Verse from 1 Thessalonians

我们常常为你们众人感谢神，祷告的时候提到你们，(帖撒罗尼迦前书 1:2)

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; (1 Thessalonians 1:2)

Why is it so hard to share with others that we have thanked God for bringing them into our lives? God let his Son Jesus know his love and approval. Remember his words at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration? "This is my Son, whom I love..." The apostle Paul also let the struggling churches he started know that he was praying for them regularly (cf. Philippians 1:3).

 It's a great blessing to thank God for someone special in our lives. It's a double blessing to let those people know we've thanked God for their being in our lives. Let's commit to be a "double blessing" people today!

Verse from John

耶稣哭了。(约翰福音 11:35)

Jesus wept. (John 11:35)

He knew the pain of grief. When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus saw Mary weeping, and “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” A short time later, He too began to weep (John 11:33-35).

Our ability to express our emotions with tears is a gift, and God keeps track of each tear we cry. Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (nlt). But one day—we are promised (Rev. 7:17)—God “will wipe away every tear.”

Jesus as our high Priest experienced grief therefore He is able to understand us. We can take comfort that He understands what we are going through and that one day, there will be no more tears. 

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 Corinthians

我只怕你们的心受到引诱，失去对基督的单纯和贞洁，好象蛇用诡计骗了夏娃一样。(哥林多后书 11:3)

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

An ancient wise man named Agur asked: “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?” (Prov. 30:4).

Today, we know the answer to those questions. But sometimes when we’re in the middle of the questions, worries, and needs of our lives we may lose sight of the obvious. The details of life can so easily distract us from the One who answers the most important riddle: Who is One with God; more powerful than the devil; the poor can have Him; the rich need Him; and if you eat and drink from His table, you’ll never die? Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Father, 

in the details and distractions of our spiritual journey, 

it is so easy to look right past You and Your Son. 

May we see You today in a new and fresh way.

Focusing on God helps us to take our eyes off our circumstances.

Verse from Philippians

我的神必照他在基督耶稣里荣耀的丰富，满足你们的一切需要。(腓立比书 4:19)

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Paul gives the Philippians this promise only after he has emphasized to them that he had found the Lord's grace sufficient in good times and tough times, in times of plenty and in times of lack. The key to this promise is not just God's provision, but also our trust upon him to satisfy what we most need in Christ Jesus. When our hearts yearn to be full of him, to be pleasing to him, to be blessed by his presence, to be given the assurance of life beyond death, surely we can rely on his supplying everything we truly need!

Verse from Mark

耶稣起来，斥责了风，又对海说：“不要作声！安静吧！”风就停止，大大地平静了。(马可福音 4:39)

And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. (Mark 4:39)

While Hurricane Katrina headed toward the coast of Mississippi, a retired pastor and his wife left their home and went to a shelter. Their daughter pleaded with them to go to Atlanta where she could take care of them, but the couple couldn’t get any money to make the trip because the banks were closed. After the storm had passed, they returned to their home to get a few belongings, and were able to salvage only a few family photos floating in the water. Then, when the man was taking his father’s photo out of its frame so it could dry, $366 fell out—precisely the amount needed for two plane tickets to Atlanta. They learned they could trust Jesus for what they needed.

For the disciples, trusting Jesus in a storm was the curriculum for the day in the dramatic narrative of Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had instructed His disciples to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and then He went to sleep in the boat. When a quick and violent storm blew in, the disciples dripped as much with fear and anxiety as water from the waves. They woke Jesus, saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v.38 niv). Jesus stood up and with three words, “Peace, be still!” He muzzled the storm.

We all experience storms—persecutions, financial troubles, illnesses, disappointments, loneliness—and Jesus does not always prevent them. But He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He will keep us calm in the storm.

Are you in a storm? What do you know about God’s character that could help bring calm to your heart?

http://youtu.be/z3wwWFsSlNQ

Verse from Exodus

耶和华必作王，直到永永远远。”(出埃及记 15:18)

“The Lord reigns forever and ever.” (Exodus 15:18)

Often called “The March King,” composer and band director John Philip Sousa created music that has been played by bands around the world for more than a hundred years. As Loras John Schissel, music historian and conductor of the Virginia Grand Military Band, said, “Sousa is to marches what Beethoven is to symphonies.” Sousa understood the power of music to motivate, encourage, and inspire people.

In Old Testament times, the people of Israel were often inspired to compose and sing songs to celebrate God’s help during times of need. When the Lord saved His people from certain destruction by Pharaoh’s army, “Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord . . . ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation’ ” (Ex. 15:1-2).

Music has the power to lift our spirits by reminding us of God’s faithfulness in the past. When we’re discouraged, we can sing songs and hymns that raise our eyes from the challenging circumstances we face to see the power and presence of the Lord. We are reminded that He is our strength, our song, and our salvation.

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever—

He is faithful, changing never;

Neither force nor guile can sever

Those He loves from Him. —Kelly

Songs of praise raise our eyes to see God’s faithfulness.

Verse from Isaiah

不要惧怕，因为我与你同在；不要四处张望，因为我是你的神，我必坚固你，我必帮助你；我必用公义的右手扶持你。(以赛亚书 41:10)

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' (Isaiah 41:10)

Sometimes humans feel entangled and react in fear to the Lord. Through the centuries, He has offered rescue and hope to people—yet we resist Him, not understanding the help He provides. In Isaiah 41, the prophet quotes the Lord as saying, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not; I will help you’” (v.13).

As you think about your situation, how do you see God’s role? Are you afraid to turn things over to Him—for fear that He might harm you? He is good and He is near, wanting to free you from life’s entanglements. You can trust Him with your life.

In what area of your life do you need freedom? Ask the Lord to show you and to give you the faith to trust Him for His deliverance.

Faith is the best antidote for fear.

Verses from Psalms

我曾切切等候耶和华；他转向我，听了我的呼求。他把我从荒芜的坑里，从泥沼中拉上来；他使我的脚站在盘石上，又使我的脚步稳定。(诗篇 40:1-2)

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. (Psalms 40:1-2)

Psalm 40 recounts God’s faithfulness when David cried for help. “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he . . . heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire” (vv.1-2 nlt). Whether this psalm refers to an actual pit or to challenging circumstances, David knew that he could always call on God for deliverance.

God will help us too when we call on Him. Sometimes He intervenes directly, but more often He works through other people. When we admit our need to Him—and perhaps to others—we can count on His faithfulness.

Hope comes with help from God and others.

Verse from Proverbs

得着智慧，获致聪明的人，是有福的。(箴言 3:13)

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, (Proverbs 3:13)

Every spring colleges and universities hold commencement ceremonies to celebrate the success of students who have completed their studies and earned their degrees. After the students cross the stage, these graduates will enter a world that will challenge them. Just having academic knowledge won’t be good enough. The key to success in life will be in wisely applying everything they have learned.

Throughout Scripture, wisdom is celebrated as a treasure that is worth seeking. It is better than riches (Prov. 3:13-18). Its source is God, who alone is perfectly wise (Rom. 16:27). And it is found in the actions and attitude of Jesus, in whom “all the treasures of wisdom” are found (Col. 2:3). Wisdom comes from reading and applying the Scripture. We have an example of this in the way Jesus applied His knowledge when He was tempted (Luke 4:1-13). In other words, the truly wise person tries to see life from God’s point of view and chooses to live according to His wisdom.

What’s the payoff for this kind of life? Proverbs tells us that wisdom is like sweetness of honey on the tongue (Prov. 24:13-14). “Blessed are those who find wisdom” (3:13 niv). So seek wisdom, for it is more profitable than silver or gold!

Lord, strengthen my resolve to live by the wisdom that comes only from You. Give me the discernment to live all of life from Your point of view that I might know the blessings of a life lived wisely.

Blessing comes from seeking wisdom and living by it.

Verse from Isaiah

...差遣我去医治伤心的人...(以赛亚书 61:1)

...He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted...(Isaiah 61:1)

The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia, is filled with anonymously donated remnants of love gone wrong. There is an axe that a jilted lover used to destroy the furniture of an offending partner. Stuffed animals, love letters framed in broken glass, and wedding dresses all speak volumes of heartache. While some visitors to the museum leave in tears over their own loss, some couples depart with hugs and a promise not to fail each other.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Isa. 61:1). When Jesus read from Isaiah 61 at the synagogue in Nazareth, He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Extending far beyond help for an emotional wound, Isaiah’s words speak of a changed heart and a renewed spirit that come by receiving God’s gift of “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3).

All of us have experienced regret and broken promises in our lives. Whatever has happened, the Lord invites us to find healing, hope, and new life in Him.

Lord, 

You are the promise-keeping God who has said He will make all things new. 

Today we give You our ashes in exchange for Your beauty, our mourning for the joy of finding comfort in You. 

Thank You!

God can transform tragedies into triumphs.

Verse from Hebrews

专一注视耶稣，就是那位信心的创造者和完成者。他因为那摆在面前的喜乐，就忍受了十字架，轻看了羞辱，现在就坐在神宝座的右边。(希伯来书 12:2)

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

The apostle Paul was concerned that the Corinthian church was losing its focus on Christ. The two best-known preachers in those days were Paul and Apollos. The church was divided: “I follow Paul.” “Well, I follow Apollos!” They had begun focusing on the wrong person, following the teachers rather than the Savior. But Paul corrected them. We are “God’s fellow workers.” It doesn’t matter who plants and who waters, for only God can give the growth. Christians are “God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:6-9). The Corinthian believers didn’t belong to Paul nor to Apollos.

Jesus tells us to go and make disciples and to teach them about Him (Matt. 28:20). And the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us to focus on the Author and Finisher of our faith (12:2). Christ will be honored when we focus on Him; He is superior to any human being and He will meet our needs.

Father, I confess that it is easy to shift my focus from You to less important things. Thank You for putting people in my life that help point me to You. Help me point others to You in a way that makes You more and me less.

Put Jesus first.

Verses from Genesis and Exodus

耶和华神把那人安置在伊甸园里，叫他耕种和看守那园子。(创世记 2:15)

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)

耶和华又说：“如果你留意听耶和华你神的声音，行他眼中看为正的事，侧耳听他的诫命，遵守他的一切律例；这样，我决不把加在埃及人身上的一切疾病加在你们身上，因为我是医治你的耶和华。”(出埃及记 15:26)

And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." (Exodus 15:26)

For reasons known only to God, He appointed humans to be His partners in the work of caring for creation (Gen. 2:15), and doctors are among them. Doctors study medical science and learn how God designed the body. They use this knowledge to help restore us to a healthy condition. But the only reason doctors can do anything to make us better is that God created us with the ability to heal. Surgeons would be useless if incisions didn’t heal.

Scientists can learn how God created our bodies to function, and they devise therapies to help restore or cure us, but they are not healers; God is (Ex. 15:26). Doctors simply cooperate with God’s original intent and design.

All praise and thanksgiving go to God, who designed an orderly universe and who created us with minds that can discover how it works.  

God is the ultimate Healer. Have you trust in Him being your Healer in all aspects? Have you given Him a chance to heal you, by believing in Him as the Great physician?

Verses from 1 Timothy

其实敬虔而又知足，就是得大利的途径，因为我们没有带甚么到世上来，也不能带甚么去。(提摩太前书 6:6-7)

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (1 Timothy 6:6-7)

What determines our financial worth? Do we compute it in terms of dollars, or possessions, or investments? Paul reminded Timothy that ultimate gain, the gain of inestimable value, is really determined by a very simple formula: net worth = (godly character) X (contentment). What would happen if we recognized the truly wealthy as those who were godly in their character and contented with their blessings in life?

Verse from 2 Chronicles

约沙法和人民商议好了，就指派向耶和华歌唱的人，使他们身穿圣洁的服饰，走在军队的前面，赞美耶和华，说：“你们要称颂耶和华，因他的慈爱永远长存。”(历代志下 20:21)

When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." (2 Chronicles 20:21)

Willie Myrick was kidnapped from his driveway when he was 9 years old. For hours, he traveled in a car with his kidnapper, not knowing what would happen to him. During that time, Willie decided to sing a song called "Every Praise." As he repeatedly sang the words, his abductor spewed profanity and told him to shut up. Finally, the man stopped the car and let Willie out—unharmed.

As Willie demonstrated, truly praising the Lord requires us to concentrate on God’s character while forsaking what we fear, what is wrong in our lives, and the self-sufficiency in our hearts.

The Israelites reached this place of surrender when they faced attackers. As they prepared for battle, King Jehoshaphat organized a choir to march out in advance of their enemy’s army. The choir sang, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21). When the music started, Israel’s enemies became confused and destroyed each other. As the prophet Jahaziel had predicted, Israel didn’t need to fight at all (v.17).

Whether we’re facing a battle or feeling trapped, we can glorify God in our hearts. Truly, “The Lord is great and greatly to be praised” (Ps. 96:4).

Verse from 2 Corinthians

原来基督的爱催逼着我们...(哥林多后书 5:14)

For Christ’s love compels us...(2 Corinthians 5:14)

In the 1920s, Bobby Jones dominated the golfing world, despite being an amateur. In one film about his life, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, there is a scene where a professional golfer asks Bobby when he is going to quit being an amateur and grab for the money like everyone else does. Jones answers by explaining that the word amateur comes from the Latin amo—to love. His answer was clear: He played golf because he loved the game.

Our motives, why we do what we do, make all the difference. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul gives us an example of this. Throughout the epistle he defended his conduct, character, and calling as an apostle of Christ. In response to those who questioned his motives for ministry, Paul said, “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15 niv).

Christ’s love is the greatest of all motivators. It causes those who follow Him to live for Him, not for themselves.

What are some of the ways your understanding of Christ and His love has shaped your motives and your actions? In what ways would you like to see God work in you now?

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love most.

Verses from Psalm

神是我们的避难所，是我们的力量，是我们在患难中随时都可得到的帮助。因此，地虽然震动，群山虽然崩塌入海洋的深处，我们也不害怕。虽然海浪翻腾澎湃，虽然山岳因波涛汹涌摇动，我们也不害怕。(诗篇 46:1-3)

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

God is not only our protector; He is also our helper. Even when our world seems to be crashing around us, He is there. He will deliver us from death or deliver us through death. He will deliver us from evil or He will deliver us to overcome evil. Our task is to trust that in the midst of our earthquakes and tidal waves we are not alone or abandoned.

Verse from Luke

我告诉你们，这个人回家去，比那个倒算为义了。因为高抬自己的，必要降卑；自己谦卑的，必要升高。”(路加福音 18:14)

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

How many times have we behave like that Pharisee? Pharisee said to God: “I thank You that I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11). 

Have you ever compare yourself with others saying u are not like that person, that u are better in your ways?  

May we learn the meaning of humility and live it out in our lives, Jesus has shown us what it means to be humble. 

Lord, 

may we be quick to listen and slow to speak and to judge. 

A proud attitude so easily infects our lives. 

Give us instead a humility that reflects Your heart and love.

We don’t get closer to God by passing judgment on others.

Verse from Psalms

我喜欢你法度定下的道路，如同喜欢一切财富。(诗篇 119:14)

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (Psalms 119:14)

Publicly operated lotteries exist in more than 100 countries. In a recent year, lottery ticket sales totaled more than $85 billion in just the US and Canada, only part of the total sales worldwide. The lure of huge jackpots has created a mindset among many that all of life’s problems would be solved “if I won the lottery.”

There’s nothing wrong with wealth itself, but it has the power to deceive us into thinking that money is the answer to all our needs. The psalmist, expressing a different point of view, wrote: “I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. . . . I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word” (Ps. 119:14,16 nlt). This concept of spiritual treasure is focused on obedience to God and walking “in the path of [His] commandments” (v.35).

Money is important but money is not the solution to everything.

Verse from 2 Samuel

大卫对他说：“你不要怕，我必因你父亲约拿单的缘故，以慈爱待你，把你祖父扫罗所有的田地都归还给你；你也可以常常与我同席吃饭。”(撒母耳记下 9:7)

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” (2 Samuel 9:7)

“What a wonderful funeral!” Cindy remarked as she and another friend  walked out. Helen, their friend, had died. And friend after friend celebrated her by sharing stories of her all-around fun behavior. But Helen’s life wasn’t all jokes and laughter. Her nephew spoke of her faith in Jesus and her care for others. She had taken him into her home when he was young and struggling. Now in his twenties, he said of his Aunt Helen, “She was like a mom to me. She never gave up on me in my struggles. I am sure that if it wasn’t for her, I would have lost my faith.” Wow! What an influence! Helen leaned on Jesus and wanted her nephew to trust Him too.

In the Old Testament, King David took a young man named Mephibosheth into his home with the purpose of showing him kindness for the sake of his father, Jonathan (David’s friend who had died; see 2 Sam. 9:1). Years earlier, Mephibosheth had been injured when his nurse dropped him as they fled after the news that his father had been killed (4:4). He was surprised that the king would care for him; he even referred to himself as “a dead dog” (9:8). Yet the king treated him as his own son (9:11).

Would u like to be that kind of person? Someone who cares for others and helps them hang on to faith in Jesus even when life looks hopeless.

God does most of His work for people through people.

Verse from Psalms

他们要述说你所行可畏的事的能力， 我也要宣扬你的伟大。(诗篇 145:6)

Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. (Psalms 145:6)

Michael Dinsmore, a former prisoner and relatively new Christian, was asked to give his testimony in a prison. After he spoke, some inmates came to him and said, “This is the most exciting meeting we’ve ever been to!” Michael was amazed that God could use his simple story.

In 1 Timothy, after Paul had charged Timothy to stay the course preaching the gospel (1:1-11), he shared his personal testimony to encourage the young man (vv.12-16). He told about God’s mercy in his own life. Paul said that he had mocked the Lord, but He changed him. In His mercy, God not only counted him faithful and gave him a job to do, but He also enabled him to do His work (v.12). Paul considered himself the worst of sinners, but God saved him (v.15).

The Lord is able! That is what Paul wanted Timothy to see, and what we need to see too. Through Paul’s testimony, we see God’s mercy. If God could use someone like Paul, He can use us. If God could save the worst of sinners, then no one is beyond His reach.

Our story of God’s work in our lives can encourage others. Let those around you know that the God of the Bible is still at work today!

No one is beyond the reach of God’s love.

Verse from Isaiah

妇人怎能忘记她吃奶的婴孩，不怜悯她亲生的儿子呢？即使她们可能忘记，我也不会忘记你。(以赛亚书 49:15)

"Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)

Several mothers of small children were sharing encouraging answers to prayer. Yet one woman said she felt selfish about troubling God with her personal needs. “Compared with the huge global needs God faces,” she explained, “my circumstances must seem trivial to Him.”

Moments later, her little son pinched his fingers in a door and ran screaming to his mother. She didn’t say, “How selfish of you to bother me with your throbbing fingers when I’m busy!” She showed him great compassion and tenderness.

As Psalm 103:13 reminds us, this is the response of love, both human and divine. In Isaiah 49, God said that even though a mother may forget to have compassion on her child, the Lord never forgets His children (v.15). God assured His people, “I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (v.16).

Such intimacy with God belongs to those who fear Him and who rely on Him rather than on themselves. As that child with throbbing fingers ran freely to his mother, so may we run to God with our daily problems.

Our compassionate God doesn’t neglect others to respond to our concerns. He has limitless time and love for each of His children. No need is too trivial for Him.

You take great delight in me, Lord, and quiet me with Your love. 

You rejoice over me with singing, like a mother singing a lullaby over her child. 

Thank You for Your tender love for me.

Verses from Titus

你要提醒他们服从执政的和掌权的，听从他们，随时准备作各种善工。不可毁谤人，要与人无争，谦恭有礼，向众人表现充分温柔的心。(提多书 3:1-2)

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. (Titus 3:1-2)

In a typical week, many of us receive a number of emails reminding us of appointments or upcoming events or requests to pray for someone. All of them are needed reminders.

When Paul wrote his “papyrus mail” to Titus, he ended his note by saying, “Remind the believers . . .” (3:1 nlt). We can assume from Paul’s word choice that he had already written about these things. But they were of such importance to the people in the church that he repeated them so they wouldn’t forget.

Notice what Paul didn’t want them to miss. He reminded the people— living under the oppressive Roman rule—“to be subject to rulers and authorities” (v.1). It was important to be known for obedience; for doing what is good; for not slandering; for being peaceful and considerate; and for humility rather than for complaining. Their behavior was to showcase the change made in their lives by following Christ (vv.3-5).

How could they—and we—do that? “The Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us . . . through Jesus Christ” enables us to “devote [ourselves] to doing what is good” (vv.5-6,8 niv). It is through Jesus’ great gift of salvation that we are equipped to influence our world for good. That’s a reminder we all need.

Lord, remind us how important it is that we obey You and treat others the way we want to be treated. Remind us that Your salvation enables us to live as lights in a dark world.

A Christian’s life is a window through which others can see Jesus.

Verse from 2 Peter

主决不耽延他的应许，像有些人以为他是耽延的一样；其实他是宽容你们，不愿有一人灭亡，却愿人人都悔改。(彼得后书 3:9)

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

God patiently waits for people to come to know Him. However, someday Jesus will return and “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:10). When this happens, or when our physical bodies die, it will be too late to establish a relationship with God.

If you have delayed deciding to follow Christ, there is good news—you can still commit yourself to Him. “If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9 niv). He is calling. Will you run in His direction?

Following Him means to love Him wholeheartedly, leaving no room to worship idols or other gods in this world, leaving no room for following what the world is going after: lust, sexual immorality, greed, vanity, power and so on. Are you ready to follow Him and run to Him before it's too late? 

Verse from Luke

耶稣对他们讲一个比喻，论到人必须常常祈祷，不可灰心。(路加福音 18:1)

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, (Luke 18:1)

In Luke 18, the widow’s persistent request to the judge for justice against her adversary made her sound like a “squeaky wheel” until she got the result she needed. Luke explains that Jesus told this story to teach us the need to pray continually and not to give up, even if it appears that the answer to our prayer is delayed (vv.1-5).

God is certainly not an unjust judge who must be harassed before He responds to us. He is our loving Father who cares about us and hears us when we cry to Him. Regular, persistent prayer draws us closer to Him. It may feel like we are a squeaky wheel, but the Lord welcomes our prayer and encourages us to approach Him with our cries. He hears us and will come to our aid in ways that we may not expect.

As Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:5-8, constant prayer does not require long periods of “vain repetitions.” Rather, as we bring our needs before God “day and night” (Luke 18:7) and walk with the One who already knows our needs, we learn to trust God and wait patiently for His response.

Don’t give up—God hears you when you pray!

Verse from Psalms

耶和华啊！我知道你的判语是公义的，为了你的信实，你使我受苦。(诗篇 119:75)

I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. (Psalms 119:75)

In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis observes that “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Suffering often helps us to redirect our focus. It shifts our thinking from immediate circumstances so we can listen to God concerning His work in our lives. Life as usual is replaced by a spiritual schoolroom.

In the Old Testament, we read how the psalmist maintained a teachable heart even during painful circumstances. He accepted them as orchestrated by God, and in submission he prayed, “In faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Ps. 119:75). Isaiah the prophet viewed suffering as a refining process: “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10). And Job, despite his laments, learned about the sovereignty and greatness of God through his troubles (Job 40–42).

We are not alone in our experience of pain. God Himself took on human form and suffered greatly: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). The One with nail-scarred hands is near. He will comfort us and teach us in our suffering.

Dear Lord, 

life is so hard sometimes. 

I confess that I don’t always see Your purpose in my trials. 

Help me to trust You, 

and teach me to become the person that You desire me to be.

We learn the lesson of trust in the school of trial.

Verse from John

“我把这些事告诉了你们，好让我的喜乐存在你们心里，并且使你们的喜乐满溢。(约翰福音 15:11)

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11)

The overflowing joy of knowing Christ’s presence in our lives was one of the themes of Jesus’ final teaching with His disciples the night before He died on the cross. He told them of His extravagant love for them—that He loved them as the Father loved Him (John 15:9). After sharing what this eternal relationship looks like, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (v.11).

What a promise! Through Jesus Christ our hearts can be filled with joy—real joy! 

Lord, 

You have chosen me and redeemed me, 

crowned me with love and compassion. 

I can do nothing less than overflow with joy at Your great love for me, for those I love, and for the world.

In every season of life we can know joy in Christ.

Verses from Revelation

我又看见一个新天新地，因为先前的天地都过去了，海也再没有了。我又看见圣城，新耶路撒冷，从天上由　神那里降下来，预备好了，好象打扮整齐等候丈夫的新娘。我听见有大声音从宝座那里发出来，说：“看哪！　神的帐幕在人间，他要与人同住，他们要作他的子民。神要亲自与他们同在，要作他们的神。他要抹去他们的一切眼泪，不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭号、痛苦，因为先前的事都过去了。”

得胜的，必要承受这些福分。我要作他的神，他要作我的儿子。只是那些胆怯的、不信的、可憎的、杀人的、淫乱的、行邪术的、拜偶像的和所有说谎的人，他们的分是在烧着硫磺的火湖里。这就是第二次的死。”(启示录 21:1-4, 7-8)

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-4, 7-8)

When Jesus comes back for us, will you be the victorious children of Him or will you be the latter - cowardly, unbelieving, sexually immoral and so on? 

What's your choice? What you choose and how you choose to live your life today determines how you choose to face Jesus when He comes back for us. 

Verse from Luke

哪一个大呢？是坐着吃喝的还是服事人的呢？不是坐着吃喝的吗？然而我在你们中间，如同服事人的。(路加福音)

For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:27)

We all want to be great and be served but who is willing to serve? Jesus has shown us what servant leadership is about. He is a King but yet He served the disciples by washing their feet. He showed us what it means to be a servant leader. 

Verse from Psalms

因为耶和华本是美善的，他的慈爱存到永远，他的信实直到万代。(诗篇 100:5)

For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalms 100:5)

It may seem surprising when children don’t follow their parents’ example of faith in God. Equally unexpected is a person with a deep commitment to Christ who emerges from a family where faith was not present. In every generation, each person has a choice.

Samuel was a great man of God who appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, as leaders over Israel (1 Sam. 8:1-2). Unlike their father, however, they were corrupt and “turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice” (v.3). Yet, years later, we find Heman, Joel’s son, appointed as a musician in the house of the Lord (1 Chron. 6:31-33). Heman, Samuel’s grandson—along with Asaph, his right-hand man and the author of many of the psalms—served the Lord by singing joyful songs (15:16-17).

Even though a person seems indifferent toward the faith so precious to his or her parents, God is still at work. Things can change in later years, and seeds of faith may spring to life in generations to come.

No matter what the family situation may be, we know that “the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”

Dear Lord, 

help me to remember that You are the one who causes the seed of faith to grow. 

We give our loved ones into Your care, knowing that the end of the story has not yet been written.

God’s faithfulness extends to all generations.

Verse from Colossians

所以，你们既然是神所拣选的，是圣洁、蒙爱的人，就要存怜悯的心肠、恩慈、谦卑、温柔和忍耐。(歌罗西书 3:12)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

At the end of a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, a group traveled from the conference center to a guesthouse to prepare to fly back home the next morning. When this group arrived, one person in the group reported that she had forgotten her luggage back at the conference center. After she left to retrieve it, the group leader (always meticulous on detail) criticized her sharply to the group in her absence.

The next morning when they arrived at the airport, the leader discovered to his dismay that he too had left his luggage behind. It and his passport were back at the guesthouse. It was now going to cost them even more to go for his baggage. Later, he apologized and said to the whole group, “I’ll never criticize so harshly again!”

Because we all have faults and weaknesses, we should bear with one another and forgive each other when things go wrong (Col. 3:13). We need to be constructive in our criticism and “clothe [our]selves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (v.12 niv).

When correction is necessary, it should be done with kindness and love. In that way we become imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear God, 

You know that there are times when I just don’t feel patient and humble and gentle. 

Those days in my life, the fruit of Your Spirit seems in short supply. 

Please enable me to love others today.

The keys to effective relationships are gentleness and humility.