5月12日 患难的日子
患难的日子
圣徒在患难中亦能得享极大的喜乐，因为他们喜乐的源头并不在自己里面。
患难在某种意义上是痛苦的，因为它可能剥夺我们的喜乐。 患难如同苦药，会给感官带来不悦。因此，所罗门在论及患病的困苦岁月时，称那些日子令人厌烦，以至于我们会说：“我毫无喜乐”（传12:1）。天然的喜乐如同一朵娇花，在顺境的暖阳下盛开，可一旦这阳光被试炼的乌云遮蔽，它便会枯萎凋谢。
然而，圣徒在患难中亦能得享极大的喜乐，因为他们喜乐的源头并不在自己里面。 这喜乐是神所赐予的；若非如此，当患难临头时，他们也会像世人一样凄惨。从患难中生出安慰，这绝非自然之理，正如荆棘长不出葡萄，旷野也产不出吗哪。但神偏偏选择这样的时刻，好叫祂爱之全能更加彰显。当以利亚挑战巴力的先知时，他先命人用水将木柴和祭物浇透，甚至祭坛四周的沟里也注满了水；随后他祷告，火便从天降下，将祭物焚烧净尽。照样，神也可能容许患难的洪水倾倒在祂儿女身上，随后，祂就在他们心中点燃内在的喜乐，以吞灭他们一切的忧愁。患难之水，反而使他们属灵的喜乐更显甘甜。即便如此，良善的仍是神，而患难本质上依然是令人痛苦的。
患难的日子，也是陈年旧罪被唤起的时刻。 患难之日会带来令人生厌的提醒，使我们想起生命中曾经有过的罪恶。那些多年前已被埋葬在坟墓里的已被遗忘的旧罪，此刻又回来缠绕我们，其幽灵在我们的良心中游荡。正如黑夜加重了人对未见之事的恐惧，照样，当死亡临近时，那些被重新忆起的罪恶也会加深我们的战兢。当初族长们在困苦中看见自己的罪反扑到自己身上时，他们从未像那时一样觉得自己的罪是如此可怕（创42:21）。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民21章，诗60-61章，
个人灵修：赛9章，雅3章
MAY 12, TUESDAY
THE DAY OF AFFLICTION
The saints can have their greatest portion of joy in affliction, for the source of their joy is outside themselves.
Affliction is evil, or bad, in the sense that it may rob us of our joy. Like bitter medicine, affliction has an unpleasant effect on the senses. Therefore, Solomon, speaking of the evil days of sickness, declares them to be so distasteful that we shall say, “We have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Natural joy is a flower that flourishes in the sun of prosperity and withers when that sun is hidden by a cloud of trials.
Nevertheless, the saints can have their greatest portion of joy in affliction, for the source of their joy is outside themselves. God sends it, or else they would be as miserable as others are when trouble strikes. For comfort to spring from affliction is no more natural than for grapes to grow on thorns or for manna to appear in the wilderness. But God chooses this season to make the omnipotence of His love the more conspicuous. When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal, he first had the wood and sacrifice drenched with water and the trench around the altar filled to the brim. Then he prayed and brought fire from heaven to lick it up. In like manner, God may allow a flood of afflictions to pour upon His children; He then kindles that inward joy in their bosoms to consume all their sorrows. The very waters of affliction add a further sweetness to their spiritual joy. Still, it is God who is good and affliction that is evil.
It is a day when past sins are remembered. The day of affliction brings unwelcome reminders of what sinful evils have passed in our lives. Old sins which were buried many years ago in the grave of forgetfulness come back to haunt us. Their ghosts walk in our consciences. And as the darkness of night heightens our fear of the unseen, so the day when death approaches adds to the terror of our sins, then remembered. Never did the patriarchs’ sin look so ghastly to them as when it recoiled upon them in their distress (Genesis 42:21).