September 5

"Blessed are all they that wait for him" (Isa 30:18).

We hear a great deal about waiting on God. There is, however, another side. When we wait on God, He is waiting till we are ready; when we wait for God, we are waiting till He is ready.

There are some people who say, and many more who believe, that as soon as we meet all the conditions, God will answer our prayers. They say that God lives in an eternal now; with Him there is no past nor future; and that if we could fulfill¹ all that He requires in the way of obedience² to His will, immediately our needs would be supplied, our desires fulfilled, our prayers answered.

There is much truth in this belief, and yet it expresses only one side of the truth. While God lives in an eternal now, yet He works out His purposes in time. A petition presented before God is like a seed dropped in the ground. Forces above and beyond our control must work upon it, till the true fruition of the answer is given.--The Still Small Voice

I longed to walk along an easy road,

And leave behind the dull routine of home,

Thinking in other fields to serve my God;

But Jesus said, My time has not yet come.”

I longed to sow the seed in other soil,

To be unfettered in the work, and free,

To join with other laborers³ in their toil⁴;

But Jesus said, “Tis not My choice for thee.”

I longed to leave the desert, and be led

To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame,

That I might win them; but the Master said,

"I have not called thee, publish here My name. "

I longed to fight the battles of my King,

Lift high His standards in the thickest strife⁵;

But my great Captain bade me wait and sing

Songs of His conquests in my quiet life.

I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere,

Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait,

To feel I had some human helper near,

But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate.

I longed to leave the round of daily toil,

Where no one seemed to understand or care;

But Jesus said, “I choose for thee this soil,

That thou might 'st raise for Me some blossoms rare.”

And now I have no longing⁶ but to do

At home, or else afar, His blessed will,

To work amid the many or the few;

Thus, "choosing not to choose, II my heart is still.

-Selected

"And Patience was willing to wait. "-Pilgrim's Progress

九月五日

「凡等候祂的，都是有福的。」（赛卅18）

关于等候神的眞理，我们已经听得很多了

有些人说━也有许多人相信━我们一履行了所有的条件，神就要立即答应我们的祷告。他们说：神永远是现在的神；在神没有过去，也没有将来；如果我们能够顺服祂的旨意，实行祂的命令，立刻我们的需要可以得到供给，我们的欲望可以得到满足，我们的祷告可以得到答应。

这种信仰也有许多眞理，但是可惜只表达了眞理的一面。神永远是现在的神，这句话一点都不错；但是神行事是有祂的「时候」的。一个呈在神前的请求，好像一粒在地里的种子。上面的力，必须多方栽培，答应纔会得到眞实的实现。－－译自微小的声音

1 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

2 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

5 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。

6 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。