Daily Devotion - Apr 18 - ¥q¥?‾u‥C?eAF-×(c]) Evening by Evening

司布真每日靈修(夜) Evening by Evening 四月十八日 經文: 您曾說，我必定厚待你。（創世記三十二：12） 當雅各尚在雅博溪之另一邊，以掃帶著武裝的人迎向他來時，他迫切地尋求上帝的保護。他懇求：「您曾說，我必定厚待你。」看他那迫切的懇求！他抓緊上帝的話──「您曾說」。我們能永遠依靠上帝的信實。祂會食言嗎？「上帝是真實的，人都是虛謊的。」（羅三：4）從祂口中所出的每字每句都必堅立，都必應驗。當聖殿建成時，所羅門也有這帶能力的懇求。他懇求上帝紀念祂曾向大衛所說的話賜福那殿。當人拿出一張信用支票時，他是以名譽作擔保。他簽下名，時間到了就必須支付支票，否則他便失去信用。我們永不會說上帝會不尊重祂的支票。祂十分守時──不會早付，更不會逾期。研究上帝的話，並與祂百姓的經歷作比較。你會發現兩者自始至終是一致的。約書亞說：「耶和華你們上帝所應許賜福與你們的話，沒有一句落空，都應驗在你們身上了。」（書二十三：14），這多先祖會同意這話，你若得到上帝的應許，就一定可以兑現。主必使祂的應許實現，不然祂不會應許。當祂說話時，就已決定要成就所說的。 Evening, April 18 Scripture: "And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good."(Genesis 32:12) When Jacob was on the other side of the brook Jabbok, and Esau was coming with armed men, he earnestly sought God's protection, and as a master reason he pleaded, "And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." Oh, the force of that plea! He was holding God to his word—"Thou saidst." The attribute of God's faithfulness is a splendid horn of the altar to lay hold upon; but the promise, which has in it the attribute and something more, is a yet mightier holdfast—"Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." And has he said, and shall he not do it? "Let God be true, and every man a liar." Shall not he be true? Shall he not keep his word? Shall not every word that cometh out of his lips stand fast and be fulfilled? Solomon, at the opening of the temple, used this same mighty plea. He pleaded with God to remember the word which he had spoken to his father David, and to bless that place. When a man gives a promissory note, his honour is engaged; he signs his hand, and he must discharge it when the due time comes, or else he loses credit. It shall never be said that God dishonours his bills. The credit of the Most High never was impeached, and never shall be. He is punctual to the moment: he never is before his time, but he never is behind it. Search God's word through, and compare it with the experience of God's people, and you shall find the two tally from the first to the last. Many a hoary patriarch has said with Joshua, "Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass." If you have a divine promise, you need not plead it with an "if," you may urge it with certainty. The Lord meant to fulfil the promise, or he would not have given it. God does not give his words merely to quiet us, and to keep us hopeful for awhile with the intention of putting us off at last; but when he speaks, it is because he means to do as he has said. www.glorypress.com