December 20

"Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me(John16:32)

It need not be said that to carry out conviction into action is a costly¹ sacrifice. It may make necessary renunciations and separations which leave one to feel a strange sense both of deprivation² and loneliness. But he who will fly, as an eagle does, into the higher levels where cloudless day abides³, and live in the sunshine of God, must be content to live a comparatively lonely life.

No bird is so solitary⁴ as the eagle. Eagles never fly in flocks; one, or at most two, ever being seen at once. But the life that is lived unto God, however it forfeits⁵ human companionships, knows Divine fellowship.

God seeks eagle-men. No man ever comes into a realization⁶ of the best things of God, who does not, upon the Godward side of his life, learn to walk alone with God. We find Abraham alone in Horeb upon the heights, but Lot, dwelling⁷ in Sodom. Moses, skilled in all the wisdom of Egypt must go forty years into the desert alone with God. Paul, who was filled with Greek learning and had also sat at the feet of Gamaliel, must go into Arabia and learn the desert life with God. Let God isolate⁸ us. I do not mean the isolation⁹ of a monastery¹⁰. In this isolating¹¹ experience He develops an independence of faith and life so that the soul needs no longer the constant help, prayer, faith or attention of his neighbor. Such assistance and inspiration from the other members are necessary and have their place in the Christian's development, but there comes a time when they act as a direct hindrance¹² to the individual's faith and welfare. God knows how to change the circumstances in order to give us an isolating experience. We yield to God and He takes us through something, and when it is over, those about us, who are no less loved than before, are no longer depended upon. We realize that He has wrought¹³ some things in us, and that the wings of our souls have learned to beat the upper air.

We must dare to be alone. Jacob must be left alone if the Angel of God is to whisper in his ear the mystic name of Shiloh; Daniel must be left alone if he is to see celestial¹⁴ visions; John must be banished¹⁵ to Patmos if he is deeply to take and firmly to keep "the print of heaven."

He trod the wine-press alone. Are we prepared for a "splendid isolation" rather than fail Him? ━Selected

十二月二十日

「其实我不是独自一人，因为有父与我同在。」 （约十六:32）

我们都知道：要跟从主，是要出重大代价的。也许要我们放弃合法的权利，也许要我们离开至亲的爱人，叫我们尝到非常的剥夺和孤独。但是我们如果像鹫鹰那样飞上高天，直穿云霄，我们就能与神同居；虽然地上的生活孤独一点，也可以叫我们知足了。

鹫鹰是鸟类中最喜欢独栖的。牠们从不集群而飞；每次我们看见牠们，只能看见一只，最多两只。

一个与神同居的人，虽然没有人的交往，定规有神的交往。

神在寻找像鹫鹰那样的人。因为凡不与神单独同行的人，绝不能明白神最好。摩西虽然精通埃及人的一切学问，他还须在旷野与神单独亲近四十年。保罗虽然精通希腊学问，且曾在迦玛列门下受教，他还须到亚拉伯去学习去沙漠的生活。所以，信徒阿，任神隔离我们罢。不过我并不指寺院式的隔离。隔离能使我们有独立的信心和生活━使我们不再不断的依赖别人的帮助、祷告、信心和照顾。别人的帮助和激励，对于基督人的长进，是绝对必需的，但是到了一个时期，它们会成为个人信心和幸福的直接妨碍。神知道甚么时候我们的环境需要更换，甚么时候我们需要隔离生活。所以让我们把一切交给神罢，祂必带领我们过去。

我们必须有体验单独生活勇气。神的使者，在雅各布耳边轻轻告诉他神秘地名示罗的时候，必须在他单独的时候；但以理得见天上的异象也须先要单独；约翰之得天上的启示，也先要有拔摩岛的经历。

主独自踹酒醡。我们预备跟从祂的脚踪行呢？还是预备叫祂失望呢？━选

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

3 abides   

容忍( abide的第三人称单数 )； 等候； 逗留； 停留

参考例句：

• He abides by his friends. 他忠于朋友。
• He always abides by the law. 他素来守法。

4 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

5 forfeits   

罚物游戏

参考例句：

• She regretted the forfeits she had to pay for selfassistance. 她为自己为了自助而必须付出的代价感到遗憾。
• They were soon to pay their own forfeits. 他们很快就得交纳他们的罚款了。

6 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

7 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

8 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

9 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

10 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

11 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

12 hindrance   

n.妨碍，障碍

参考例句：

• Now they can construct tunnel systems without hindrance.现在他们可以顺利地建造隧道系统了。
• The heavy baggage was a great hindrance to me.那件行李成了我的大累赘。

13 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

14 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

15 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》