二月二十一日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/02/0221.mp3″]
经文: 你所念的，你明白么？（使徒行传八：30）
我们若能在明白上帝的话语上更有智慧，就能成为更好的教师，而减少受教义之空谈而摇摆不定。圣灵是圣经的著作者，唯有祂能启迪我们正确地明白圣经。因此，我们必须不断求祂教导并引导我们进入全部真理。当先知但以理答应为尼布甲尼撒解梦时，他迫切求上帝将异象解明（参阅但二：16～23）。使徒约翰在拔摩岛的异象中见到用七印封严的书卷，没有人配展开那书卷。后来，那书卷被犹大支派中的狮子展开了。但是在展开以前，经上记着“我就大哭”（启四： 4）。约翰的眼泪是液态的祈祷。这些祈祷是开启那印封了的书卷之神圣钥匙。倘若为了你自己的和别人的好处，你渴望“在一切属灵的智慧和悟性上，满心知道上帝的旨意”（西一：9），请牢记，祷告是最好的方法。你在寻求上帝的时候，就会像但以理一样明白异梦与异梦的解说。在泪如雨下以后，你也会像约翰一样看到被七印封了的宝贵真理被打开了。石头不会破碎，除非你用铁锤不懈地敲击，用锤子粉碎石头的人必须屈膝跪下。操练自己使用勤勉的锤子和屈膝之祈祷。思想与理解像是紧抓住真理的钢铁楔子，但是祷告是强力打开神圣奥秘铁箱之杠杆，我们也因此可以获得其中隐藏的宝物。
Evening, February 21
Scripture: “Understandest thou what thou readest?”(Acts 8:30)
We should be abler teachers of others, and less liable to be carried about by every wind of doctrine, if we sought to have a more intelligent understanding of the Word of God. As the Holy Ghost, the Author of the Scriptures is he who alone can enlighten us rightly to understand them, we should constantly ask his teaching, and his guidance into all truth. When the prophet Daniel would interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, what did he do? He set himself to earnest prayer that God would open up the vision. The apostle John, in his vision at Patmos, saw a book sealed with seven seals which none was found worthy to open, or so much as to look upon. The book was afterwards opened by the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who had prevailed to open it; but it is written first－“I wept much.” The tears of John, which were his liquid prayers, were, so far as he was concerned, the sacred keys by which the folded book was opened. Therefore, if, for your own and others’ profiting, you desire to be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,” remember that prayer is your best means of study: like Daniel, you shall understand the dream, and the interpretation thereof, when you have sought unto God; and like John you shall see the seven seals of precious truth unloosed, after you have wept much. Stones are not broken, except by an earnest use of the hammer; and the stone-breaker must go down on his knees. Use the hammer of diligence, and let the knee of prayer be exercised, and there is not a stony doctrine in revelation which is useful for you to understand, which will not fly into shivers under the exercise of prayer and faith. You may force your way through anything with the leverage of prayer. Thoughts and reasonings are like the steel wedges which give a hold upon truth; but prayer is the lever, the prise which forces open the iron chest of sacred mystery, that we may get the treasure hidden within.