July 12

"He hath acquainted himself with my beaten path. When he hath searched me out, I shall come out shining." (Job 23:10, free translation.)

FAITH grows amid storms" -just four words, but oh, how full of import to the soul who has been in the storms! Faith is that God-given faculty¹ which, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view, and by which the impossible things are made possible. It deals with supernaturals.

But it "grows amid storms"; that is, where there are disturbances² in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by the conflicts of elements; and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with hostile elements. In such an atmosphere faith finds its most productive soil; in such an element it comes more quickly to full fruition.

The staunchest tree in not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature-this is the tree which the mechanic wants his tools made of, and the wagon-maker seeks.

So in the spiritual world, when you see a giant, remember the road you must travel to come up to his side is not along the sunny lane where wild flowers ever bloom; but a steep, rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet; where the sharp rocks cut the flesh, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous beasts hiss³ on every side.

It is a pathway of sorrow and joy, of suffering and healing balm, of tears and smiles, of trials and victories, of conflicts and triumphs, of hardships and perils⁴ and buffetings, of persecutions and misunderstandings, of troubles and distress⁵; through all of which we are made more than conquerors⁶ through Him who loves us.

"Amid storms." Right in the midst where it is fiercest. You may shrink back from the ordeal⁷ of a fierce storm of trial...but go in! God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to whisper His secrets which will make you come forth⁸ with a shining face and an indomitable faith that all the demons⁹ of hell shall never afterwards cause to waver. --- E. A. Kilbourne　

七月十二日

「然而祂知道我所行的路，祂试炼我之后，我必如精金。」（伯二十三:10）

　　「风雨生信心」━这不是很简单的五个字吗？但是这五个字，对于在风雨中的人是多么有意味啊！信心是神所赐的，信心经过试炼之后，能行种种神奇的事━不可见的能变成可见，不可能的能变成可能。

　　「风雨生信心」就是说，当我们在灵界上遭到困难的时候，我们的信心会得着长进。

　　最坚实的树木并不是生长在森林的庇护下的，乃是暴露在风雨打击得到的空旷之处；它们因着风雨的击打摇动，竟长得极其高大━工匠用来制作器具车辆的，就是这种木料。

　　所以，你应当常常记得你所当行的路，不是阳光闪烁、野花开放的那条，却是一条崄岨狭窄的小路，在那里阴间的狂风险些会将你吹倒，尖锐的石子会割破你的皮肉，突出的荆棘会抓伤你的头额，恶毒的野兽会在你四面吼叫。

　　这是一条又悲伤又欢乐的道路，有痛苦，也有医治；有眼泪，也有眷顾；有试炼，也有胜利。有战争，也有凯旋。路上时常会遇到困难危险、拳打掌击、逼迫误会、烦恼苦楚，然而靠着爱我们的主，在这一切的事上，已经得胜有余了。

　　在风雨最猛烈的当儿，也许你会退缩…但是你只管前进，神要在你试炼的中心与你会面，祂要将祂的奥秘告诉你，使你出来的时候，脸上带着「精金」一般的光彩，心中带着坚定不屈的信心，甚至阴间里的鬼魔再也不能摇动你。──吉博文

1 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

2 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

3 hiss   

v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满

参考例句：

• We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
• Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

4 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

5 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

6 conquerors   

征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Danes had selfconfidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. 这些丹麦人具有征服者的自信，而且他们的安全防卫也是漫不经心的。
• The conquerors believed in crushing the defeated people into submission, knowing that they could not win their loyalty by the victory. 征服者们知道他们的胜利并不能赢得失败者的忠心，于是就认为只有通过武力才能将他们压服。

7 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》