November 18

“Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me”(Luke7:23)

It is sometimes very difficult not to be offended in Jesus Christ.

The offenses² may be circumstantial. I find myself in a prison-house━a narrow sphere, a sick chamber³, an unpopular position━when I had hoped for wide opportunities. Yes, but He knows what is best for me. My environment is of His determining. He means it to intensify⁴ my faith, to draw me into nearer communion with Himself, to ripen⁵ my power. In the dungeon⁶ my soul should prosper⁷.

The offense¹ may be mental. I am haunted by perplexities, questions, which I cannot solve. I had hoped that, when I gave myself to Him, my sky would always be clear; but often it is overspread by mist and cloud. Yet let me believe that, if difficulties remain, it is that I may learn to trust Him all the more implicitly━to trust and not be afraid. Yes, and by my intellectual conflicts, I am trained to be a tutor to other storm-driven men.

The offense may be spiritual. I had fancied that within His fold I should never feel the biting winds of temptation; but it is best as it is. His grace is magnified. My own character is matured. His Heaven is sweeter at the close of the day. There I shall look back on the turnings and trials of the way, and shall sing the praises of my Guide. So, let come what will come, His will is welcome; and I shall refuse to be offended in my loving Lord.━Alexander Smellie

Blessed is he whose faith is not offended,

When all around his way

The power of God is working out deliverance

For others day by day;

Though in some prison drear has own soul languish⁸,

Till life itself be spent,

Yet still can trust his Father's love and purpose,

And rest therein content.

Blessed is he, who through long years of suffering,

Cut off from active toil⁹,

Still shares by prayer and praise the work of others,

And thus “divides the spoil.”

Blessed are thou, 0 child of God, who sufferest,

And canst not understand

The reason for thy pain, yet gladly leavest

Thy life in His blest Hand.

Yea, blessed art thou whose faith is "not offended"

By trials unexplained,

By mysteries unsolved, past understanding,

Until the goal is gained.

━Freda Hanbury Allen

十一月十八日

「凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了。」 （路七:23）

有时候，「不因主跌倒」，的确是一件很难做到的事情。

叫我们跌倒的也许是环境方面的事情━当我们渴望为主作工的时候，却被囚在一个极狭窄的地方、一间病室里、一个不顺遂的地位上。但是，无论如何，主知道我们的需要。我们所在的环境，都是主亲手替我们安排的。祂放我们在现在的地位上，是要加增我们的信心，牵引我们更近主。

叫我们跌倒的也许是思想方面的事情━思想一直萦绕着许多我们所不能解决的疑问、难题。我们原希望：当我们把自己交给主的时候，天色就会变蓝的；可是交托了以后，天空仍满布着烟雾、黑云。让我们在这里相信：如果我们把自己交给主以后，困难仍在的话，这定规是因为主要我们学习更深信祂的缘故。

叫我跌倒的也许是属灵方面的事情━我们曾以为在主的怀抱中，不再受到试探的狂风了；可是，不料试探的狂风却比以前来得更猛。试探越加猛，主的恩典越加大。我们如果回过头去看看我们一路所遭遇的试炼，我们就会大声歌咏赞美我们的向导了。所以，不论前面将遭遇的是甚么，只要是主的旨意，我们都该欢迎。但愿我们不再因我们的爱主跌倒！━司买莉

神在他周围救赎别人,

发挥着无穷的大力；

他虽轮不到,仍能不违信心,

他就有了福泽；

他的灵魂虽在幽禁中凋萎,

直到生命结朿,

他仍能信靠天父的爱和目的,

而得安息满足。

种人是有福的;经过长期痛苦,

隔离了实际的活动与服务,

仍以祈祷和赞美分担别人工作,

他也必分享到应有的酬报。

神的子女,你是有福的,

你虽不懂你受苦的去迹来踪,

你接受了最大的苦难,

仍乐意把生命交在祂手中。

始终不违信心的,就有福了,

经过不能说明的试炼,

经过无法解答和领会的谜团,

直到目标的实现。

一艾伦

1 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

2 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

5 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

6 dungeon   

n.地牢，土牢

参考例句：

• They were driven into a dark dungeon.他们被人驱赶进入一个黑暗的地牢。
• He was just set free from a dungeon a few days ago.几天前，他刚从土牢里被放出来。

7 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

8 languish   

vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎

参考例句：

• Without the founder's drive and direction,the company gradually languished.没有了创始人的斗志与指引，公司逐渐走向没落。
• New products languish on the drawing board.新产品在计划阶段即告失败。

9 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。