七月十九日
耶和華我們神將他的榮光和他的大能顯給我們看。（申5：24）
神所設計的一切工作就是要彰顯他的榮耀，若不是爲了這個目的，他就當作是毫無價值的事。但神的榮耀如何能向我們這些墮落的人顯現呢？人的眼睛是高傲的，他只看到自己的尊貴，重視自己的力量，因此沒有資格看神的榮耀。很清楚的，自己必須讓開，然後神才能被高舉；他常使他的民經過艱難困苦就是爲了這個原因，好叫人知道自己的愚妄和軟弱。當神拯救他們的時候，才能看到神的威能。
基督徒的生活若是在一條平坦的道路上，也不能多看到神的榮耀。因爲他沒有倒空自己的機會，因此不易得神豐滿的啟示。在小溪或淺河裏航行的人，是不會認識平靜風浪的神的，但那“在大水中經理事務的”，“他們看見耶和華的作爲，幷他在深水中的奇事。”在困苦、貧窮、迷或和責備的汪洋巨浪裏，我們才知道耶和華的作爲，因爲那時我們才感到人的渺小。那末當我們行經崎嶇的道路時，要感謝神，因爲這樣你才能經驗到神的偉大和慈愛。你的困難使你多多認識神，這是別的方法所辦不到的：神使你在經過災難的時候也能使磐石裂開，像他向他的僕人摩西所行的，那時你就可以看到他的榮耀。當你在黑暗和貧困中的時候要贊美神，因爲那或許就是興盛的起頭，你也必因與神相交而反映出他的榮耀來。
July 19
“The Lord our God hath shewed us His glory.”
— Deuteronomy 5:24
God’s great design in
all His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this
were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such
fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance
towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is
not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self
must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and
this is the reason why He bringeth His people ofttimes into straits and
difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they
may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes forth to work their
deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of
the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence,
but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who
navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of
tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see His
“wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement,
poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we
feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough
road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and
lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to
be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in
which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold
His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the
darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that
in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings
of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.
