一月二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/01/0102.mp3″]
经文: 众民当从新得力。（以赛亚书四十一：1）
地上万物皆需被更新。没有一样被造之物能靠自己的能力得以维生。当诗人说：“祢使地面更换为新”（诗一○四：30）时，他认定一切皆出于上帝的作为。甚至那些不会因忧虑而耗尽自己，或因辛劳而缩减寿命的树木，也必须饮取从天降下的雨露和吸收隐藏于泥土中的宝物。人要维持生命，就必须抑赖从上帝而来的更新。如同每日三餐对补充身体所需的重要性一样，我们的灵命也必须靠上帝的圣言来喂养，藉聆听所传的真道得供养，或藉着敬拜和赞美使灵命长进。若属灵的食粮被忽视，我们基督徒的生命将是何等沮丧啊！有些圣徒不勤于运用上帝的话语和暗中的祈祷，他们是何等贫乏和饥饿啊！若我们的信心能无上帝而活，那一定不是上帝所造的。既然信心生发于上帝，就必须等候祂如同花朵等候朝露。缺乏经常的复兴，我们就无法应付从地狱而来的攻击，甚至不能应付内心的争战。当旋风刮起时，那些没有用许多纠缠在一起的根紧紧抓住磐石的树有祸了。倘若我们不注重善，那恶者必定集中一切力量，拚命挣扎，要征服我们。但愿我们藉着谦卑的祷告来靠近上帝慈悲的脚凳，在那里，我们会看到上帝应许的实现──“那等候耶和华的，必从新得力”（赛四十：31）
Evening, January 2
Scripture: “Let the people renew their strength.”(Isaiah 41:1)
All things on earth need to be renewed. No created thing continueth by itself. “Thou renewest the face of the year,” was the Psalmist’s utterance. Even the trees, which wear not themselves with care, nor shorten their lives with labour, must drink of the rain of heaven and suck from the hidden treasures of the soil. The cedars of Lebanon, which God has planted, only live because day by day they are full of sap fresh drawn from the earth. Neither can man’s life be sustained without renewal from God. As it is necessary to repair the waste of the body by the frequent meal, so we must repair the waste of the soul by feeding upon the Book of God, or by listening to the preached Word, or by the soul-fattening table of the ordinances. How depressed are our graces when means are neglected! What poor starvelings some saints are who live without the diligent use of the Word of God and secret prayer! If our piety can live without God it is not of divine creating; it is but a dream; for if God had begotten it, it would wait upon him as the flowers wait upon the dew. Without constant restoration we are not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, or the stern afflictions of heaven, or even for the strifes within. When the whirlwind shall be loosed, woe to the tree that hath not sucked up fresh sap, and grasped the rock with many intertwisted roots. When tempests arise, woe to the mariners that have not strengthened their mast, nor cast their anchor, nor sought the haven. If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the mastery over us; and so, perhaps, a painful desolation, and a lamentable disgrace may follow. Let us draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty, and we shall realize the fulfilment of the promise, “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”
