“Pressed out of measure” (2 Cor.1:8)
“That the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor.12:9)
God allowed the crisis to close around Jacob on the night when he bowed at Peniel in supplication, to bring him to the place where he could take hold of God as he never would have done; and from that narrow pass of peril, Jacob became enlarged in his faith and knowledge of God, and in the power of a new and victorious life.
God had to compel David, by a long and painful discipline of years, to learn the almighty power and faithfulness of his God, and grow up into the established principles of faith and godliness, which were indispensable for his glorious career as the king of Israel
Nothing but the extremities in which Paul was constantly placed could ever have taught him, and taught the Church through him, the full meaning of the great promise he so learned to claim, "My grace is sufficient for thee."
And nothing but our trials and perils would ever have led some of us to know Him as we do, to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the measures of grace which our very extremities made indispensable.
Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus; and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work; but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double for our time of testing. ━A. B. Simpson
十一月十五日
「被压太重，力不能胜。」 （林后一:8）
「好叫基督的能力覆庇我。」 （林后十二:9）
雅各在毘努依勒，初次经历了一个从未经历的秘诀━抓住神；从那一次以后，雅各的信心有了长进，他对神有了更深的认识，他的生活也有新的得胜能力了。
对待大卫，神必须让他经过长期痛苦的训练，叫他知道神的全能与信实好使他的信心和敬畏的心得以增长，因为这些美德对于他将来作王是极其紧要的。
没有别的，只有保罗所不断经历的困难、痛苦、危险，能叫保罗学到，能叫全教会学到，「我的恩典够你用的」（林后十二9）这伟大应许的完全意义。
今天能带我们认识主、信靠主、向主支取无限恩典的，不是别的，乃是我们的试炼和危险。
神给我们困难和障碍，为的是要对付我们的信心。我们在日常的道路上，如果遭遇甚么障碍，我们就该认识它们是装信心的器皿，立刻拿主的丰富和「够用」去装满它们；当我们前进，简简单单、完完全全信靠的时候，我们也许还会受到试验，我们也许还需要忍耐等候；但是无论如何，到了最后，我们一定会看见石头辊开，主耶稣等着赐恩给我们的。━宣信