八月二十一日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/08/0821.mp3″]
经文: 我没有对雅各的后裔说，你们寻求我是徒然的。（以赛亚书四十五：19）
当我们想到上帝没有说的事时，可能得到更多慰藉。凡祂曾经说的是满有安慰与喜悦，祂所没有说是也是满有安慰。在许多“没有说”之中，有一项是以色列在耶罗波安的时代能保住国土，因为“耶和华并没有说要将以色列的名从天下涂抹”(王下十四：27)。在今天的经文中，我们能肯定上帝将应允祈求，因为祂“没有对雅各的后裔说，你们寻求我是徒然的。”让你的疑惑和恐惧说它们要说的，但是倘若上帝并没有从怜恤中将你割除，你就不需绝望。甚至良心的声音若不同意上帝的声音，也会变得没有价值。要对上帝已经说过的事颤惊！但是切勿让你们的幻想以消沉和罪恶的绝望胜过你。许多胆怯者怀疑在上帝的命令中有些规定是拒他们于盼望之外的。上帝却斥责那些扰人的恐惧，因为没有一个真正寻找的人会惹起上帝的忿怒。“我没有在隐密黑暗之地说话，即使在我测不着的命令之隐密中，我没有说，你寻求我是徒然的。”上帝清楚地启示，祂要听那些求告祂的人之祈求。祂的宣告不容被怀疑。祂并没有用无法了解的文字来启示祂的思想，倒以清楚正面的话说出来。“你们祈求，就给你们。”（太七：7）祷告必然蒙垂听。即使在永恒的隐密中，主从来没有对任何心灵说过：“你们寻求我是徒然的。”
Evening, August 21
Scripture: “I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.”(Isaiah 45:19)
We may gain much solace by considering what God has not said. What he has said is inexpressibly full of comfort and delight; what he has not said is scarcely less rich in consolation. It was one of these “said nots” which preserved the kingdom of Israel in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, for “the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven.” 2 Kings 14:27. In our text we have an assurance that God will answer prayer, because he hath “not said unto the seed of Israel, Seek ye me in vain.” You who write bitter things against yourselves should remember that, let your doubts and fears say what they will, if God has not cut you off from mercy, there is no room for despair: even the voice of conscience is of little weight if it be not seconded by the voice of God. What God has said, tremble at! But suffer not your vain imaginings to overwhelm you with despondency and sinful despair. Many timid persons have been vexed by the suspicion that there may be something in God’s decree which shuts them out from hope, but here is a complete refutation to that troublesome fear, for no true seeker can be decreed to wrath. “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I have not said,” even in the secret of my unsearchable decree, “Seek ye me in vain.” God has clearly revealed that he will hear the prayer of those who call upon him, and that declaration cannot be contravened. He has so firmly, so truthfully, so righteously spoken, that there can be no room for doubt. He does not reveal his mind in unintelligible words, but he speaks plainly and positively, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Believe, O trembler, this sure truth－that prayer must and shall be heard, and that never, even in the secrets of eternity, has the Lord said unto any living soul, “Seek ye me in vain.”
