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August 27
"And he took him aside from the multitude."(Mark 7:33.)
ＰAUL not only stood the tests in Christian activity, but in the solitude of captivity. You may stand the strain of the most intense labor, coupled with severe suffering, and yet break down utterly when laid aside from all religious activities; when forced into close confinement in some prison house.
That noble bird, soaring the highest above the clouds and enduring the longest flights, sinks into despair when in a cage where it is forced to beat its helpless wings against its prison bars. You have seen the great eagle languish in its narrow cell with bowed head and drooping wings. What a picture of the sorrow of inactivity.
Paul in prison. That was another side of life. Do you want to see how he takes it? I see him looking out over the top of his prison wall and over the heads of his enemies. I see him write a document and sign his name─not the prisoner of Festus. nor of Caesar; not the victim of the Sanhedring; but the─"prisoner to the Lord." He saw only the hand of God in it all. To him the prison becomes a palace. Its corridors ring with shouts of triumphant praise and joy.
Restrained from the missionary work he loved so well, he now built a new pulpit─a new witness stand─and from that place of bondage come some of the sweetest and most helpful ministries of Christian liberty. What precious messages of light come from those dark shadows of captivity.
Think of the long train of imprisoned saints who have followed in Paul's wake. For twelve long years Bunyan's lips were silenced in Bedford jail. It was there that he did the greatest and best work of his life. There he wrote the book that has been read next to the Bible. He says, "I was at home in prison and I sat me down and wrote, and wrote, for joy did make me write."
The wonderful dream of that long night has lighted the pathway of millions of weary pilgrims. That sweet-spirited French lady, Madam Guyon, lay long between prison walls. Like some caged birds that sing the sweeter for their confinement, the music of her soul has gone out far beyond the dungeon walls and scattered the desolation of many drooping herats.
Oh, the heavenly consolation that has poured forth from places of solitude!
─S. C. Rees.
「牲畜的血被大祭司帶入聖所作贖罪祭；牲畜身子被燒在營外。所以耶穌要用自己的血叫百姓成聖，也就在城門外受苦。這樣，我們也當出到營外，就了祂去，忍受祂所受的凌辱。」希伯來書十三章11—13節
血要帶入聖所作為贖罪祭，祭牲的身子卻要在營外燒掉；同樣，基督的血能呈到父神面前，祂的身子卻在營外受咒詛。
我們也可在希伯來書十章講到讓我們藉耶穌的血進入至聖所。而今天經文要「我們出到營外就了祂去，忍受祂所受的凌辱」，在祂寶血之下有神更深無畏的同在，使我有進入聖所更大的喜樂，同時我也更深洞察祂為了我的利益出到營外忍受十字架的羞辱。因我在與十字架更多交通之後，也能出到營外就了祂去，忍受祂所受的凌辱。
很多基督徒希望能藉著祂的血坦然進入聖所，卻很難願意有份於祂所受的凌辱，也就很難從世界坦然無懼地進入至聖所。基督徒願意以信心和禱告進入聖所，卻又要在無明顯罪行之下保持世俗的交誼，是不可思議的事，神的話很明顯的指出：「凡與世俗為友，豈不是與神為敵？」「不要愛世界和其上的事，人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裏面」，「不要傚法這世界。」跟隨基督，包括要見證放棄在這世界所能得的東西，像基督一樣，為了榮耀神和拯救人而接受十字架。
賜福的救主！教導我們出到營外就了您去，忍受您所受的凌辱之意義，可以見證您聖潔救贖的愛，引領世人歸向神。賜福的主！但願您裏面的聖靈和慈愛也在我裏面，使我能不惜任何代價領人歸主，因為您已為他們而死。
「應當趁著有光行走，免得黑暗臨到你們。」約翰福音十二章35節
應當把你在山上與神同在的那一頃刻所見的，實行出來。如果你不服從光的指導，你的光就變成黑暗。「你裡頭的光若黑暗了，那黑暗是何等大呢！」（太六23）你一放棄成聖的問題，或神在別事上所給你的光，你就在靈性生活裡乾枯腐爛了。要不斷地將真理實施出來；在任何範圍裡實行出來，不然，你的光就是你的絆腳石。
我們最大的困難，就是過去的經驗，沒有在現在的生活上實行出來。如果你說你成聖了，表示出來吧！沒有純而且真的經驗，不能從生活裡開展出來。小心叫你任意放縱的信心。無論響聲是怎樣好聽，是從惡來的。
你的宗教當在實際生活上實施出來。我們的主說──「你們的義若不勝於文士和法利賽人的義……」（太五20），那就是說，你必要比你所知道最道德的人還要道德些。你也許知道一切論到成聖的教義，但是你在實際生活上實行出來了麼？我們生活的各點，無論是身體，道德或靈性，都是以救贖的標準去評判的。
「……不要為生命憂慮……」馬太福音六章25節
神今天仍然使用那些被人蔑視的人。拿撒勒城、基督徒都曾是帶有侮辱性的稱呼。幾乎很少人能有神最高的旨意，而被當代的人大大地歡迎。相反的，那些往往最受人虐待辱罵的人，也經常是神最重用的人。
比不受歡迎、遭人誤解而言，世界上還有更多更大的不幸。而比起少數分子，人間還有其他更悲慘的事。事實上，在撒但嚇人的偏見、訛傳之後，往往有神最大的祝福。因為聖靈不恥於用那些不受歡迎的人。如果祂用我們，我們還需要在意人怎麼想嗎？
朋友們，願我們只求神的讚賞，輕看人的輿論。我們所需要從人而來的幫助及讚美，神都能給我們。願我們只求神的旨意、祂的榮耀，以及祂的認可。讓我們為祂做最困難的差事，最卑微低賤的工作。因為是至高的神差遣並使用我們，我們應該覺得無上的光榮。願我們勇往直前地跟隨祂走出帳幕，為祂受恥辱。因為在不久的將來，祂會大大地珍惜我們沒有價值的名字，遠勝過天地間無數的名字。