十一月三十日
亚玛谢问神人说：“我给了以色列军的那一百他连得银子怎麽样呢？”神人回答说：“耶和华能把更多的赐给你。”（代下25：9）
这一个问题在犹大王看来是非常重要的，或许受苦受试的基督徒把它看得更重些。破财总是一件不痛快的事，尤其是当义利不可兼全的时候，肉体总是不甘忍受牺牲的。“爲什麽坐失良机呢？那些钱不是可以派很多的用处吗？交臂失之岂不可惜？爲了真道付出这麽大的代价岂非太不上算了吗？我们少了那些钱该怎麽办呢？想想孩子们和自己微薄的收入吧！”当基督徒受到极大的损失时，这一些和很多别的理由就叫他们犹豫不绝，不知还是染指不义之财呢，或是仍旧本着良心持守信仰？人们不能都在真道的亮光中来看这些事，甚至跟从耶稣的人也是不能。“我们必须生活下去”的思想是根深蒂固，大有重量的。
“耶和华能把更多的赐给你”是这一个困难问题的满意答复。我们的父掌管着财富的来源，若我们爲他的缘故受了亏损，他能偿还千百倍。我们只要顺服他的旨意，深信他必爲我们预备。神至少总不会欠人的债。圣徒知道心里的平安比千镒黄金更有价值。身上穿着破旧的衣服，良心中却满了平安就是极大的灵福；虽然吃亏也是快乐无比的。在牢狱中有神的笑容，便使真正的信徒感到心满意足；在王宫中使神皱眉，蒙恩的人也必当作是地狱。任凭环境愈趋恶化，任凭财富丧失殆尽，我们却未失去我们的宝库，因爲是存在天上，基督在那里坐在神的右边。现在，神却使温柔的人承受地土；“他未尝留下一样好处，不给那些行动正直的人。”
November
30
“And
Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents
which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord
is able to give thee much more than this.”–2 Chronicles 25:9
A very important question this seemed to
be to the king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more weight with the tried
and tempted O Christian. To lose money is at no times pleasant, and when
principle involves it, the flesh is not always ready to make the sacrifice.
“Why lose that which may be so usefully employed? May not the truth itself
be bought too dear? What shall we do without it? Remember the children, and our
small income!” All these things and a thousand more would tempt the
Christian to put forth his hand to unrighteous gain, or stay himself from
carrying out his conscientious convictions, when they involve serious loss. All
men cannot view these matters in the light of faith; and even with the
followers of Jesus, the doctrine of “we must live” has quite
sufficient weight.
The Lord is able to give thee much more
than this is a very satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father
holds the purse-strings, and what we lose for his sake he can repay a
thousand-fold. It is ours to obey his will, and we may rest assured that he
will provide for us. The Lord will be no man’s debtor at the last. Saints know
that a grain of heart’s-ease is of more value than a ton of gold. He who wraps
a threadbare coat about a good conscience has gained a spiritual wealth far
more desirable than any he has lost. God’s smile and a dungeon are enough for a
true heart; his frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the
worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure,
for that is above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile,
even now, the Lord maketh the meek to inherit the earth, and no good thing doth
he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
