TRUST IN GOD 信靠神

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God how could you do this to me!" he cried.

在一場船難中，唯一的生存者隨著潮水，漂流到了一座無人島上。他天天激動地祈禱神救他能夠早日離開此處，回到家鄉，他還每天注視著海上有否可搭救他的其他人，但卻是除了汪洋一片，什麼也沒有來。後來，他決定用那帶領他到小島上的木頭造一個簡陋的小木屋以保護他在這險惡的環境中生存，並且保存他所有剩下的東西。但在有一天，在他捕完食物後，準備回小屋時，突然發現他的小屋竟然陷在熊熊烈火之中，大火引起的濃煙不斷向天上竄。最悲慘的事情是，他的所有、一切東西，在這一瞬間，通通化為烏有了。悲痛的他，氣憤的對天吶喊著：「神啊！你怎麼可以這樣對待我！」頓時，他的眼淚從他的眼角中流出。

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

第二天的一早，他被一艘正靠近小島的船隻的鳴笛聲所吵醒。是的，它來救他了。當他到船上時，他問那些船員說：「你怎麼知道我在這裡？」「因為我們看到了信號般的濃煙。」他們回答說。

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it .

人再碰到困難時，很容易會沮喪。 不過，不管你受到折磨或著痛苦時，我們都不能因此失去信心，因為上帝祂一直在我們心理面，做祂奇妙的工作。記住，當下一次你的小木屋著火時，那可能只是上帝美妙恩典的表徵而已。在我們所認為所有負面的事情上，上帝都是會有正面的答案的。