十一月十一日

他永久的膀臂在你以下。（申33：27）

神——永生的——時時是我們的支持，尤其是當我們降落到苦難的深淵裏的時候。有時基督徒卑微地沉入至低之境。當他感到自己的罪大惡極，便謙卑在神的面前，才知道當怎樣禱告，因爲他自己看到自己的不配。神的兒女啊，要記得當你在最不配、最卑下的時候，“在你以下”仍有“永久的膀臂”。罪容或使你墜入至卑之境，但基督的救贖還在那一切之下。你容或下到深淵，但你不會低于“極處”，因爲他能救到極處。再者，基督徒有時深沉在外面的苦難中，屬世的幫助都沒有了，那時該怎麽辦呢？在他以下仍有“永久的膀臂”。只要永遠信實的神約中所應許的恩典仍然環繞著他，他就不會深深陷入灾害和苦難之中。

基督徒容或因爲經過凶猛的爭鬥降于內心的苦痛中，就是那時他也不能再低于“永久的膀臂”——它們乃在他以下；既有它們的扶持，撒但一切加害于他的努力必歸失效。這一個應許是一切軟弱幷熱心服侍神之人的安慰。這應許是每天支持我們的力量，是滿足我們每一個需要的恩典，是我們負起每一種責任的能力。就是當死來到時，這一個應許仍然好用。當我們站在約旦河當中的時候，我們就能與大衛站在一起說：“我不怕遭害，因爲你與我同在。”我們要下到墳墓之中，但我們不能再往下了，因爲永久的膀臂必然阻止我們再往下沉落。終此一生，到末了的時候，我們要高舉“永久的膀臂”——這膀臂乃是永不下垂、永不疲倦的，因爲“永在的耶和華，幷不疲乏，也不困倦”。

November 11

"Underneath are the everlasting arms."--Deuteronomy 33:27

God--the eternal God--is himself our support at all times, and especially when we are sinking in deep trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks very low in humiliation. Under a deep sense of his great sinfulness, he is humbled before God till he scarcely knows how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worthless. Well, child of God, remember that when thou art at thy worst and lowest, yet "underneath" thee "are everlasting arms." Sin may drag thee ever so low, but Christ's great atonement is still under all. You may have descended into the deeps, but you cannot have fallen so low as "the uttermost;" and to the uttermost he saves. Again, the Christian sometimes sinks very deeply in sore trial from without. Every earthly prop is cut away. What then? Still underneath him are "the everlasting arms." He cannot fall so deep in distress and affliction but what the covenant grace of an ever-faithful God will still encircle him. The Christian may be sinking under trouble from within through fierce conflict, but even then he cannot be brought so low as to be beyond the reach of the "everlasting arms"--they are underneath him; and, while thus sustained, all Satan's efforts to harm him avail nothing.

This assurance of support is a comfort to any weary but earnest worker in the service of God. It implies a promise of strength for each day, grace for each need, and power for each duty. And, further, when death comes, the promise shall still hold good. When we stand in the midst of Jordan, we shall be able to say with David, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." We shall descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the "everlasting arms"--arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for "the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary."