哀三22~23 我们不至消灭，是出于耶和华的慈爱，因祂的怜恤不至断绝；每早晨这些都是新的；你的信实，极其广大。

　　林前一9 神是信实的，你们乃是为祂所召，进入了祂儿子我们主耶稣基督的交通。

　　我们虽然不忠信，神却是信实的〔哀三23〕。……有一首著名的诗歌论到神的信实（诗歌十三首），副歌说，“你的信实广大！你的信实无边！你的怜悯每晨都是新鲜！”……我们对圣经并这首诗歌所说关于神信实的领会，可能是天然的，也可能是属灵的。……你若天然地领会神的信实，也许以为，祂主要是在物质供给或物质祝福的事上信实。……然而，在林前一章九节保罗说，“神是信实的，你们乃是为祂所召，进入了祂儿子我们主耶稣基督的交通。”神在这件事上是信实的，但祂也许没有信实地供给你大的房子，或高薪的工作。我不否认神信实地顾到我们的福利。我的点乃是，神的信实并非照着我们天然的领会（耶利米书生命读经，三三至三四页）。

　　Lam. 3:22-23 It is Jehovah’s lovingkindness that we are not consumed, for His compassions do not fail; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

　　1 Cor. 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

　　Although we are unfaithful, God is faithful [Lam. 3:23]….The chorus of a well-known hymn on God’s faithfulness (Hymns, #19) says, “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! / Morning by morning new mercies I see….” We may understand what the Bible says and what this hymn says about God’s faithfulness either in a natural way or in a spiritual way….If you understand God’s faithfulness in a natural way, you may think that He is faithful primarily in the matter of material provisions or physical blessings….However, in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” God is faithful in this matter, but He may not be faithful to provide you a large house or a well-paying job. I would not deny the fact that God is faithful in caring for our welfare. My point is that God’s faithfulness is not according to our natural understanding. (Life-study of Jeremiah, pp. 27-28)

　　看看使徒保罗的苦难。他蒙神呼召、受神托付、委以负担并受差遣，然而他无论去到哪里，都有难处。譬如，他一开始传扬基督，就遭受逼迫。……难道这是神对保罗不信实么？不，这意思乃是：神的信实不是按照我们天然的领会。

　　我们相信主耶稣时，也许期望有平安和祝福；但我们也许反而有了许多难处，失去了我们的安全、健康或财产。有些基督徒经历这样的事，就疑惑神的信实，问说为什么神不阻止艰难临到他们。……我们要领悟，神允许我们有难处，但祂在祂的定旨上是信实的，就是要使我们转离偶像，带领我们归向祂自己。我们的平安、安全、健康和财产，也许成了我们的偶像，而神是信实的，祂取去这些东西，为要我们饮于祂这活水的泉源。我们的房屋或财产若成为我们的偶像，我们就是饮于它们，不是饮于神；神的信实就是要对付这些偶像，好使我们饮于祂。

　　在引导我们进入祂的经纶上，神是信实的；祂的经纶乃是要我们喝基督，吃基督，享受基督，吸取基督，并吸收基督，好叫神在我们身上得着祂的扩增，以完成祂的经纶。

　　以色列人没有饮于神这活水的泉源，反而饮于他们的偶像。所以，神用巴比伦人对付这些偶像，也毁灭对他们成了偶像的耶路撒冷，甚至圣殿。我们要看见，我们不比以色列人好。任何事物对我们都能成为偶像。但神在完成祂经纶的事上是信实的；因着祂的信实，祂就对付我们的偶像，使我们饮于祂。我们都需要饮于神这活水的泉源，将基督接受到里面，并吸收祂，这样祂就能扩增，以完成神的经纶，借着祂的配偶得着彰显。

　　神是信实的，但我们既不忠信，也不贞洁，反而有了许多别的丈夫。我们失败亏欠神以后，也许得着一些怜悯和恩典，因而悔改哭泣。……我们悔改哭泣的时候，神就欢乐。……我们悔改以后，应当开始饮于活水，赞美神，为凡事感谢祂，并且享受祂。这是神所要的。除了我们享受基督以外，神对任何事物都不感兴趣（耶利米书生命读经，三四至三六页）。

　　参读：耶利米书生命读经，第四篇。

　　Consider the sufferings of the apostle Paul. He was called, commissioned, burdened, and sent by God, but wherever he went he had troubles. For example, as soon as he began to preach Christ, he began to suffer persecution….Does this mean that God was not faithful to Paul? No, it means that God’s faithfulness is not according to our natural understanding.

　　When we believed in the Lord Jesus, we might have expected to have peace and blessing. But instead we might have had many troubles and might have lost our security, our health, or our possessions. When some Christians experience such things, they may question God’s faithfulness and ask why He did not prevent hardships from happening to them. We need to realize that in allowing us to have troubles, God is faithful in His purpose to turn us from idols and bring us back to Himself. Our peace, safety, health, and possessions may become idols to us, and God is faithful to take these things away so that we may drink of Him as the fountain of living waters. If our house or our possessions become idols to us, we drink of them and not of God. God’s faithfulness is a matter of dealing with these idols and causing us to drink of Him.

　　God is faithful in leading us into His economy, and His economy is for us to drink Christ, to eat Christ, to enjoy Christ, to absorb Christ, and to assimilate Christ that God may have His increase with us to fulfill His economy. Instead of drinking of God as the fountain of living waters, Israel drank of their idols. Therefore, God used the Babylonians to deal with these idols and also to destroy Jerusalem and even the temple, which had become an idol to them. We need to see that we are not better than Israel. Anything can become an idol to us. But God is faithful in fulfilling His economy. In His faithfulness He deals with our idols that we may drink of Him. We all need to drink of God as the fountain of living waters, receiving Christ into us and assimilating Him, so that He may increase for the fulfillment of God’s economy to have His expression through His counterpart.

　　Whereas God is faithful, we are neither faithful nor chaste but go to many other husbands. After failing God, we may receive some mercy and grace and therefore repent and weep….While we are repenting and weeping, God is rejoicing….After repenting, we should begin to drink of the living waters, praising God, giving thanks to Him for everything, and enjoying Him. This is what God wants. God is not interested in anything other than our enjoyment of Christ. (Life-study of Jeremiah, pp. 28-29)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Jeremiah, msg. 4