http://www.glorypress.com/devotional/FaithAndLifeOneYearBook.asp?bid=1
迟延
经文: 「你要的确知道，你的后裔必寄居别人的地……那地的人要苦待他们四百年……
后来他们必带着许多财物，从那里出来。」（创十五12~ 14）
上帝给我们的祝福中间，有两个是我们所最不欢迎的：一个是迟延，一个是苦
难。上帝给亚伯兰本身的一个誓约尚未实现，现在又给他的后裔一个同样仿佛不可忍耐
的誓约。但是无论如何，这些誓约虽然迟延，至终都得到了实现：以色列人出埃及的时
候，果然「把埃及人的财物夺去了」（出十二36）
上帝常用迟延和苦难来试验我们；但是在这一切中间却站着上帝的誓约──祂
在基督里与我们所立的新约。所以让我们为着迟延和苦难来赞美祂罢，因为这是祂给我
们的祝福。 ──崔伦保
Delayed
Scripture: "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land
that is not theirs; . . . they shall afflict them four hundred years; . . .
and afterward they shall come out with great substance" (Gen. 15:12-14).
An assured part of God's pledged blessing to us is delay and
suffering. A delay in Abram's own lifetime that seemed to put God's pledge
beyond fulfillment was followed by seemingly unendurable delay of Abram's
descendants. But it was only a delay: they "came out with great substance."
The pledge was redeemed.
God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will come
suffering, but through it all stands God's pledge: His new covenant with me
in Christ, and His inviolable promise of every lesser blessing that I need.
The delay and the suffering are part of the promised blessing; let me praise
Him for them today; and let me wait on the Lord and be of good courage and
He will strengthen my heart. --C. G. Trumbull
