十月三十一日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/10/1031.mp3″]
经文: 我曾在旷野干旱之地认识你。（何西阿书十三：5）
主啊，在我堕落的岁月里，祢已认识我，就在那时，祢就为自己拣选了我。当我仍然可厌自嫌时，祢已接纳我作祢的孩子，并且满足我的要求。为此白白的、充足的、丰盛的恩典，我要称颂祢的名。但是从那时开始，虽然我仍然是祢心爱的人，我的属灵生命却常行于旷野之中。祢曾以爱和恩典之泉倾注我心，使我欢欣，使我多结果实。当我外在环境恶劣，在沙漠中徘徊流荡时，祢甜蜜的同在安慰了我。困难的时刻，人把我遗忘，祢却明白我灵之逆境，因为苦难不能使祢爱的光辉黯淡。最最仁慈的主啊，当我处于困境之中时，我要因祢向我所显的信实夸耀祢。任何时刻，我若忘记祢而自大时，愿我能哀伤。我亏欠祢的温柔与大爱。我的心哪，在你光景最低落时，耶稣尚且承认你，现在，你发旺兴盛，更要确定你是耶稣自己和祂道路中的一份子。切勿因为你在世事上的成就而高举自己，甚至耻于承认真理和你曾经有份的教会。跟随耶稣到旷野中，当迫害之焰变炽时，与祂一同背负十字架。在你穷困羞耻之时，祂救了祢的灵魂。切勿背叛祂，切勿以祂为耻。当你对至爱的主有羞耻之念头时，应当对自己感到羞耻！
Evening, October 31
Scripture: “I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.”(Hosea 13:5)
Yes, Lord, thou didst indeed know me in my fallen state, and thou didst even then choose me for thyself. When I was loathsome and self-abhorred, thou didst receive me as thy child, and thou didst satisfy my craving wants. Blessed for ever be thy name for this free, rich, abounding mercy. Since then, my inward experience has often been a wilderness; but thou hast owned me still as thy beloved, and poured streams of love and grace into me to gladden me, and make me fruitful. Yea, when my outward circumstances have been at the worst, and I have wandered in a land of drought, thy sweet presence has solaced me. Men have not known me when scorn has awaited me, but thou hast known my soul in adversities, for no affliction dims the lustre of thy love. Most gracious Lord, I magnify thee for all thy faithfulness to me in trying circumstances, and I deplore that I should at any time have forgotten thee and been exalted in heart, when I have owed all to thy gentleness and love. Have mercy upon thy servant in this thing!
My soul, if Jesus thus acknowledged thee in thy low estate, be sure that thou own both himself and his cause now that thou art in thy prosperity. Be not lifted up by thy worldly successes so as to be ashamed of the truth or of the poor church with which thou hast been associated. Follow Jesus into the wilderness: bear the cross with him when the heat of persecution grows hot. He owned thee, O my soul, in thy poverty and shame－never be so treacherous as to be ashamed of him. O for more shame at the thought of being ashamed of my best Beloved! Jesus, my soul cleaveth to thee.
“I’ll turn to thee in days of light,
As well as nights of care,
Thou brightest amid all that’s bright!
Thou fairest of the fair!”