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「所以你們要把下垂的手，發酸的腿，挺起來。也要為自己的腳把道路修直了，使瘸子不至於歪腳，反得痊癒。」（聖經希伯來書十二章 12/13 節）
這是上帝激勵我們的話，叫我們挺起信心的手和禱告的腿來。我們的信心時常會疲憊、衰弱、疏懈；我們的禱告時常會失了能力和功効。
這節聖經眞有能力，它似乎看出我們已經氣餒，已經膽怯了，一點極小的試煉就會使我們沮喪，使我們驚駭；我們就會繞道而行，不敢面對面去對抗；我們會選擇一條比較容易的路去走。
我們時常會用很多方法去逃避試煉，當我們遇到了使我們為難的環境，多少次我們總是用「我現在還沒有準備好」來推脫，來閃避。啊！有多少需要我們犧牲的時候，需要我們順服的時候，需要奪取耶利哥的時候，需要勇氣去帶領失喪的靈魂的時候，需要禱告的時候，或者當我們的疾病，上帝已經醫治了一半的時候，我卻繞道而行──揀選了別條路。
神說：「你們要把下垂的手....挺起來。」一直向大水走去，看啊，水便分開，紅海成了乾地，約旦河立起成壘；不要懼怕，神自會帶領你進入勝利的。
不要任你自己「歪著腳」，快來「得痊癒」。啊！讓你的信心堅強起來！一直向前走去！不要遺留一座耶利哥不被攻破！不要留一點破口任撒但向你誇口！這眞是一課有益而實用的功課。多少時候我們的靈會這樣冷落下來。也許你今天就是這樣。──信宣（A. B. Simpson）
不要去注意那些使你氣餒的事情，無論你的道路是崎嶇，是平坦，總當像一隻輪船一樣，不管雨天、晴天，依然向前行駛。因為你的責任只在裝載貨物按時進港。──貝伯考克（Maltbie D. babcock）
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"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."(Heb. 12:12,13.)
THIS is God's word of encouragement to us to lift up the hands of faith, and confirm the knees of prayer. Often our faith grows tired, languid, and relaxed, and our prayers lose their force and effectiveness.
The figure used here is a very striking one. The idea seems to be that we become discouraged and so timid that a little obstacle depresses and frightens us, and we are tempted to walk around it, and not face it: to take the easier way.
Perhaps it is some physical trouble that God is ready to heal, but the exertion is hard, or it is easier to secure some human help, or walk around in some other way.
There are many ways of walking around emergencies instead of going straight through them. How often we come up against something that appalls us, and we want to evade the issue with the excuse:
"I am not quite ready for that now." Some sacrifice is to be made, some obedience demanded, some Jericho to be taken, some soul that we have not the courage to claim and carry through, some prayer that is hanging fire, or perhaps some physical trouble that is half healed and we are walking around it.
God says, "Lift up the hands that hang down." March straight through the flood, and lo, the waters will divide, the Red Sea will open, the Jordan will part, and the Lord will lead you through to victory.
Don't let your feet "be turned out of the way," but let your body "be headled," your faith strengthened. Go right ahead and leave no Jericho behind you unconquered and no place where Satan can say that he was too much for you. This is a profitable lesson and an intensely practical one. How often have we been in that place. Perhaps you are there today. --- A. B. Simpson.
Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth─rain or shine. To carry your cargo and make your port is the point. --- Maltbie D. Babcock.
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