，使我们惊骇；我们就会绕道而行，不敢面对面去对抗；我们会选择一条比较容易的路去走。

也许今天你身体上有一点疾病，神原预备亲自医治你的；可是你却去找些人的救助，施用些人的方法；结果并未好些。

　　我们时常会用很多的方法去逃避试炼；当我们遇到了使我们为难的环境，多少次我们总是用“我现在还没有准备好”来推脱，来闪避。啊！有多少需要我们牺牲的时候，需要我们顺服的时候，需要夺取耶利哥的时候，需要勇气去带领失丧的灵魂的时候，需要祷告的时候，或者当我们的疾病神已经医治了一半的时候，我们却绕道而行——拣选了别条路。

　　神说：“你们要把下垂的手……挺起来”。一直向大水走去，看啊，水便分开，红海成了干地，约旦河立起成垒；不要惧怕，神自会带领你进入胜利的。

不要任你自己“歪着脚”，快来“得痊愈”。啊！让你的信心坚强起来！一直向前走去！不要遗留一座耶利哥不被攻破！不要留一点破口任撒但向你夸口！这真是一课有益而实用的功课。多少时候我们的灵会这样冷落下来。也许你今天就是这样。——信宣

不要去注意那些使你气馁的事情，无论你的道路是崎岖，是平坦，总当像一只轮船一样——不管雨天，晴天，依然向前行驶。因为你的责任只在装载货物按时进港。——贝伯考克

1 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

2 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。

3 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

4 appalls   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• There's about this island-state that appalls religious extremists, Hindus and Muslims alike. 在这个岛屿国家里有着令宗教极端分子、印度教徒、和穆斯林等害怕的东西。 来自互联网
• What appalls him is the sheer cheesiness of TV iniquity. Television has even vulgarized hell(Jack Kroll) 使他震惊的是电视罪恶的如此粗鄙。电视几乎使地狱庸俗化（杰克克罗尔） 来自互联网

5 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

6 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

7 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。