August 5

"My grace IS sufficient for you" (2 Cor. 12:9).

It had pleased God to remove my youngest child under circumstances of peculiar¹ trial and pain; and as I had just laid my little one's body in the churchyard, on return home, I felt it my duty to preach to my people on the meaning of trial.

Finding that this text was in the lesson for the following Sabbath, I chose it as my Master's message to them and myself; but on trying to prepare the notes, I found that in honesty I could not say that the words were true; and therefore I knelt down and asked God to let His grace be sufficient for me. While I was thus pleading, I opened my eyes and saw a framed illuminated² text, which my mother had given me only a few days before, and which I had told my servant to place upon the wall during my absence at the holiday resort where my little one was taken away from us.

I did not notice the words on returning to my house; but as I looked up and wiped my eyes, the words met my gaze, "My grace is sufficient for thee."

The "is" was picked out in bright green while the "My" and the "thee" were painted in another color.

In one moment the message came straight to my soul, as a rebuke³ for offering such a prayer as, "Lord, let Thy grace be sufficient for me"; for the answer was almost as an audible voice, "How dare you ask that which is?" God cannot make it any more sufficient than He has made it; get up and believe it, and you will find it true, because the Lord says it in the simplest way: "My grace is (not shall be or may be) sufficient for thee."

"My," "is," and "thee" were from that moment, I hope, indelibly fixed⁴ upon my heart; and I (thank God) have been trying to live in the reality of the message from that day forward to the present time.

The lesson that came to me, and which I seek to convey to others, is, Never turn God's facts into hopes, or prayers, but simply use them as realities, and you will find them powerful as you believe them.--Prebendary H. W. Webb Peploe

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors⁵ increase;

To added affliction He addeth His mercies,

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted⁶ our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded⁷ resources

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

-Annie Johnson Flint

八月五日

「我的恩典是彀你用的。」（林后十二9）

神乐意在我受特殊试炼和痛苦的环境下，将我最小的孩子取去；当我将孩子安放在坟墓里，回到家中以后，我觉得我应该对弟兄姊妹们宣讲一些试炼的意义。

我就选择这个题目来作主日的信息；但是在我预备资料的时候，我发现我所要讲的，连我自己也不能相信；我就跪下来求神给我够用的恩典。我这样恳求了之后，张开眼睛来看见一幅彩色的经文━这幅经文是前几天，我陪着孩子在游息所的时候，我的母亲送到家中来的；我虽然未曾看见过，却曾听见过我的仆人这样告诉我，我也曾吩咐我的仆人将它挂在墙上。

在我回家以后，我未曾去注意上面的字句；这时候，我仰起面来，拭干了眼睛，幅上的字句吸引了我的注意：「我的恩典是够你用的。」

「是」字是鲜绿色的，「我的」和「你」是另一种颜色。

这个信息立即进入了我的心内，责备我不该求神给我够用的恩典；因为神已经很清楚地告诉了我：「我的恩典是彀你用的，你怎么还来要求？只要起来相信，你就要发现这句话是多眞实！」神已经用最简易的字句告诉我们：「我的恩典是（不是将要或者也许）够你用的。」

从那时候起，「我的」，「是」，「你」，都深深地刻上了我的心版；感谢神，从那天起，直到现在，我天天活在这个信息的实现中。

这次我所得到的功课，眞愿意别人也得到：总当将神的事实看为事实，千万不要将事实当作希望、恳求；甚么时候你相信一个事实，你就会发现这个事实是有能力的。──韦迫伯鲁

1 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

3 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

4 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

5 labors   

v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句
• Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句

6 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

7 hoarded   

v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It owned great properties and often hoarded huge treasures. 它拥有庞大的财产，同时往往窖藏巨额的财宝。 来自辞典例句
• Sylvia among them, good-naturedly applaud so much long-hoarded treasure of useless knowing. 西尔维亚也在他们中间，为那些长期珍藏的无用知识，友好地、起劲地鼓掌。 来自互联网