Always Advancing

January 16

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. — 1 Peter 2:2

Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:13–2:5

Beloved, don‘t forget that every day must be a day of advancement. If you have not made any advancement since yesterday, in a measure, you are a backslider. There is only one way for you between Calvary and glory, and it is forward. It is every day forward. It is no day back. It is advancement with God. It is cooperation with Him in the Spirit.

We must see these things, because if we live on the same plane day after day, our vision becomes stale; the principles lose their earnestness. But we must be like those who are catching the vision of the Master day by day. We must make inroads into every passion that would interfere, and we must bring everything to the slaughter that is not holy. For in these days, God wants us to know that He wishes to seat us on high.

Often the most trying times are the most beneficial to our Christian growth. Consider Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Remember Moses and the trials he faced. Beloved, if you read the Scriptures, you will never find anything about the easy times. All the glories came out of hard times.

If you are to be really reconstructed, it will be in a hard time. It won‘t be in a singing meeting, but at a time when you think all things are dried up, when you think there is no hope for you and you have passed up everything. That is the time that God makes the person. And out of the experience, we will have a story to tell about what God has done for us. When the trial is severe; when you think that no one is being tried as much as you; when the trial is so hard that you cannot sleep and you do not know what to do; “count it all joy” (James 1:2). You are in a good place when you do not know what to do; look to God for the answer.

Thought for today: It is when you are tried by fire that God purges you, takes the dross away, and brings forth pure gold.

不断前进

1月16日

你们像刚生的婴儿，要切慕那灵奶，叫你们因他而渐长。——彼得前书 2:2

经文阅读：彼得前书 1:13–2:5

亲爱的，不要忘记，每一天都必须是进步的一天。如果自昨天以来你没有取得任何进步，在某种程度上，你就是退步者。在加略山和荣耀之间，只有一条路，那就是向前。每天都要向前。没有回头的日子。这是与上帝同进步。是与祂在灵里合作。

我们必须看到这些事，因为如果我们日复一日地生活在同一层面上，我们的视野就会变得陈旧；原则也会失去它们的严肃性。但我们必须像那些每天都在捕捉圣者异象的人一样。我们必须打入每一个可能干扰的欲望，并且必须将一切不圣洁的东西带到祭台上。因为在这些日子里，上帝希望我们明白，他希望高高地安置我们。

往往最艰难的时期对我们的基督徒成长最有益。想想但以理、撒得拉、米煞和亚伯尼歌。记住摩西以及他所面临的试炼。亲爱的，如果你阅读圣经，你永远不会找到关于轻松时光的记载。所有的荣耀都是在困难时期显现的。

如果你要真正被重建，那会是在困难时期。那不会是在一个唱歌的聚会上，而是在你认为一切都枯竭的时候，当你觉得对你没有希望，你已经放弃了一切。那就是上帝塑造人的时候。通过这样的经历，我们将有一个关于上帝为我们所做之事的故事可以讲述。当试炼很严峻；当你认为没有人像你一样受到试炼；当试炼如此艰难以至于你无法入睡，不知道该怎么办时；“你们落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜” (雅各书 1:2)。当你不知道该怎么办时，你正处在一个好地方；向上帝寻求答案吧。

今日的思考：当你经历火的考验时，上帝会净化你，去除杂质，带来纯净的黄金。