July 15

"This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith." (1 John 5:4.)

It is easy to love Him when the blue is in the sky. When summer winds are blowing, and we smell the roses nigh; There is little effort needed to obey His precious will When it leads through flower-decked valley, or over sun-kissed hill.

It is when the rain is falling, or the mist hangs in the air, When the road is dark and rugged¹, and the wind no longer fair, When the rosy² dawn has settled in a shadowland of gray, That we find it hard to trust Him, and are slower to obey.

It is easy to trust Him when the singing birds have come, And their canticles are echoed in our heart and in our home; But 'tis when we miss the music, and the days are dull and drear, That we need a faith triumphant³ over every doubt and fear.

And our blessed Lord will give it; what we lack He will supply; Let us ask in faith believing-on His promises rely; He will ever be our Leader, whether smooth or rough the way, And will prove Himself sufficient for the needs of every day.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken⁴; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing; to see the machinery⁵ of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hair-breadth for all entreaty⁶, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly⁷ loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail-such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed. ---George MacDonald

七月十五日

「使我们胜了世界的，就是我们的信心。（约翰壹书五:4）

　什么叫作胜了世界呢？

　　胜了世界就是说，虽然你的环境告诉你神已经弃绝了你，你对于神的信赖，却仍然丝毫不移；虽然你的祷告得不着答应，好似神并没听见一般，你却仍然继续呼喊着；虽然你看见世上充满了残忍，毫不顾惜人类的生命，也不顾念人类的恳求，你却仍然相信神是醒着的，并且是全然慈爱的。除神亲手给你的东西以外，并不愿望别的；忍耐等候，宁愿饿死，也不愿失去丝毫信心━这就是胜了世界，这就是真实的信心。── 麦唐纳

1 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

2 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

3 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

4 Forsaken   

adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词

参考例句：

• He was forsaken by his friends. 他被朋友们背弃了。
• He has forsaken his wife and children. 他遗弃了他的妻子和孩子。

5 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

6 entreaty   

n.恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
• Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。

7 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。