一月二十二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/01/0122.mp3″]
经文: 约伯敬畏上帝，岂是无故呢？（约伯记一：9）
当撒但提到正直的人时，它常常会提出这一个邪恶的问题。但今日确实可以向许多人提出此问题。他们爱上帝只因为祂使他们昌盛。倘若事业不顺利了，他们就会放弃曾经夸耀过的对上帝的信心。倘若他们清楚看到自以为皈依上帝以来，所享受的丰盛，他们也会以软弱的属肉体的方式去爱上帝。但是若要他们忍受苦难，他们就会背叛主。他们的爱是针对桌上之美物而来的，而不是爱主人；他们爱贮放食物的柜子，而不是爱房子的主人。旧约的应许是昌盛，新约的应许却是苦难。请记住基督的话：“凡属我不结果子的枝子，祂就剪去。凡结果子的，祂就修理干净，使枝子结果子更多。”（约十五：2）。你若结子，必要忍受痛苦；但是这痛苦会得到珍贵的结果，因为基督徒能从中学习苦难中的喜乐。因为他的苦难越多，基督耶稣给他的安慰也越多。每一金块必须经过火的试验。不要害怕，反要喜乐，美好的时光已为你存留。你不再紧握现在，反倒真正的期盼将向你启示的永恒之事。若你感到即使今生毫无报酬也能事奉上帝，你将在未来的无限奖赏中欢乐。
Evening, January 22
Scripture: “Doth Job fear God for nought?”(Job 1:9)
This was the wicked question of Satan concerning that upright man of old, but there are many in the present day concerning whom it might be asked with justice, for they love God after a fashion because he prospers them; but if things went ill with them, they would give up all their boasted faith in God. If they can clearly see that since the time of their supposed conversion the world has gone prosperously with them, then they will love God in their poor carnal way; but if they endure adversity, they rebel against the Lord. Their love is the love of the table, not of the host; a love to the cupboard, not to the master of the house. As for the true Christian, he expects to have his reward in the next life, and to endure hardness in this. The promise of the old covenant is adversity. Remember Christ’s words－“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit”－What? “He purgeth it, that it may bring forth fruit.” If you bring forth fruit, you will have to endure affliction. “Alas!” you say, “that is a terrible prospect.” But this affliction works out such precious results, that the Christian who is the subject of it must learn to rejoice in tribulations, because as his tribulations abound, so his consolations abound by Christ Jesus. Rest assured, if you are a child of God, you will be no stranger to the rod. Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass through the fire. Fear not, but rather rejoice that such fruitful times are in store for you, for in them you will be weaned from earth and made meet for heaven; you will be delivered from clinging to the present, and made to long for those eternal things which are so soon to be revealed to you. When you feel that as regards the present you do serve God for nought, you will then rejoice in the infinite reward of the future.
