Verses from Deuteronomy

“恐怕你心里说：‘这财富是我的力量，是我手的能力使我得着的。’你要记念耶和华你的神，因为得财富的能力是他赐给你的，为要坚定他向你的列祖起誓所立的约，像今天一样。如果将来你真的忘记了耶和华你的神，去随从别的神，事奉和敬拜他们，你们必定灭亡，这是我今日警告你们的。耶和华从你们面前怎样使万国的民灭亡，你们也必照样灭亡，因为你们没有听从耶和华你们神的话。””

申命记 8:17-20 

Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 8:17-20)

In his book The Hidden Brain, science writer Shankar Vedantam describes the day he went for a leisurely swim. The water was calm and clear, and he felt strong and proud for covering a long distance so easily. He decided to swim out of the bay and into open water. But when he tried to return he couldn’t make any progress. He had been deceived by the current. The ease of swimming had not been due to his strength but to the movement of the water.

In our relationship with God something similar can happen. “Going with the flow” can lead us to believe we’re stronger than we are. When life is easy, our minds tell us that it’s due to our own strength. We become proud and self-confident. But when trouble hits, we realize how little strength we have and how helpless we are.

This happened with the Israelites. God would bless them with military success, peace, and prosperity. But thinking they had achieved it on their own, they would then become proud and self-sufficient (Deut. 8:11-12). Assuming that they no longer needed God, they would go their own way until an enemy attacked and they would realize how powerless they were without God’s help.

When life is going well we too need to beware of self-deception. Pride will take us where we do not want to go. Only humility will keep us where we ought to be—grateful to God and dependent on His strength.

True humility credits God for every success.

Verse from Acts

“彼得 就开口说：「我真看出上帝是不偏待人。原来，各国中那敬畏主、行义的人都为主所悦纳。”

使徒行传 10:34-35 

“Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”

Acts 10:34-35 

The words “show favoritism” in Acts 10:34 are translated from the Greek prosopoleptes, a word which means to receive or show regard for someone because of rank, status, beauty, or popularity. This word is a combination of prosopon, which means “face” or “person”; and lambano, “to lay hold of.” 

Partiality (showing favoritism) does not characterize God, as we see in these verses: “As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism” (Galatians 2:6); “Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6:9). 

Neither should favoritism characterize the followers of Jesus, as James 2:1 reminds us: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”

God opens His arms wide to extend love to everyone. May we do the same in His power.

Consider your neighborhood, your family, and your social sphere. Where do you find a temptation to exclude others? Why?

Verse from John

“从此，他门徒中多有退去的，不再和他同行。”

约翰福音 6:66 

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

John 6:66 

Some people followed Jesus for the miracles He performed and to get their needs met (John 6:2, 26). Some simply saw Him as the carpenter’s son (Matthew 13:55–58), and others expected Him to be their political leader (Luke 19:37–38). Some thought of Him as a great teacher (Matthew 7:28–29), while others quit following Him because His teaching was hard to understand (John 6:66).

Jesus still doesn’t always meet our expectations of Him. Yet He is so much more than we can imagine. He’s the provider of eternal life (vv. 47–48). He is good and wise; and He loves, forgives, stays close, and brings us comfort. May we find rest in Jesus as He is and keep following Him.

Verse from Matthew

“你们中间谁能用忧虑使自己的寿命延长一刻呢？”

马太福音 6:27 

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 6:27 

A law-abiding, honest man received a voicemail that said, “This is officer _______ from the police department. Please call me at this number.” Immediately the man began to worry—afraid that somehow he had done something wrong. He was afraid to return the call, and he even spent sleepless nights running through possible scenarios—worried that he was in some kind of trouble. The officer never called back, but it took weeks for the worry to go away.

Perhaps this can help us rethink our tendency to worry, because it suggests that it doesn’t help the situation we’re concerned about.

When problems are on the horizon for us, maybe we can try the following two-step approach: Take action and trust in God. If we can do something to avoid the problem, let’s try that route. We can pray for God to guide us to an action we should take. But if there’s nothing we can do, we can take comfort in knowing that God never finds Himself in such a predicament. He can always act on our behalf. We can always turn our situation over to Him in trust and confidence.

When it feels like time to worry, may we turn to the inspired words of King David, who faced his own share of difficulties and worries, but concluded: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). What a great alternative to worry!

What worries do you need to give to God today?

Father, 

You know what faces me today. I am turning my cares over to You. Please strengthen me and help me to trust You with the struggles I face.

Verse from 1 Samuel

“但耶和华对撒母耳说：“不要看他的外貌和他高大的身材，因为我不拣选他。耶和华看人不像人看人，人是看外表，耶和华是看内心。””

撒母耳记上 16:7 

“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."”

1 Samuel 16:7 

William Carey was a sickly boy, born to a humble family near Northampton, England. His future didn’t look too bright. But God had plans for him. Against all odds, he moved to India, where he brought incredible social reforms and translated the Bible into several Indian languages. He loved God and people, and accomplished many things for God.

David, son of Jesse, was an ordinary young man, the youngest in his family. He was seemingly an insignificant shepherd on the hills of Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:11–12). Yet God saw David’s heart and had a plan for him. King Saul had been rejected by God for disobedience. While the prophet Samuel mourned Saul’s choices, God called Samuel to anoint a different king, one of Jesse’s sons.

When Samuel saw the handsome, tall Eliab, he naturally thought, “surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (v. 6). However, God’s strategy to select a king was much different than Samuel’s. In fact, God said no to each of Jesse’s sons, except the youngest one. Selecting David as king was definitely not a strategic move from God’s part, or so it seemed at first glance. What would a young shepherd have to offer his community, let alone his country?

Dear Lord, 

thank You that You care more about my heart’s attitude toward You than my outward beauty, possessions, or achievements.

Verse from Isaiah

“天怎样高过地，我的道路也怎样高过你们的道路，我的意念也怎样高过你们的意念。”

以赛亚书 55:9 

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

Many of us sometimes feel the sense of bewilderment when we consider the way God operates. We know He has said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isa. 55:8). Still, there’s a part of us that feels like we should be able to understand why God allows certain things to happen. After all, we read His Word regularly and His Holy Spirit lives inside us.

When we feel entitled to understand God’s ways, we have to try to recommit ourselves to humility. Job did not get an explanation for all his heartache (Job 1:5,8). He struggled to understand, but God asked him: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?” (40:2). Job contritely responded, “What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth” (v.4). Job was speechless before God’s greatness.

Although God’s ways may seem to be mysterious and unfathomable at times, we can rest confidently that they are higher than our ways.

Father, 

please help me to trust You even when I don’t understand why things happen as they do. 

Please comfort my heart and remind me of Your goodness and love.

If you know that God’s hand is in everything, you can leave everything in God’s hand.

Verse from 2 Chronicles

“重修耶和华的祭坛，在坛上献平安祭、感谢祭，吩咐犹大人事奉耶和华—以色列的上帝。”

历代志下 33:16 

“He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.”

2 Chronicles 33:16 

Tani and Modupe grew up in Nigeria and went to the UK to study in the 1970s. Having been personally transformed by God’s grace, they never imagined that they would be used to transform one of the most deprived and segregated communities in England—Anfield in Liverpool. As Drs. Tani and Modupe Omideyi faithfully sought God and served their community, God restored hope to many. They lead a vibrant church and continue to run numerous community projects that have led to the transformation of countless lives.

Manasseh changed his community, first for evil and then for good. Crowned king of Judah at the age of twelve, he led his people astray and they did great evil for many years (2 Chronicles 33:1–9). They paid no attention to God’s warnings and so He allowed Manasseh to be taken prisoner to Babylon (vv. 10–11).

In his distress, the king humbly cried out to God who heard his plea and restored him to his kingdom (vv. 12–13). The now-reformed king rebuilt the city walls and got rid of the foreign gods (vv. 14–15). “He restored the altar of the Lord and . . . told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 16). As the people observed the radical transformation of Manasseh, so too were they transformed (v. 17).

 As we seek God, may He transform us and so impact our communities through us.