Sunday, 13 September 2020
Title: A Rainbow in the Cloud
By: Sidlow Baxter (adapted from his devotional ‘Awake My Heart’)

Psalm 91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;

What “balm of Gilead” is Psalm 91! Such comforting assurance is given from God in heaven to godly souls on earth! As to its human authorship, it was written by Moses, the man of the Law; yet from beginning to end it breathes the unmerited grace and favour of God. We may say that the psalm as a whole is the gracious response of God to the human heart which truly loves and trusts Him.

At the moment, however, it is that middle sentence of verse 15 which holds our attention: “I will be with him in trouble.” It comes with something of surprise, for up to that point there is not a hint that trouble could ever swoop down upon the godly man envisaged in this psalm. He seems to live a charmed life.

10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Angels are given special charge over him. No plague comes near his dwelling. Even if there are lions and serpents, he tramples them underfoot. Glance through the verses again, and it appears that Providence has all smiles and no frowns for him. So it seems until we reach verse 15 and we are gently jolted from our easy misunderstanding. God loves us too well and too wisely to leave us continually enchanted amid flowery beds of ease.

Yes, mark it well: trouble has a permitted place. All of us find it so as we pilgrimage to our heavenly destination. Often indeed does beaming-faced Joy meet us with hands full of fresh fruits and lovely flowers. But from time to time, also, stern-eyed Duty accosts us, with hard challenges. Sometimes, too, black-draped Sorrow says, “Walk a mile with me,” and we can only drag on with heavy feet.

Yet trouble not only has a permitted place; it has a precious ministry (think well over this); and, further, it often gives our Lord His timely opportunity to prove His sympathetic and protective presence with us.

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

It was when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were flung into the intensified furnace that they suddenly made their most thrilling discovery of the divine companionship. It is when the seas “roar” and the mountains “shake with the swelling thereof “, that our heavenly Keeper shows Himself “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46). It is “the fourth watch of the night”, as the storm lashes most fiercely, that He tramples the billows and scatters the night, and comes to us with His
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14: 27)

How many married couples, happy in each other’s love, will tell us that although they were truly one in heart on their wedding day, they never knew how deeply they loved, nor how much they meant to each other, until they had to go through trouble together! And how many of God’s children, whose hearts have found the secret of true respose in the Saviour’s love, will tell us with radiant gratitude that it was when they were in trouble that they made their richest discovery of all that Christ can be to a human heart! Dear brothers and sisters, let it be your endeavour neither to cause trouble nor to fear it. Remember, Jesus says, “I will be with him in trouble.”

Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the assurance of your presence, that You will be with me when trouble befalls me. Help me to never take good times for granted.

Give me contentment, whatever my circumstances. Help me abide in You daily, Lord Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期日, 2020年9月13日
题目：云中彩虹
作者：史诺·巴斯德牧师（内容取自他的灵修书籍“醒起吧，我心！”）
翻译：杨仕涵弟兄

诗篇91：15他若求告我，我就应允他；他在急难中，我要与他同在。

诗篇91正如基列的乳香！上帝赐给世上那些爱祂的灵魂何等安慰的确据！摩西是诗篇91的作者，一个遵守律法的人；然而从开始到末了，他写道上帝所赐的无法以功劳获得的恩典。我们可以说，诗篇91总体描述了上帝对真正爱和信靠祂的人充满恩惠的回应。

然而，正是第15节的中句引起我们的注意：“他在急难中，我要与他同在。” 这一句带来一些惊奇，因为诗篇91到目前为止，似乎没有任何的患难可临到诗篇91中描述的圣人身上。他似乎过着美好的生活。

10 患必不临到你，灾害也不挨近你的帐篷。
11 因他要为你吩咐他的使者，在你行的一切道路上保护你。
13 你要踹在狮子和虺蛇的身上，践踏少壮狮子和大蛇。

上帝吩咐祂的使者保护他，灾害也不挨近他的帐篷。即使有狮子和大蛇，他也要践踏它们。再看一遍这首诗篇，天似乎对他满脸微笑，没有逆境。所以，在我们读到第15节时，我们似乎从误会中被轻轻地碰了一下。上帝对我们的爱伟大，上帝的智慧伟大，祂不能让我们不断地在繁花似锦的安逸之床中。

是的，记住：患难是被允许的。我们所有朝着天家的人将遇到患难。的确，我们经常都面对那面带笑容、满手提着新鲜水果和鲜花的喜乐。但时不时，严肃的责任也会给我们带来艰难的挑战。有时，一身黑衣的悲哀也会对我们说，”跟我走一里路”，我们只好拖着沉重的脚走下去。

然而，患难不仅是被允许的；它也有一个宝贵的事工（请好好想想）;而且，我们的主往往接着患难，在祂最美好的时间，向我们证明祂的怜悯、保护和同在。

以赛亚43：2 “你从水中经过，我必与你同在；
你趟过江河，水必不漫过你；
你从火中行过，必不被烧，
火焰也不着在你身上。”

正是在沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌被扔在烈火的窑中时，他们发现了神圣的伙伴正保护着他们。正是当大海翻腾，山因海涨而战抖时，上帝显示祂是我们的避难所（诗篇46）。正在“夜里四更天“，风不顺，风暴激烈时，耶稣践踏大浪、使夜晚消失，来救我们并对我们说 “放心！是我，不要怕！”（马太福音14：27）。

有多少对幸福的夫妻会告诉我们，虽然他们在婚礼日真是一心一意，但只有在一同经过患难后才知道自己对对方的爱有多深，对对方的意义有多大！有多少找到救主耶稣的爱而回应的上帝儿女会告诉我们，正是在他们陷入困境的时候，他们才发现基督对他们心灵是何等大的安慰！亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，愿你们不要制造患难，也不要惧怕患难。记住，耶稣说，”他在急难中，我要与他同在。“

今天的祷告

亲爱的天父，感谢祢给我们祢同在的保障，祢将在患难中与我同在。求主让我珍惜美好的时刻。
叫我在任何情况都知足、喜乐。求主帮助我天天住在祢里面。奉耶稣的名祷告。阿门。