To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark—that is faith. Charles Haddon Spurgeon

在顺境中信靠上帝，那不算什么；
在逆境中信靠上帝，才是真信心。

Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:32

主啊，祢若早在这里，我兄弟必不死。-约翰福音11章32节

As we exited the parking lot, my husband slowed the car to wait for a young woman riding her bike. When Tom nodded to indicate she could go first, she smiled, waved, and rode on. Moments later, the driver from a parked SUV threw his door open, knocking the young bicyclist to the pavement. Her legs bleeding, she cried as she examined her bent-up bike.

当我们开车离开停车场时，我丈夫刻意放慢车速，好让一位骑脚踏车的年轻女孩优先通行。她微笑着朝我们挥了挥手，就继续往前骑。但是没一会儿，前面有一辆停放着的休旅车，司机在开车门下车时，却将那个骑脚踏车的女孩撞倒。那女孩的双腿流着血，一边哭，一边检查被撞得变形的脚踏车。

Later, we reflected on the accident: If only we had made her wait . . . If only the driver had looked before opening his door. If only . . . Difficulties catch us up in a cycle of second-guessing ourselves. If only I had known my child was with teens who were drinking . . . If only we had found the cancer earlier . . .

事后，我们回想整起事故：若是我们让她多等一下……若是那个司机在开车门时能多注意一下……若是……这件事使我们联想到，每当一些事情发生时我们都会这样想：若是我早知道我的孩子跟喝酒的青少年混在一起……若是我们早点发现得了癌症……。

When unexpected trouble comes, we sometimes question the goodness of God. We may even feel the despair that Martha and Mary experienced when their brother died. Oh, if Jesus had only come when He first found out that Lazarus was sick!(John 11:21, 32).

当突如其来的困境临到我们，不免会让我们质疑上帝的美善，甚至可能就像马大与马利亚在遭逢丧亲之痛时，那样绝望无助。噢，要是耶稣早在拉撒路生病的时候就赶快过来，那该多好啊！（约翰福音11章21、32节）

Like Martha and Mary, we don’t always understand why hard things happen to us. But we can rest in the knowledge that God is working out His purposes for a greater good. In every circumstance, we can trust the wisdom of our faithful and loving God.

我们就像马大与马利亚一样，不能明白为何会遭遇一些困境。但我们知道上帝有祂的美意，要叫万事互相效力。上帝既信实又满有慈爱，无论在任何景况里，我们都能信靠祂无比的智慧。

Father, You have carried me through 

hard circumstances before. 

Thank You for teaching me to trust Your heart 

of love even when I don’t understand what

 You are doing in my life.

亲爱的天父，

祢曾带领我度过许多困境。
纵使我并不明白生命中所面对的一切，
我仍要感谢祢，因祢让我知道其中有祢的美意。

John 11:21-35New International Version (NIV)

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

约翰福音 11:21-35Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

21 马大对耶稣说：“主啊，你若早在这里，我兄弟必不死。 22 就是现在，我也知道，你无论向神求什么，神也必赐给你。” 23 耶稣说：“你兄弟必然复活。” 24 马大说：“我知道在末日复活的时候，他必复活。” 25 耶稣对她说：“复活在我，生命也在我。信我的人，虽然死了，也必复活； 26 凡活着信我的人必永远不死。你信这话吗？” 27 马大说：“主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是神的儿子，就是那要临到世界的。” 28 马大说了这话，就回去暗暗地叫她妹子马利亚，说：“夫子来了，叫你。”29 马利亚听见了，就急忙起来，到耶稣那里去。 30 那时耶稣还没有进村子，仍在马大迎接他的地方。 31 那些同马利亚在家里安慰她的犹太人，见她急忙起来出去，就跟着她，以为她要往坟墓那里去哭。 32 马利亚到了耶稣那里，看见他，就俯伏在他脚前，说：“主啊，你若早在这里，我兄弟必不死。”

耶稣哭了

33 耶稣看见她哭，并看见与她同来的犹太人也哭，就心里悲叹，又甚忧愁， 34 便说：“你们把他安放在哪里？”他们回答说：“请主来看。” 35 耶稣哭了。

整理：于姊妹