「反倒效法那些藉著信和恆忍承受應許的人。」－希伯來書6:12
他們的提醒，不只在乎信心，也在乎忍耐；因為若非藉著忍耐，信心無法得以完全。因此，我們必須恐懼戰兢，免得因著我們的沮喪和疑惑，失去了屬天嚮導的領路，失去了祂愛手的眷顧。
一位村莊的鐵匠說：
「我只害怕一件事，就是自己被丟進廢鐵堆...
在鍛鍊鋼鐵時，我會先在爐中將生鐵燒透，用錘子大力錘打，並立即將它投入冷水中。很快地，我就知道這塊鐵是否適合鍛鍊成鋼，或是在火煉後爆裂損毀。
經過了幾次試驗，若我發現它經不起考驗，我會毫不猶豫的將它丟到廢鐵堆，賣給收取破爛的人。
我覺得主也正用這樣的過程試煉我－藉著水與火，藉著無情的錘打；若祂發現我不願意堅定站住，挺立不移，我怕祂也會把我當作廢鐵，毫不猶豫的丟棄不用。」當火燒得最熾熱時，你要堅守，因為忍耐到底的，必然得救；讓我們能和約伯同聲的說：「祂試煉我之後，我必顯出如金子」（約伯記23:10）。－選
"Followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12).They heroes of faith. are calling to us from the heights that they have won, and telling us that what man once did man can do again. Not only do they remind us of the necessity of faith, but also of that patience by which faith has its perfect work. Let us fear to take ourselves out of the hands of our heavenly Guide or to miss a single lesson of His loving discipline by discouragement or doubt.
"There is only one thing," said a village blacksmith, "that I fear, and that is to be thrown on the scrap heap.
"When I am tempering a piece of steel, I first beat it, hammer it, and then suddenly plunge it into this bucket of cold water. I very soon find whether it will take temper or go to pieces in the process. When I discover after one or two tests that it is not going to allow itself to be tempered, I throw it on the scrap heap and sell it for a cent a pound when the junk man comes around.
"So I find the Lord tests me, too, by fire and water and heavy blows of His heavy hammer, and if I am not willing to stand the test, or am not going to prove a fit subject for His tempering process, I am afraid He may throw me on the scrap heap."
When the fire is hottest, hold still, for there will be a blessed "afterward"; and with Job we may be able to say, "When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold." --Selected
