「耶和華必成全關乎我的事。」－詩篇138:8
我們從未聽過，哪一個聖潔的靈魂是沒有嘗過苦味的；因為唯有經過患難，才能擁有安息、甜美，和無憂。他可以笑談苦難，他也無須企求離開苦難。苦難因而完成其美善的工作，忍耐也完滿達到目的，至終十字架才能在此時編織冠冕。
在苦難成全的過程裡，聖靈會在我們心裡開展祂奇妙的作為。漸漸地，我們願意全人靜臥在祂懷中，讓祂逐一征服我們的心思、情感、意志。
於是，永恆的安息，點滴滲入我們魂間；我們舌頭變為笨拙，不再向神盤問追討，不再哭訴：「神，你為何離去？」
於是，心思不再馳騁於無邊的天際，追逐異想天開的樓閣；意志溫良恭順，不再離開神，憑自己自由選擇；情感安適寂靜，不再嬌嫩受寵，吹彈可破，不再為環境攔阻。因為在大小事物中，他只尋求神並祂的旨意；他深信神已使宇宙間的萬事，無論好壞優劣，過去現在，都互相效力，使他得著益處。
降服下來的生命是何等的蒙福！能夠失去力勁、智慧、計畫，和想欲，直到周匝遍體的每一顆微粒，都成了耶穌腳下如鏡無漪的加利利海。
－靈糧
"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Ps. 138:8).There is a Divine mystery in suffering, a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been fathomed by the human reason. There never has been known great saintliness of soul which did not pass through great suffering. When the suffering soul reaches a calm sweet carelessness, when it can inwardly smile at its own suffering, and does not even ask God to deliver it from suffering, then it has wrought its blessed ministry; then patience has its perfect work; then the crucifixion begins to weave itself into a crown.
It is in this state of the perfection of suffering that the Holy Spirit works many marvelous things in our souls. In such a condition, our whole being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every faculty of the mind and will and heart are at last subdued; a quietness of eternity settles down into the whole being; the tongue grows still, and has but few words to say; it stops asking God questions; it stops crying, "Why hast thou forsaken me?"
The imagination stops building air castles, or running off on foolish lines; the reason is tame and gentle; the choices are annihilated; it has no choice in anything but the purpose of God. The affections are weaned from all creatures and all things; it is so dead that nothing can hurt it, nothing can offend it, nothing can hinder it, nothing can get in its way; for, let the circumstances be what they may, it seeks only for God and His will, and it feels assured that God is making everything in the universe, good or bad, past or present, work together for its good.
Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus. --Soul Food
