God’s power is at work within us.

上帝的能力正在你我心中动工。

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 

我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里，要显明这莫大的能力，是出于上帝，不是出于我们。-哥林多后书4章7节

As a young mother, I was determined to document my daughter’s first year of life. Each month, I took photos of her to illustrate how she had changed and grown. In one of my favorite pictures, she is gleefully sitting in the belly of a hollowed-out pumpkin I purchased from a local farmer. There she sat, the delight of my heart, contained in an overgrown squash. The pumpkin withered in the ensuing weeks, but my daughter continued to grow and thrive.

初为人母，我认真记录女儿周岁前的点点滴滴。每个月都为她拍照，看着她成长和改变。我最喜欢的一张照片，是她开心地坐在中空的大南瓜里，那是我跟附近农家买来的。我满心喜悦地看她稳坐在超级大的南瓜里，南瓜数周后枯萎了，但女儿仍继续茁壮成长。

The way Paul describes knowing the truth of who Jesus is reminds me of that photo. He likens the knowledge of Jesus in our heart to a treasure stored in a clay pot. Remembering what Jesus did for us gives us the courage and strength to persevere through struggles in spite of being “hard pressed on every side” (2 Corinthians 4:8). Because of God’s power in our lives, when we are “struck down, but not destroyed,” we reveal the life of Jesus (v. 9).

保罗告诉我们耶稣是谁，他阐述这个真理的方式让我想起这张照片。他将我们心中对耶稣的认识，比拟为宝贝藏在瓦器里。谨记耶稣为你我所成就的一切，可以使我们得着勇气和能力，忍受各样的艰难，即使“四面受敌，却不被困住”（哥林多后书4章8节）。由于我们的生命中有上帝的能力，纵然我们被“打倒了，却不至死亡”，反倒显明了耶稣的生命（9节）。

Like the pumpkin that withered, we may feel the wear and tear of our trials. But the joy of Jesus in us can continue to grow in spite of those challenges. Our knowledge of Him—His power at work in our lives—is the treasure stored in our frail clay bodies. We can flourish in the face of hardship because of His power at work within us.

如同那个枯萎的南瓜，我们会因试炼感到困倦和忧惧。我们虽面对挑战，但因耶稣住在心中而喜乐不断加添。我们对耶稣的认识就是你我这脆弱瓦器里的宝贝，祂的能力正在我们的生命中动工。我们无论面对何种艰巨的困境，因祂的能力在我们里面动工，生命将茁壮成长。

Dear Father, thank You for putting Your truth into my heart and life. Help me to bear up under the challenges I face with Your power. May others see Your work in my life and come to know You too.

亲爱的天父，感谢祢将真理放在我的心里和生命当中，求祢帮助我倚靠祢的能力面对各样挑战，让人们从我的生命看见祢的工作，并来认识祢。

2 Corinthians 4:7-18    NIV

4 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side,but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

哥林多后书 4:7-18

4 我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里，要显明这莫大的能力是出于神，不是出于我们。 8 我们四面受敌，却不被困住；心里作难，却不致失望； 9 遭逼迫，却不被丢弃；打倒了，却不致死亡； 10 身上常带着耶稣的死，使耶稣的生也显明在我们身上。 11 因为我们这活着的人是常为耶稣被交于死地，使耶稣的生在我们这必死的身上显明出来。 12 这样看来，死是在我们身上发动，生却在你们身上发动。 13 但我们既有信心，正如经上记着说：“我因信，所以如此说话”，我们也信，所以也说话。 14 自己知道那叫主耶稣复活的，也必叫我们与耶稣一同复活，并且叫我们与你们一同站在他面前。 15 凡事都是为你们，好叫恩惠因人多越发加增，感谢格外显多，以致荣耀归于神。16 所以我们不丧胆，外体虽然毁坏，内心却一天新似一天。 17 我们这至暂至轻的苦楚，要为我们成就极重无比、永远的荣耀。 18 原来我们不是顾念所见的，乃是顾念所不见的，因为所见的是暂时的，所不见的是永远的。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

As with Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the epistle of James encourages those who are facing trials. “Consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete” (James 1:2–4). Those who persevere will receive strength for today and “the crown of life” (v. 12)—eternal life—tomorrow. 

正如保罗写给哥林多教会的书信一样，雅各也在书信中鼓励那些遭遇试炼的人：“你们落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜乐；因为知道你们的信心经过试验，就生忍耐。但忍耐也当成功，使你们成全完备，毫无缺欠”（雅各书1章2-4节）。那些忍耐的人在现今能得到力量，在将来“必得生命的冠冕”（12节），就是永恒的生命。

How have you experienced the joy of Christ in the midst of trials?

你在试炼中如何体验到从基督而来的喜乐呢？

整理：于姊妹