our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Aug 21, 2017, 2:35:54 AM8/21/17

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Training for Life

For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Psalm 66:10

My training for the long-distance race was going badly, and the latest run was particularly disappointing. I walked half the time and even had to sit down at one point. It felt like I had failed a mini-test.

Then I remembered that this was the whole point of training. It was not a test to pass, nor was there a grade I had to achieve. Rather, it was something I simply had to go through, again and again, to improve my endurance.

Lord, I know that You allow me to go through trials so that I will be strengthened and purified.

Perhaps you feel bad about a trial you are facing. God allows us to undergo these times of testing to toughen our spiritual muscles and endurance. He teaches us to rely on Him, and purifies us to be holy, so that we become more like Christ.

No wonder the psalmist could praise God for refining the Israelites through fire and water (Ps. 66:10–12) as they suffered in slavery and exile. God not only preserved them and brought them to a place of great abundance, but also purified them in the process.

As we go through testing, we can rely on God for strength and perseverance. He is refining us through our toughest moments.

Lord, I know that You allow me to go through trials so that I will be strengthened and purified. Teach me to keep relying on You for Your strength to endure.

Faith-testing times can be faith-strengthening times.

训练

上帝啊，祢曾试验我们，熬炼我们，如熬炼银子一样。-诗篇66篇10节

我的长跑比赛训练每况愈下，最近这一次尤其令人沮丧。因为有一半的路程我是用走的，甚至一度还需要坐下来休息。我的感觉就像测试不通过一样，非常的失望。

后来，我才领悟到其实训练本身并非一项测试，要我通过，或得高分。相反地，训练只是我必须走过的历程，一次又一次，从而使我更坚忍，更有耐力。

或许你目前正面临试炼，正感到失望灰心。但上帝允许我们经历这些试炼，为要锻炼我们的属灵生命与耐力。祂教导我们倚靠祂，精炼我们成为圣洁，让我们能更像基督。

难怪以色列百姓虽曾遭受奴役与放逐，但诗篇的作者仍能献上赞美，因为上帝藉由水深火热的苦难熬炼他们（诗篇66篇10-12节）。上帝不仅保留他们的性命，带领他们到丰盛之地，而且还在过程中淬炼他们。

当我们经历试炼时，可以倚靠上帝而坚忍得力。我们处在最严峻的时刻，别忘了，上帝正在熬炼我们。

主啊，我知道祢允许我经历这些试炼，
为要使我更加坚强与圣洁。
请教导我持续倚靠祢，
并求祢赐下使我坚忍的力量。