石花

經文: 「祢叫祢的民遇見艱難。」（詩六十3）

        我很高興的是詩篇作者對上帝說有些事是艱難的。這句話說得不錯，生活中確實有許多艱難的事。今年夏天，有人送給我一些美麗的粉紅色花，我問這是什麼花，回答是：「這些是石花；石花只在你看不見泥土的岩石上生長開花。」於是我想到在艱難處生長的上帝的花；因此，不知怎麼地，我感覺到上帝可能對其「石花」特別親切，其親切的程度可能是祂對其百合花和玫瑰花所沒有的。──瑪格麗特˙博頓（Margaret Bottome）

        人生的試驗都是造就我們，不是破壞我們的。患難也許會拆毀我們的事業，可是能建立我們的品性。外面最大的打擊，乃是裡面最大的祝福。如果上帝允許艱難臨到我們，那臨到我們的危險、患難，定規都是於我們有益的；倘使我們退縮、叛逆，我們必會蒙到損失。──貝伯考克（Maltbie D. Babcock）

        上帝的精兵都是從苦難中得來的。 

Rock Flowers

Scripture: "Thou hast shewed thy people hard things" (Ps. 60:3).

        I have always been glad that the Psalmist said to God that some things were hard. There is no mistake about it; there are hard things in life. Some beautiful pink flowers were given me this summer, and as I took them I said, "What are they?" And the answer came, "They are rock flowers; they grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil." Then I thought of God's flowers growing in hard places; and I feel, somehow, that He may have a peculiar tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not have for His lilies and roses. --Margaret Bottome

        The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man's business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man. If God, then, puts or permits anything hard in our lives, be sure that the real peril, the real trouble, is what we shall lose if we flinch or rebel. --Maltbie D. Babcock

        "God gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction."