贫穷中信靠神

¶当解困之水渐渐低落，贫穷开始紧紧相逼时，连最好的心也多么容易不信那泉源！当坛里的面、瓶里的油快要用尽时，我们的信心和忍耐也几乎跟着用尽了。此时，要把那骄傲、不信的心压下去，使它在神脚前保持圣洁的安静与甘甜的降服，实在艰难。

¶我们粮仓满满、钱袋充足时，谈论为日用的饮食信靠神，是容易的事。但若像先知那样说：“虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛。然而我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。”这实在不容易！

¶When the waters of relief run low, and poverty begins to pinch hard, how prone are the best hearts to distrust the fountain! When the meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruse, are almost spent-then our faith and patience are almost spent too. Now it is difficult to keep down the proud and unbelieving heart in a holy quietude and sweet submission at the foot of God.

¶It is an easy thing to talk of trusting God for daily bread-while we have a full barn and purse.
But to say as the prophet,
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"-surely this is not easy!