“Reckon it nothing but joy...whenever you find yourself hedged in by the various trials, be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.” (James 1:2, 3) (Weymouth)
God hedges in His own that He may preserve them, but oftentimes they only see the wrong side of the hedge, and so misunderstand His dealings. It was so with Job (Job 3:23). Ah, but Satan knew the value of that hedge! See his testimony in chapter 1:10. Through the leaves of every trial there are chinks of light to shine through. Thorns do not prick you unless you lean against them, and not one touches without His knowledge. The words that hurt you, the letter which gave you pain, the cruel wound of your dearest friend, shortness of money ━ are all known to Him, who sympathizes as none else can and watches to see, if, through all, you will dare to trust Him wholly.
“The hawthorn hedge that keeps us from intruding,
Looks very fierce and bare
When stripped by winter, every branch protruding
Its thorns that wound and tear.
“But spring-time comes; and like the rod that budded,
Each twig breaks out in green;
And cushions soft of tender leaves are studded,
Where spines alone are seen.
“The sorrows, that to us seem so perplexing,
Are mercies kindly sent,
To guard our wayward souls from sadder vexing,
And greater ills prevent.
“To save us from the pit, no screen of roses
Would serve for our defense,
The hindrance that completely interposes
Stings back like thorny fence.
“At first, when smarting from the shock, complaining
Of wounds that freely bleed,
God’s hedges of severity us paining,
May seem severe indeed.
“But afterwards, Gods blessed spring-time cometh,
And bitter murmurs cease;
The sharp severity that pierced us bloometh,
And yields the fruits of peace.
Then let us sing, our guarded way thus wending
Life’s hidden snares among,
Of mercy and of judgment sweetly blending;
Earths sad, but lovely song.”
一月十二日
“无论何时你们看见自己被各样试炼围困了，都要以为大喜乐；因为知道你们的信心经过试验，就生忍耐” （雅一：2-3）
神常围困祂自己的儿女们，为着要训练他们；可是人总错看祂的围困，误会祂的作为。乔布就是这样，他说：“人的道路旣然遮隐，神又把他四面围困，为何有光赐给他呢？”（伯三：23）。啊，神的儿女们！试炼虽然围困我们，仍有许多隙缝可以透光进来的。荆棘不会来刺你，除非你靠着它。并且那些伤你的话语，使你痛心的信札，亲朋的弃绝，经济的压迫…神都知道。如果，你敢完全信靠祂，祂必与你表同情，并且负你一切的责任。
荆棘编成的藩篱，
被寒冬剥夺了青翠，
剩下光秃的树枝，
满眼针扎尖刺。
春来了，像花朵怒放，
抽出了绿色枝条，
嫩叶纷披，婆娑掩隐，
如何地青葱美娇。
别以为悲哀多么恼人，
却是天赐的宏恩，
免得任性的灵魂，
陷入更深的纠纷。
为了免去我们沉沦地狱，
不用玫瑰花作护佑的屏风，
我们的四周，祇有
触着生痛的荆篱重重。
荆棘刺得我们疼痛，
还要埋怨创口流血，
多么的严厉凛冽，
这是神的圭臬。
终于神赐的春天来了，
痛苦的呻吟停止，
艰难中开出花朵，
结成平安的果子。
让我们高歌前进，
穿过隐伏的人生陷阱，
走上恩威兼施神安排的道路，
高唱悲壮柔和的歌咏。