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「被壓太重，力不能勝。」（哥林多後書一章 8 節）
「好叫基督的能力覆庇我。」（哥林多後書十二章 9 節）
雅各在毗努伊勒，初次經歷了一個以前未經歷的祕訣 ：抓住神；從那一次以後，雅各的信心有了長進，他對神有了更深的認識，他的生活也有新的得勝的能力了。
對待大衛，神必須讓他經過長期痛苦的訓練，叫他知道神的全能與信實，好使他的信心和敬畏神的心得以增長，因為這些美德對於他將來作王是極其緊要的。
沒有別的，只有保羅所不斷經歷的困難、痛苦、危險，能叫保羅學到，能叫全教會學到，「我的恩典夠你用的」（哥林多後 書十二章 9 節）這偉大應允的完全意義。
神給我們困難和障礙，為的是要對付我們的信心。我們在日常的路上，如果遭遇什麼障礙，我們就該認識它們是裝信心的器皿，立刻拿主的豐富和「夠用」去裝滿它們；當我們前進，簡簡單單、完完全全信靠的時候，我們可能還會受到試驗 ，我們可能還需要忍耐等候；但是無論如何，到了最後，我們一定會看見石頭輥開，主耶穌等著賜恩給我們的。── 信宣
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“Pressed out of measure.” (2 Cor. 1:8.)
“That the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9.)
God allowed the crisis to close around Jacob on the night when he bowed at Peniel in supplication, to bring him to the place where he could take hold of God as he never would have done; and from that narrow pass of peril, Jacob became enlarged in his faith and knowledge of God, and in the power of a new and victorious life.
God had to compel David, by a long and painful discipline of years, to learn the almighty power and faithfulness of his God, and grow up into the established principles of faith ;and godliness, which were indispensable for his glorious career as the king of Israel.
Nothing but the extremities in which Paul was constanly placed could ever have taught him, and taught the Church through him, the full meaning of the great promise he so learned to claim, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
And nothing but our trials and perils would ever have led some of us to know Him as we do, to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the measures of grace which our very extremities made indispensable.
Difficulties and obstacles are God’s challenges to faith. When hindrance confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus; and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work; but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double for our time of testing. --- A. B. Simpson.
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