July 13

"God...calleth those things which be not as though they were." (Rom. 4:17.)

WHAT does that mean? Why Abraham did this thing: he dared to believe God.It seemed an impossibility at his age that Abraham should become the father of a child; it looked incredible; and yet God called him a "father of many nations" before there was a sign of a child; and so Abraham called himself "father" because God called him so. That is faith; it is to believe and assert what God says. "Faith steps on seeming void, and finds the rock beneath."

Only say you have what God says you have, and He will make good to you all you believe. Only it must be real faith, all there is in you must go over in that act of faith to God. --- Crumbs¹.

Be willing to live by believing and neither think nor desire to live in any other way. Be willing to see every outward light extinguished, to see the eclipse of every star in the blue heavens, leaving nothing but darkness and perils² around, if God will only leave in thy soul the inner radiance, the pure bright lamp which faith has kindled³. --- Thomas C. Upham.

The moment has come when you must get off the perch⁴ of distrust, out of the nest of seeming safety, and onto the wings of faith; just such a time as comes to the bird when it must begin to try the air. It may seem as though you must drop to the earth; so it may seem to the fledgling. It, too, may feel very like falling; but it does not fall-it's pinions⁵ give it support, or, if they fail, the parent birds sweeps under and bears it upon its wings.

Even so will God bear you. Only trust Him; "thou shalt be holden up."(Rom14:4) "Well, but" you say, "am I to cast myself upon nothing?" That is what the bird seems to have to do; but we know the air is there, and the air is not so unsubstantial as it seems. And you know the promises of God are there, and they are not unsubstantial at all. "But it seems an unlikely thing to come about that my poor weak soul should be girded with such strength." Has God said it shall? "That my tempted⁶, yielding nature shall be victor in the strife⁷." Has God said it shall? "That my timorous⁸, trembling heart shall find peace?"

Has God said it shall? for, if He has, you surely do not mean to give Him the lie! Hath he spoken, and shall He not do it? If you have gotten a word- "a sure word" of promise-take it implicitly⁹, trust it absolutely. And this sure word you have; nay¹⁰, you have more-you have Him who speaks the word confidently. "Yea, I say unto you," trust Him. --- J. B. Figges, M. A. 　

七月十三日

「亚伯拉罕所信的，是那叫死人复活，使无变为有的神，祂在主面前作我们世人的父。如经上所记，我已经立你作多国的父。」（罗4:17）

　　亚伯拉罕为甚么这样信靠神？照世人的眼光看来，亚伯拉罕到了这么大的年龄，是不能再有作父亲的希望了；但是神却在他还没有一些生子的兆头以先，就叫他「多国的父」了；神既这样说，亚伯拉罕就这样信。这就是信心；信心就是相信拥护神所说的。信心举步的时候，彷佛前面全是空虚；但是脚一踏上去，就立即发见底下有一块稳固的盘石了。

神说你有甚么，你就信你有甚么；这样，神必将你所信的给你。── 碎锦

　　你应当甘心乐意地过着信心的生活，不要羡慕别的。虽然你看见你外面的灯光都熄灭了，天上的星光也蒙蔽了，四围剩下的只是黑暗和危险， 但是你还该欢喜快乐，因为知道神在你内心仍给你留下属灵的灿烂━信心点燃的明灯。── 阿伯汉

　　时候已经到了，你不该再栖息怀疑的木竿上了，走出你自以为安全的巢窝来，披上信心的翅翼罢；小鸟儿必须出来学习飞了。学习的时候， 牠深怕自己会跌下去，可是事实上并没有跌━牠的翅膀支住了牠。

　　读者啊！只要信靠神，「你必要站住」（罗马书 14 章 4 节）。你也许要说：「我这样软弱的人，未必会得着能力罢！」神说：「你会」。你也许要说：「我这易受诱惑、易于降服的天性，未必会得着胜利吧！」神说：「你会」。你也许要说：「我这怯懦震颤的心魂，未必会得着安宁罢！」神说：「你会」。

　　神既这样说过，你当然不能以神为说谎的！祂说过了，难道会不去作吗？所以如果你已经得到了神一句话━一个确实的允许━你就当丝毫不疑完完全全地信任祂，因为你不只有一句确实的话，你也有一位说这话的信实的主。── 费极斯

1 crumbs   

int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式

参考例句：

• She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater. 她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。
• Oh crumbs! Is that the time? 啊，天哪！都这会儿啦？

2 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？

3 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

4 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

5 pinions   

v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These four pinions act as bridges between the side gears. 这四组小齿轮起到连接侧方齿轮组的桥梁作用。 来自互联网
• Tough the sword hidden among pinions may wound you. 虽然那藏在羽翼中间的剑刃也许会伤毁你们。 来自互联网

6 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。

7 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

8 timorous   

adj.胆怯的，胆小的

参考例句：

• She is as timorous as a rabbit.她胆小得像只兔子。
• The timorous rabbit ran away.那只胆小的兔子跑开了。

9 implicitly   

adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地

参考例句：

• Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。
• I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？

10 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。