July 11

"It came to pass after a while, that the brook¹ dried up, because there had been no rain in the land." (1 Kings 17:7)

WEEK after week, with unfaltering and steadfast² spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling³ brook; often tempted⁴ to stag-ger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God.

Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him.

And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders⁵; and the pools shrank. The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, "the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath."(1 Kings17:8-9)

Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps⁶ swinging on the willows⁷, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering⁸ grass, lost in pensive⁹ thought. And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God's blessing¹⁰ on it, would have started off elsewhere.

God often does extricate¹¹ us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth¹²; and we should never have been compelled to retrace¹³ our steps with so many tears of shame. Wait, patiently wait! --- F. B. Meyer. 　

七月十一日

「过了些日子，溪水就干了，因为雨没有下在地上。」（王上十七:7）

　　一星期一星期地过去，伊莱贾带着坚忍不挠的精神，守着那日渐干涸的溪水；撒但常常诱惑他叫他发生疑惧，但是他始终不允许环境来插在他与神的中间。

　　我们有时常会藉环境来看神，正像在烟雾中看太阳，觉得太阳的光辉减少了一样；但是信心是将神放在环境和自己中间的━用神的看法来看环境的。

　　一天天地过去，那日渐干涸的溪水只剩下了一条银色的细线了；银色的细线不久又断成了小小的池沼；池沼又渐渐干涸。 飞鸟逃去了；田间和林中的野兽也不再来取饮了；到了一天，溪水全然干涸了。伊莱贾忍耐坚持到那时候，才有「耶和华的话临到他， 说，你起身往西顿的撒勒法去……」（列王纪上十七章 8-9 节）。

　　如果是我们，一定早已急坏了━早在东打算西打算地妄用自己的聪明了。当水流潺潺的声音稍为减少了一些的时候， 我们感谢赞美的歌声可能早就停止了；我们会将歌颂神的乐器丢在柳树枝上，自己却在枯黄的草地上踏来踏去，焦虑得像失去了魂一般。 或许，在溪水干涸以前，我们早会想出些方法来求神祝福，然后出发往他处去了。

　　神常常按照祂自己的时候来解救我们，因为祂的慈爱是永远常存的；我们如果肯先等候看明神的旨意，我们便不会流落到不及解救的地步， 我们也不会带着羞愧的泪眼走回头路了。所以读者阿，我们应当等候，耐心等候神的旨意向我们显明！── 梅尔

1 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

2 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

3 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

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 boulders   

n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾

参考例句：

• Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm. 海面风平浪静，海豹在巨石上晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The river takes a headlong plunge into a maelstrom of rocks and boulders. 河水急流而下，入一个漂砾的漩涡中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 harps   

abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句

7 willows   

n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木

参考例句：

• The willows along the river bank look very beautiful. 河岸边的柳树很美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Willows are planted on both sides of the streets. 街道两侧种着柳树。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 withering   

使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的

参考例句：

• She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
• The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。

9 pensive   

a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的

参考例句：

• He looked suddenly sombre,pensive.他突然看起来很阴郁，一副忧虑的样子。
• He became so pensive that she didn't like to break into his thought.他陷入沉思之中,她不想打断他的思路。

10 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。

11 extricate   

v.拯救，救出；解脱

参考例句：

• How can we extricate the firm from this trouble?我们该如何承救公司脱离困境呢？
• She found it impossible to extricate herself from the relationship.她发现不可能把自己从这种关系中解脱出来。

12 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

13 retrace   

v.折回；追溯，探源

参考例句：

• He retraced his steps to the spot where he'd left the case.他折回到他丢下箱子的地方。
• You must retrace your steps.你必须折回原来走过的路。