Verse from Isaiah

“耶和华说：“你们来，我们彼此辩论；你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白；虽红如丹颜，必白如羊毛。”

以赛亚书 1:18 

““Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Isaiah 1:18 

Sometimes we believe that once we’ve gone down a certain path in our lives, there’s no turning back. And, obviously, if it’s too late to go back, we think we might as well keep going that way. It’s easy to think this way about sin. We may believe we’ll always suffer for our sin, that nothing can heal us from its effects. If we believe this, we may sink even deeper into patterns of destructive behavior, thinking it’s too late to come back to a life of joy and peace with God.

In Isaiah 1:16–20, it’s as if God, through the prophet Isaiah, tells His people Israel, “You can go back.” The Israelites were suffering terribly because of their sin (vv. 4–5), but Isaiah pleaded with them to repent, promising them that if they turned from their sin and lived justly (vv. 16–17), God would cleanse and restore them, no matter how impossibly deep the stain of their transgression (v. 18). God makes truly new beginnings possible, not just once, but every day. His forgiving love is “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

How does God’s promise of new beginnings give you hope today?        

Verse from Psalms

“上帝是我们的避难所，是我们的力量，是我们 在患难中随时的帮助。”

诗篇 46:1 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 

In Psalm 46, the psalmist proclaims God is our sanctuary, strength, and steadfast supporter (v. 1). When it feels as if we’re surrounded by chaos or everything we thought was stable crashes down around us, we don’t have to fear (vv. 2–3). God doesn’t falter (vv. 4–7). His power is evident and effective (vv. 8–9). Our eternal Sustainer gives us confidence in His unchanging character (v. 10). The Lord, our secure stronghold, remains with us forever (v. 11).

God created His followers to prayerfully support and encourage one another. But He also affirms He is always able and available. When we call on God, we can trust Him to keep His promises to provide for us. He will comfort us through His people as well as through His personal presence.

Verse from Matthew

““我实在告诉你们，如果你们不回转，变成像小孩子一样，一定不能进天国。”

马太福音 18:3 

“and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3 

Jesus likens greatness to childlikeness. Anyone coming to Him must come in childlike dependency, expectancy, receptivity, and humility (Matthew 18:2–4). While on earth, Jesus lovingly embraced His disciples as “my children” (John 13:33), and the apostle John affectionately addressed us as “dear children” (1 John 2:1, 12, 18, 28). 

Used negatively, however, children or “infants” denote weak or immature believers (1 Corinthians 3:1–3; Ephesians 4:13–14; Hebrews 5:13). “Don’t be childish,” Paul warned us (1 Corinthians 14:20 nlt). Christians are to be childlike, not childish (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Our faith in Jesus is to be like that of a trusting child.

Verse from Psalms

“我多么爱慕你的律法，终日不住地默想。”

诗篇 119:97 

“O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Psalms 119:97 

We're all familiar with the nutritional listings on food and beverage packages. Most of us are interested in total calories per serving, especially calories coming from good or bad fat, as well as readings on carbohydrates, sugar and sodium. But while these government-regulated fact lists work well for food required by our physical body, what if a similar kind of list were available to help us evaluate the spiritual content of the products we consume? 

What if every TV program, magazine, book, DVD or CD revealed the "recommended daily allowance" of the spiritual necessities it provided—things like holiness, truth, forgiveness, perseverance, grace, justice and repentance? How many of them, rather than supplying anything we need, would be shown to actually deplete us, stripping away whatever spiritual health we already have? 

But there is one product—the Bible—that is guaranteed to provide everyone in your family with the perfect blend of spiritual nourishment. Whether packaged in cheap paper or top-grain leather, the Bible comes complete with "everything required for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3, HCSB). 

Although most Christians today express a deep fondness for the Scriptures, they are apparently failing to feast on it. Noted researcher George Barna has reported that fewer than 4 in 10 born-again Christians read the Bible on their own even once in a typical week. A similar FamilyLife survey conducted in churches throughout the United States found that two-thirds of couples read or discussed the Bible together but only occasionally. 

If you want a spiritually healthy family, make sure that each member consumes a healthy diet of the everlasting Word of God.

Verse from Amos

“耶和华对以色列家这样说：“寻求我，就必存活；”

阿摩司书 5:4 

“For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live.”

Amos 5:4 

God is the life-giver. We will find life in no other. But as sinful creatures, our hearts are naturally prone to wander from our Creator. Our souls were made to pursue God, know God, and walk with God—nothing else. It's only as we pursue Him that we live. 

In the book of Amos, God tries over and over again to get the attention of His people. He allows them to experience famine, drought, and pestilence and yet, as God says in Amos 4:11, "... you did not return to me." But Amos 5:4 reminds us of where life is found. God says, "Seek me and live." These words should get our attention. We will only find life in seeking Him.

Verse from 1 Corinthians

“你们所受的试探，无非是人受得起的；神是信实的，他必不容许你们受试探过于你们承受得起的，而且在受试探的时候，必定给你们开一条出路，使你们能忍受得住。”

哥林多前书 10:13 

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 

TEMPTATION... We've all been there. Satan's silver bullet designed just for us personally. "No one will ever know; besides it won't hurt anybody!" some mysterious voice sounding like our own whispers. Even if those two statements were true, and they never really are, it would matter because something inside of us caved in to what we knew was wrong. 

One line of defense is to simply remind ourselves we are not alone in this temptation — others have faced it and conquered it, so we can too, by God's help and the power of his Holy Spirit.

Verse from Romans

“圣灵亲自和我们的灵一同证明我们是神的儿女。”

罗马书 8:16 

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”

Romans 8:16 

The job we hoped for doesn’t materialize; friends we counted on let us down; the romantic relationship we longed for fails to work out. But into these heartbreaks, God’s Word speaks a refreshing truth about our hope in Him. 

The apostle Paul wrote, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame [or disappoint us], because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

As we place our trust in Him, through His Spirit, God whispers the truth that we are unconditionally loved and will one day be with Him—regardless of the obstacles we face. In a world that may often disappoint us, how good it is to know that God gives genuine hope.

Abba, Father, 

thank You that I can always trust in Your perfect, never-ending love.

Verses from Ephesians

“所以，你们该效法上帝，好像蒙慈爱的儿女一样。也要凭爱心行事，正如基督爱我们，为我们舍了自己，当作馨香的供物和祭物，献与上帝。”

以弗所书 5:1-2 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If we are to sincerely flatter God by being like him, imitation may be the most costly form of flattery as well. You see, love for God is never something that occurs just in our minds or our hearts.

Love is something we do for another — it is action. John said in 1 John 4 that we must love in both our deeds and our words. Love means to give ourselves up — what we want, our rights, our desires — to honor God and serve others. This is a kind of love that can change the world, or a marriage, or a family.

Verse from 1 John

“孩子们，我们爱人，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行动和真诚上表现出来。”

约翰壹书 3:18 

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

1 John 3:18 

Like John in today’s passage, James calls us to action, saying our desire to help others arises out of faith: “What good is it . . . if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?” (James 2:14). 

If we tell those in need, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed” without first meeting their physical needs, what does that accomplish? He urges, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (vv. 15–17). 

John echoes, “How can the love of God be in that person” who “sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them?” (1 John 3:17). Our loving actions flow out of our faith and the empowering love of God inside us.

How might God be calling you to help someone?

Verse from James

“我的弟兄们，你们遭遇各种试炼的时候，都要看为喜乐；”

雅各书 1:2 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,”

James 1:2 

Regina drove home from work discouraged and tired. The day had started with tragic news in a text message from a friend, then spiraled downward in meetings with co-workers who refused to work with any of her ideas. As Regina was talking to the Lord, she thought it best to put the stress of the day aside and made a surprise visit with flowers to an elderly friend at a care center. Her spirits lifted as Maria shared how good the Lord was to her. She said, “I have my own bed and a chair, three meals a day, and help from the nurses here. And occasionally God sends a cardinal to my window just because He knows I love them and He loves me.”

Attitude. Perspective. As the saying goes, “Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it.” The people James wrote to were scattered because of persecution, and he asked them to consider their perspective about difficulties (James 1:2).

We are each on our own journey of learning to trust God with hard circumstances. The kind of joy-filled perspective James talked about comes as we learn to see that God can use struggles to produce maturity in our faith.

Lord, 

please change my attitude about hard times. 

Bring about joy, perseverance, and maturity in me.

Verse from 2 Peter

“借着这些，他把又宝贵又极大的应许赐给了我们，好叫你们既然逃脱世上因私欲而来的败坏，就可以分享神的本性。”

彼得后书 1:4 

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

2 Peter 1:4 

By the time we get to Peter’s writings in the New Testament, God’s reputation as a “promise-keeper” is well established. Early we see that the God of the Bible makes promises that match His role as the sovereign, Almighty God. And He delivers what He promises. The roots of this “promise-making,” “promise-keeping” attribute are deep in the soil of Genesis. 

When the patriarch Abraham was called to relocate to a place he had never seen, he went. Along with words that instructed him to leave what was familiar came promises that the Lord would make of him a great nation, give him a great name, and bless the nations of the world through his offspring (see 12:1–3). That offspring was Christ (see Galatians 3:16; Hebrews 6:11–20) and the promise remains good today for all who embrace Him.

When we take God at His Word, trusting what He says about Himself and about us, we encounter His heart toward us. It gives Him an opportunity to reveal His faithfulness as we rest in what He says is true.

How does knowing God keeps His promises encourage you?

Verses from Psalms

“我要向群山举目，我的帮助从哪里来呢？我的帮助是从 造天地的耶和华而来。”

诗篇 121:1-2 

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”

Psalms 121:1-2 

For decades the renowned Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has blessed multitudes through their soul-refreshing gospel songs. One example is their recording from Psalm 121 titled “My Help.”

Psalm 121 begins with a personal confession of faith in the Lord who brought all things into existence, and He was the source of the psalmist’s help (vv. 1–2). Just what did this mean? Stability (v. 3), around-the-clock care (vv. 3–4), constant presence and protection (vv. 5–6), and preservation from all kinds of evil for time and eternity (vv. 7–8).

Do you feel alone, forsaken, abandoned, confused? Ponder the lyrics of Psalm 121. Allow these words to fill your soul with faith and courage. You’re not alone, so don’t try to do life on your own. Rather, rejoice in the earthly and eternal care of God as demonstrated in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. And whatever the next steps, take them with His help.

Verse from Zechariah

“他对我说：“这是耶和华对所罗巴伯所说的话：‘不是倚靠权势，不是倚靠能力，而是倚靠我的灵。’这是万军之耶和华说的。”

撒迦利亚书 4:6 

“Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.”

Zechariah 4:6 

What do you do when there is a mountain in your way? The story of Dashrath Manjhi can inspire us. When his wife died because he was unable to get her to the hospital to receive urgent medical care, Manjhi did what seemed impossible. He spent twenty-two years chiseling a massive gap in a mountain so other villagers could get to the local hospital to receive the medical care they needed. Before he died, the government of India celebrated him for his achievement.

Rebuilding the temple must have looked impossible to Zerubbabel, one of the leaders of Israel who returned from exile. The people were discouraged, faced opposition from their enemies, and lacked resources or a big army. But God sent Zechariah to remind Zerubbabel that the task would take something more powerful than military strength, individual power, or man-made resources. It would take the Spirit’s power (Zechariah 4:6). With the assurance of divine aid, Zerubbabel trusted that God would level any mountain of difficulty that stood in the way of rebuilding the temple and restoring the community (v. 7).

What do we do when there is a “mountain” before us? We have two options: rely on our own strength or trust the Spirit’s power. When we trust His power, He will either level the mountain or give us the strength and endurance to climb over it.

What challenges stand in your way? How will you trust His power in your life? 

Verse from Genesis

“这样看来，差派我到这里来的，不是你们，而是神。他立我作法老之父，作他全家之主，又作全埃及地的首相。”

创世记 45:8 

“Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 45:8 

One of the Bible’s great examples of patience is Joseph, who was sold to slave traders by his jealous brothers, falsely accused by his employer’s wife, and imprisoned in Egypt. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:20–21). Years later, when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, he was made second in command in Egypt (ch. 41).

When we are going through a difficult season, we can find comfort and encouragement by looking at how God worked in Joseph’s difficult—even seemingly hopeless—circumstances. We learn to ask the questions: Why does God have me here? What does He have in store for me or want to do through me? Joseph came to realize that it was God who had placed him in his situation (see Genesis 45:8; 50:20).

We also learn something about God’s timing. It only takes a few moments for us to read Joseph’s story, but his trial lasted for years. His imprisonment may have been to fulfill God’s purposes (interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams) but the timing was also God’s.

In all our delays, brief or long, may we, like Joseph, gain patience, perspective, and peace as we trust in the Lord.

Father in heaven, 

in all of our delays may we trust Your faithful hand of guidance and experience Your presence with us in every situation.

Verse from Romans

“因为万有都是本于他，倚靠他，归于他。愿荣耀归给他，直到永远。阿们！”

罗马书 11:36 

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Romans 11:36 

Would you like to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude? George Herbert, a seventeenth-century British poet, encourages readers toward that goal in his poem “Gratefulness”: “Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart.”

Herbert recognized the only thing he needed in order to be thankful was simply an awareness of the blessings God had already given him.

The Bible declares Christ Jesus as the source of all blessing in Romans 11:36. Everything we receive in life comes directly from our heavenly Father (James 1:17), and He willingly gives us those gifts out of His love for us.

Those gifts can be especially the ones we often take for granted such as the anticipation of an evening with friends, a stocked pantry, a wonderful partner by your side and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. 

What is the “so much” that God has already given to you? Opening our eyes to those blessings will help us to develop grateful hearts.

Take a few minutes to thank God for what comes to your mind right now. Try to do that throughout the day as well.

Verse from 1 Samuel

“以色列人对撒母耳说：“请你不要静默，为我们呼求耶和华我们的神吧，好叫他拯救我们脱离非利士人的手。””

撒母耳记上 7:8 

“Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."”

1 Samuel 7:8 

The Israelites faced the threat of the Philistines, who had previously defeated them when God’s people didn’t trust in Him (see 1 Samuel 4). After repenting of their sins, they heard that the Philistines were about to attack. This time, however, they asked Samuel to continue praying for them (7:8), and the Lord answered clearly by throwing their enemy into confusion (v. 10). Though the Philistines may have been mightier than the Israelites, the Lord was the strongest of them all.

When we ache over the challenges facing those we love, and fear the situation won’t change, we may be tempted to believe that the Lord will not act. But we should never underestimate the power of prayer, for our loving God hears our pleas. We don’t know how He will move in response to our petitions, but we know that as our Father He longs for us to embrace His love and to trust in His faithfulness.

Do you have someone you can pray for today?

Verse from Colossians

“在这一方面，并不分希腊人和犹太人，受割礼的和未受割礼的，未开化的人和西古提人，奴隶和自由人，唯有基督是一切，也在一切之内。”

歌罗西书 3:11 

“a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

Colossians 3:11 

When Paul wrote to the first-century church at Colossae, he was well aware of the diversity of its members. He reminded them (Colossians 3:11). In a group where surface as well as deeper differences could easily divide people, Paul urged them to “clothe [themselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (v. 12). And over all these virtues, he told them to put on love “which binds them all together in perfect unity” (v. 14).

Putting these principles into practice may often be a work in progress, but that is what Jesus calls us to. What we as believers hold in common is our love for Him. On that basis, we pursue understanding, peace, and unity as members of the body of Christ.

Verse from John

“我是好牧人，我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我，”

约翰福音 10:14 

““I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—”

John 10:14 

In ancient Israel, loving and knowing the sheep distinguished a true shepherd from a hired hand. The shepherd spent so much time with his sheep that he developed an abiding care for and a deep knowledge of his lambs. Little wonder then that Jesus tells His own, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. . . . My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:14, 27).

He knows us and He loves us! We can trust Jesus’s purposes for us and rest in the promise of His care because His Father “knows what [we] need before [we] ask him” (Matthew 6:8). As you deal with the ups and downs of life today, be at rest. You are known and loved by the Shepherd of your heart.

Dear Lord, 

thank You for how You tenderly love and care for me. 

Help me to trust You in all areas of my life.

Verse from Exodus

“耶和华在摩西面前经过，并且宣告说：“耶和华，耶和华，是有怜悯有恩典的神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱和诚实，”

出埃及记 34:6 

“Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;”

Exodus 34:6 

Being exposed to God’s perfect character drew two responses from Moses. He first responded with worship (34:8), and then he acknowledged the need for forgiveness (v. 9). These continue to be important responses toward our loving God who is perfectly holy, compassionate, and forgiving.

What is your response to God’s lovingkindness?

Verse from Malachi

“那时，敬畏耶和华的彼此谈论，耶和华侧耳而听，且有纪念册在他面前，记录那敬畏耶和华、思念他名的人。”

玛拉基书 3:16 

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.”

Malachi 3:16 

Lee is a diligent and reliable bank employee. Yet he often finds himself sticking out like a sore thumb for living out his faith. This reveals itself in practical ways, such as when he leaves the break room during an inappropriate conversation. At a Bible study, he shared with his friends, “I fear that I’m losing promotion opportunities for not fitting in.”

Believers during the prophet Malachi’s time faced a similar challenge. They had returned from exile and the temple had been rebuilt, but there was skepticism about God’s plan for their future. Some of the Israelites were saying, “It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements . . . ? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it” (Malachi 3:14–15).

How can we stand firm for God in a culture that tells us we will lose out if we don’t blend in? The faithful in Malachi’s time responded to that challenge by meeting with like-minded believers to encourage each other. Malachi shares this important detail with us: “The Lord listened and heard” (v. 16).

God notices and cares for all who fear and honor Him. He doesn’t call us to “fit in” but to draw closer to Him each day as we encourage each other. Let’s stay faithful!

Our faith may be tested so that we may trust God’s faithfulness.

Verse from 2 Corinthians

“我们有这宝贝在瓦器里，是要显明这极大的能力是属于神，不是出于我们。”

哥林多后书 4:7 

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

2 Corinthians 4:7 

Second Corinthians 4 describes how God’s love mends broken people. We see evidence of this life-change in the story of Zacchaeus, a man who made large profits by overtaxing his people. When Jesus called him out of his sin, Zacchaeus instantly vowed: “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:1–10). His actions demonstrated his changed life.

How do your actions demonstrate God’s work in your life?