十一月十九日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/11/1119.mp3″]
经文: 惟愿我能知道在那里可以寻见上帝。（约伯记二十三：3）
约伯遭遇了极大的苦难，他向上帝呼求。上帝的儿女在灾难中最大的愿望是见上帝的面。他第一个祈求不是：“哦，愿我的疾病得医治”，或甚至求：“哦，但愿我的儿女能从死亡中复活，我的财产归回！”首要的、最迫切的呼求是：“惟愿我能知道在那里可以寻见上帝，祂是我的上帝！我能到祂的台前！”当暴风雨来临时，上帝的儿女立即奔跑回家。已蒙拯救之灵魂的属天本能是寻找耶和华的恩翼，来躲避所有灾难。以上帝为避难所的人配称为真正的信徒。假冒为善的人向灾难发怨言，逃离主。他带着尖涩的傲气说：“我能解决自己的问题！”当其他所有安慰之源枯竭时，约伯要与上帝相交的愿望益发增强。他躲开教他更忧伤的朋友，举目仰望在天的宝座，如同长途跋涉的人抛开已空无一滴水的水壶，向井奔跑。他告别属世的希望，呼求说：“惟愿我能知道在那里可以寻见上帝！”一旦我明白世上一切事物皆为空虚，就能知道造物主的宝贵。当我们发现地上的蜂巢没有蜜却满了螫时，会不屑地离开，转而在上帝的里面欢欣，祂信实之话语比蜜更甜。每一困难来临时，我们必须首先认清上帝的同在。我们若能能欣赏祂的笑容，必能甘心乐意天天背起十字架。
Evening, November 19
Scripture: “O that I knew where I might find him!”(Job 23:3)
In Job’s uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father’s face. His first prayer is not “O that I might be healed of the disease which now festers in every part of my body!” nor even “O that I might see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my property once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!” but the first and uppermost cry is, “O that I knew where I might find HIM , who is my God! that I might come even to his seat!” God’s children run home when the storm comes on. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah. “He that hath made his refuge God,” might serve as the title of a true believer. A hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction, and, like a slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which smote him, and seeks shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him. Job’s desire to commune with God was intensified by the failure of all other sources of consolation. The patriarch turned away from his sorry friends, and looked up to the celestial throne, just as a traveller turns from his empty skin bottle, and betakes himself with all speed to the well. He bids farewell to earth-born hopes, and cries, “O that I knew where I might find my God!” Nothing teaches us so much the preciousness of the Creator, as when we learn the emptiness of all besides. Turning away with bitter scorn from earth’s hives, where we find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble we should first seek to realize God’s presence with us. Only let us enjoy his smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for his dear sake.
