[分享]Streams In the Desert for June 29

Li_ebo

 

Streams In the Desert for June 29    

"There we saw the giants." (Num. 13:33.)

 

 

YES, they saw the giants, but Caleb and Joshua saw God! Those who doubt say, "We be not able to go up." Those who believe say, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able."

 

Giants stand for great difficulties; and giants are stalking everywhere. They are in our families, in our churches, in our social life, in our own hearts; and we must overcome them or they will eat us up, as these men of old said of the giants of Canaan.

 

The men of faith said, "They are bread for us; we will eat them up." In other words, "We will be stronger by overcoming them than if there had been no giants to overcome."

 

Now the fact is, unless we have the overcoming faith we shall be eaten up, consumed by the giants in our path. Let us have the spirit of faith that these men of faith had, and see God, and He will take care of the difficulties. --- Selected.

 

It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants. It was when Israel was going forward that the giants appeared. When they turned back into the wilderness they found none.

 

There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life should lift us above all trials and conflicts. The fact is, the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle. One would have thought that on his great missionary journey to Rome, Paul would have been carried by some mighty providence above the power of storms and tempests and enemies. But, on the contrary, it was one long, hard fight with persecuting Jews, with wild tempests, with venomous vipers and all the powers of earth and hell, and at last he was saved, as it seemed, by the narrowest margin, and had to swim ashore at Malta on a piece of wreckage and barely escape a watery grave.

 

Was that like a God of infinite power? Yes, just like Him. And so Paul tells us that when he took the Lord Jesus Christ as the life of his body, a severe conflict immediately came; indeed, a conflict that never ended, a pressure that was persistent, but out of which he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ.

 

The language in which he describes this is most graphic. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our body."

 

What a ceaseless, strenuous struggle! It is impossible to express in English the forcible language of the original. There are five pictures in succession. In the first, the idea is crowding enemies pressing in from every side, and yet not crushing him because the police of heaven cleared the way just wide enough for him to get through. The literal translation would be, "We are crowded on every side, but not crushed."

 

The second picture is that of one whose way seems utterly closed and yet he has pressed through; there is light enough to show him the next step. The Revised Version translates it, "Perplexed but not unto despair." Rotherham still more literally renders it, "Without a way, but not without a by-way."

 

The third figure is that of an enemy in hot pursuit while the divine Defender still stands by, and he is not left alone. Again we adopt the fine rendering of Rotherham, "pursued but not abandoned."

 

The fourth figure is still more vivid and dramatic. The enemy has overtaken him, has struck him, has knocked him down. But it is not a fatal blow; he is able to rise again. It might be translated, "Overthrown but not overcome."

 

Once more the figure advances, and now it seems to be even death itself, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." But he does not die, for "the life also of Jesus" now comes to his aid and he lives in the life of another until his life work is done.

 

The reason so many fail in this experience of divine healing is because they expect to have it all without a struggle, and when the conflict comes and the battle wages long, they become discouraged and surrender. God has nothing worth having that is easy. There are no cheap goods in the heavenly market. Our redemption cost all that God had to give, and everything worth having is expensive. Hard places are the very school of faith and character, and if we are to rise over mere human strength and prove the power of life divine in these mortal bodies, it must be through a process of conflict that may well be called the birth travail of a new life. It is the old figure of the bush that burned, but was not consumed, or of the Vision in the house of the interpreter of the flame that would not expire, notwithstanding the fact that the demon ceaselessly poured water on it, because in the background stood an angel ever pouring oil and keeping the flame aglow.

 

No, dear suffering child of God, you cannot fail if only you dare to believe, to stand fast and refuse to be overcome. --- Tract.

 

 

纯。爱

英文不够好啊。。。

爱雅

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

 

 

Li_ebo

Streams In the Desert for June 29

 

 

 

"There was silence, and I heard a still voice."(Job 4:16, margin.)

 

 

A SCORE of years ago, a friend placed in my hand a book called True Peace. It was an old mediaeval message, and it had but one thought─that God was waiting in the depths of my being to talk to me if I would only get still enough to hear His voice.

 

I thought this would be a very easy matter, and so began to get still. But I had no sooner commenced than a perfect Pandmonium of voices reached my ears, a thousand clamoring notes from without and within, until I could hear nothing but their noise and din.

 

Some were my own voices, my own questions, some my very prayers. Others were suggestions of the tempter and the voices from the world's turmoil.

 

In every direction I was pulled and pushed and greeted with noisy acclamations and unspeakable unrest. It seemed necessary for me to listen to some of them and to answer some of them; but God said,

 

"Be still, and know that I am God." Then came the conflict of thoughts for tomorrow, and its duties and cares; but God said, "Be still."

 

And as I listened, and slowly learned to obey, and shut my ears to every sound, I found after a while that when the other voices ceased, or I ceased to hear them, there was a still small voice in the depths of my being that began to speak with an inexpressible tenderness, power and comfort.

 

As I listened, it became to me the voice of prayer, the voice of wisdom, the voice of duty, and I did not need to think so hard, or pray so hard, or trust so hard; but that "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God's prayer in my secret soul, was God's answer to all my questions, was God's life and strength for soul and body, and became the substance of all knowledge, and all prayer and all blessing: for it was the living GOD Himself as my life, my all.

 

It is thus that our spirit drinks in the life of our risen Lord, and we go forth to life's conflicts and duties like a flower that has drunk in, through the shades of night, the cool and crystal drops of dew. But as dew never falls on a stormy night, so the dews of His grace never come to the restless soul. --- A. B. Simpson.

Li_ebo

 

Streams In the Desert for July 1    

"There shall be a performance." (Luke 1:45.) "My words shall be fulfilled in their season" (their fixed appointed time). (Greek, Luke 1:20.)

 

 

There shall be a performance of those things That loving heart hath waited long to see; Those words shall be fulfilled to which she clings, Because her God hath promised faithfully; And, knowing Him, she ne'er can doubt His Word; "He speaks and it is done." The mighty Lord!

 

There shall be a performance of those things, O burdened heart, rest ever in His care; In quietness beneath His shadowing wings Await the answer to thy longing prayer. When thou hast "cast thy care," the heart then sings, There shall be a performance of those things.

 

There shall be a performance of those things, O tired heart, believe and wait and pray; At eventide the peaceful vesper rings, Though cloud and rain and storm have filled the day. Faith pierces through the mist of doubt that bars The coming night sometimes, and finds the stars.

 

There shall be a performance of those things, O trusting heart, the Lord to thee hath told; Let Faith and Hope arise, and plume their wings, And soar towards the sunrise clouds of gold; The portals of the rosy swing wide, Revealing joys the darkening night did hide. ─Bessie Porter.

 

Matthew Henry says: "We must depend upon the performance of the promise, when all the ways leading up to it are shut up. `For all the promises of God in him are yea (yes), and in him Amen (so be it), unto the glory of God by us."'(2 Cor. 1:20.)

 

 

 

Li_ebo

Streams In the Desert for July 2

 

 

"When thou goest, thy way shall be opened up before thee step by step."(Proverbs 4:12, free translation.)

 

 

 

THE Lord never builds a bridge of faith except under the feet of the faith-filled traveler. If He builds the bridge a rod ahead, it would not be a bridge of faith. That which is of sight is not of faith.

 

There is a self-opening gate which is sometimes used in country roads. It stands fast and firm across the road as a traveler approaches it. If he stops before he gets to it, it will not open. But if he will drive right at it, his wagon wheels press the springs below the roadway, and the gate swings back to let him through. He must push right on at the closed gate, or it will continue to be closed.

 

This illustrates the way to pass every barrier on the road of duty. Whether it is a river, a gate, or a mountain, all the child of Jesus has to do is to go for it. If it is a river, it will dry up when you put your feet in its waters. If it is a gate, it will fly open when you are near enough to it, and are still pushing on. If it is a mountain, it will be lifted up and cast into a sea when you come squarely up, without flinching, to where you thought it was.

 

Is there a great barrier across your path of duty just now? Just go for it, in the name of the Lord, and it won't be there. --- Henry Clay Trumbull.

 

We sit and weep in vain. The voice of the almighty said, "Up and onward forevermore." Let us move on and step out boldly, though it be into the night, and we can scarcely see the way. The path will open, as we progress, like the trail through the forest, or the Alpine pass, which discloses but a few rods of its length from any single point of view. Press on! If necessary, we will find even the pillar of cloud and fire to mark our journey through the wilderness. There are guides and wayside inns along the road. We will find food, clothes and friends at every stage of the journey, and as Rutherford so quaintly says: "however matters go, the worst will be a tired traveler and a joyful and sweet welcome home,"

 

I'm going by the upper road, for that still holds the sun, I'm climbing through night's pastures where the starry rivers run:

If you should think to seek me in my old dark abode, You'll find this writing on the door, "He's on the Upper Road." ─Selected.

 

 

Li_ebo

Streams In the Desert for July 3

 

 

 

"Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? (Isa. 28:24.)

 

 

ONE day in early summer I walked past a beautiful mead own. The grass was as soft and thick and fine as an immense green Oriental rug. In one corner stood a fine old tree, a sanctuary for numberless wild birds; the crisp, sweet air was full of their happy songs. Two cows lay in the shade, the very picture of content.

 

Down by the roadside the saucy dandelion mingled his gold with the royal purple of the wild violet.

 

I leaned against the fence for a long time, feasting my hungry eyes, and thinking in my soul that God never made a fairer spot than my lovely meadow.

 

The next day I passed that way again, and lo! the hand of the despoiler had been there. A plowman and his great plow, now standing idle in the furrow, had in a day wrought a terrible havoc. Instead of the green grass there was turned up to view the ugly, bare, brown earth; instead of the singing birds there were only a few hens industriously scratching for worms. Gone were the dandelion and the pretty violet. I said in my grief, "How could any one spoil a thing so fair?"

 

Then my eyes were opened by some unseen hand, and I saw a vision, a vision of a field of ripe corn ready for the harvest. I could see the giant, heavily laden stalks in the autumn sun; I could almost hear the music of the wind as it would sweep across the golden tassels. And before I was aware, the brown earth took on a splendor it had not had the day before.

 

Oh, that we might always catch the vision of an abundant harvest, when the great Master Plowman comes, as He often does, and furrows through our very souls, uprooting and turning under that which we thought most fair, and leaving for our torturer gaze only the bare and the unbeautiful. --- Selected.

 

Why should I start at the plough of my Lord, that maketh the deep furrows on my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman, He purposeth a crop. --- Samuel Reutherford.

 

Li_ebo

Streams In the Desert for July 4

 

 

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time...though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." (Hab. 2:3.)

 

 

IN the charming little booklet, Expectation Corner, Adam Slowman was led into the Lord's treasure houses, and among many other wonders there revealed to him was the "Delayed Blessings office," where God kept certain things, prayed for, until the wise time came to send them.

 

It takes a long time for some pensioners to learn that delays are not denials. Ah, there are secrets of love and wisdom in the "Delayed Blessings Department," which are little dreamt of! Men would pluck their mercies green when the Lord would have them ripe. "Therefore will the Lord WAIT, that he may be gracious unto you"(Isa. 30:18). He is watching in the hard places and will not allow one trial too many; He will let the dross be consumed, and them he will come gloriously to your help.

 

Do not grieve Him by doubting His love. nay, lift up your head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on the way to you, and you will be abundantly rewarded for the delay which has tried your faith.

 

O Thou of little faith,
God hath not failed thee yet!
When all looks dark and gloomy,
Thou dost so soon forget─

 

Forget that He has led thee,
And gently cleared thy way;
On clouds has poured His sunshine,
And turned thy night to day.

 

And if He's helped thee hitherto,
He will not fail thee now;
How it must wound His loving heart
To see thy anxious brow!

 

Oh! doubt not any longer,
To Him commit thy way,
whom in the past thou trusted,
And is "just the same today."
─Selected.

Li_ebo

Streams In the Desert for July 5

 

 

 

"I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness…And I will give her her vineyards from thence." (Hosea 2:14, 15.)

 

 

A STRANGE place to find vineyards─in the wilderness! And can it be that the riches which a soul needs can be obtained in the wilderness, which stands for a lonely place, out of which you can seldom find your way? It would seem so, and not only that, but the "Valley of Achor," which means bitterness, is called a door of hope. And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth!

 

Yes, god knows our need of the wilderness experience. He knows where and how to bring out that which is enduring. The soul has been idolatrous, rebellious; has forgotten God, and with a perfect self-will has said, "I will follow after my lovers." But she did not overtake them. And, when she was hopeless and forsaken, God said, "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." What a loving God is ours! --- Crumbs.

 

We never know where God hides His pools. We see a rock, and we cannot guess it is the home of the spring. We see a flinty place, and we cannot tell it is the hiding place of a fountain. God leads me into the hard places, and then I find I have gone into the dwelling place of eternal springs. --- Selected.