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「祂……將我藏在祂手蔭之下；又使我成為磨亮的箭，將我藏在祂箭袋之中。」（聖經以賽亞書四十九章 2 節）
「在祂手蔭之下」，我們常有到那裡去的需要。
日光太炫耀了，我們的目光會受到損傷，使我們不能分辨相仿的顏色。所以神將我們暫時藏在疾病的蔭中、憂愁的蔭中、窮苦的蔭中，在那裡和日光隔絕。
不要想神已經把你丟在一邊了。你仍舊在祂箭袋之中；祂並沒有把你當作無用之物拋去。
祂現在把你藏起，保守你直到相當的時候，祂要配你在弓弦上，送你出去，使仇敵受虧損，使神得榮耀。哦！在神手蔭之下的信徒啊，戰士如何寶貝他的箭，把它藏在貼身的箭袋中，神也如此寶貝你、愛護你、藏你在祂的蔭蔽之下。── 譯自從梅爾（Meyer）著「以賽亞書中的基督」
很多時候，黑蔭倒是生長必需的條件。
美麗的玉蜀黍在夏夜的蔭下生長得最快。在炎熱的日光下，它的葉子是捲曲著的，到了天上起黑雲的時候，葉子很快地開放了。也有很多美麗的花，日間藏起它們的美麗來，晚蔭降時方才開放。神的手蔭也能幫助我們生命的長發，彰顯我們屬靈的美麗。 ── 選
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“In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.” (Isa. 49:2.)
“In the shadow.” We must all go there sometimes.
The glare of the daylight is too brilliant; our eyes become injured, and unable to discern the delicate shades of color, or appreciate neutral tints-the shadowed chamber of sickness, the shadowed house of mourning, the shadowed life from which the sunlight has gone.
But fear not? It is the shadow of God’s hand. He is leading thee. There are lessons that can be learned only there.
The photograph of His face can only be fixed in the dark chamber. But do not suppose that He has cast thee aside. Thou art still in His quiver; He has not flung thee away as a worthless thing.
He is only keeping thee close till the moment comes when He can send thee most swiftly and surely on some errand in which He will be glorfied. Oh, shadowed, solitary ones, remember how closely the quiver is bound to the warrior, within easy reach of the hand, and guarded jealously. --- Christ in Isaiah, Meyer.
In some spheres the shadow condition is the condition of greatest growth.
The beautiful Indian corn never grows more rapidly than in the shadow of a warm summer night. The sun curls the leaves in the sultry noon light, but they quickly unfold, if a cloud slips over the sky. There is a service in the shadow that is not in the shine. The world of stellar beauty is never seen at its best till the shadows of night slip over the sky. There are beauties that bloom in the shade that will not bloom in the sun. There is much greenery in lands of fog and clouds and shadow. The florist has “evening glories” now, as well as “morning glories.” The “evening glory” will not shine in the noon’s splendor, but comes to its best as the shadows of evening deepen.
If all of life were sunshine, Our faces would be fain To feel once more upon them The cooling plash of rain. --- Henry Van Dyke.
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