Thursday, 31 May 2018

Verse from Matthew

大约三点钟,耶稣大声呼叫:以利,以利,拉马撒巴各大尼?意思是我的神,我的神,你为甚么离弃我?””
马太福音 27:46 

“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, " ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, " MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"”
Matthew 27:46 

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out in agony and in utter despondency as He hung on that cross of shame on Golgotha (Matthew 27:45–46).

“My God,” He said, “my God, why have you forsaken me?”

There is no more heart-wrenching words than this. Since eternity, Jesus had been in perfect fellowship with God the Father. Together they had created the universe, had fashioned mankind in their image, and planned salvation. Never in the eons past had they not been in total fellowship with each other.

And now, as the anguish of the cross continued to bring devastating pain on Jesus—He for the first time lost the awareness of God’s presence as He carried the burden of the sins of the world.

It was the only way. Only through this time of interrupted fellowship could our salvation be provided for. And it was only because Jesus was willing to experience this sense of being forsaken on the cross that we humans can gain fellowship with God.


Thank You, Jesus, for experiencing such pain so we could be forgiven.

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Verse from Romans

照样,圣灵也在我们的软弱上帮助我们。原来我们不晓得应当怎样祷告,但圣灵亲自用不可言喻的叹息,替我们祈求。
罗马书 8:26 

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”
Romans 8:26 

We may not know what to say when we pray or even what to ask for, but when we belong to Christ, His Spirit within “intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26) and lovingly helps us articulate our deepest needs before Him.


Our heavenly Father doesn’t stand at a distance waiting for us to get our words right. We can come to Him with every need, assured that He understands and receives us with love.

Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Verse from Hebrews

因为在这里我们没有长存的城,我们却是寻求那将要来的城。
希伯来书 13:14 

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
Hebrews 13:14 

The Maker of the horizon (Job 26:10) knows that sometimes in life we may become fearful and restless. We can regain perspective by focusing on the distant but steady point of our destiny.

The writer of Hebrews understood this. He sensed discouragement in his readers. Persecution had driven many of them from their homes. So he reminded them that other people of faith had endured extreme trials and had been left homeless. They endured it all because they anticipated something better.

As exiles, these readers could look forward to the city whose architect is God, the heavenly country, the city God prepared for them (Hebrews 11:10, 14, 16). So in his final exhortations, the writer asked his readers to focus on God’s promises (13:14).

Our present troubles are temporary. We are “foreigners and strangers on earth” (11:13), but gazing at the horizon of God’s promises provides the point of reference we need.

Father, in the midst of troubles, 

help me to focus on Your promises.

Monday, 28 May 2018

Verses from Psalms

神啊!求你鉴察我,知道我的心思;试验我,知道我的意念。看看我里面有甚么恶行没有,引导我走永恒的道路。
诗篇 139:23-24 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24 

God does know us. We cannot pretend we are something we are not with Him. He knows us — inside and out, through and through. This should liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with Him, but most of us run from such a close relationship with our Father. 


If our desire, however, is to become more like Him, the only way to be transformed is by inviting Him in to look at our hearts, our motivations, and our desires.

Sunday, 27 May 2018

Verse from Romans

圣徒有缺乏的,就要接济;客旅要热诚地款待。
罗马书 12:13 

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:13 

The practice of hospitality is a key teaching in the New Testament. Jesus told His disciples to depend on the hospitality of those they ministered to (Matthew 10:11; Luke 10:7–8). 

Jesus also received hospitality from others (Mark 2:15; 14:3; Luke 7:36). Mary and Martha opened their home to Jesus (Luke 10:38), and this is probably where He stayed each time He came to Jerusalem (see Matthew 21:17). Luke mentioned a group of women who “were helping to support [Jesus and the twelve disciples] out of their own means” (Luke 8:3). 

The apostle John commended Gaius for his cheerful generosity and loving hospitality because he provided itinerant Bible teachers a place to stay (3 John 1:5–8).


When we lovingly support ministry workers in practical ways, we are their partners in ministry (v. 8).

Saturday, 26 May 2018

Verse from Psalms

求你向我右边观看,没有人关心我;我没有逃难的地方,也没有人照顾我。
诗篇 142:4 

“Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul.”
Psalms 142:4 

The heading to Psalm 142 says, “A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.” But we might also call this song “David’s cry.” The poetic imagery woven into the lyric rings with authenticity because it flows out of David’s actual experiences. 

Twice he fled to a cave in fear for his life. Few of us can identify with that situation literally, but nearly all of us can relate to David’s metaphorical cave of loneliness and despair. When he uses words like “cry” (v. 1) and “complaint” (v. 2), we know how he feels. His “spirit grows faint” (v. 3), a “snare” has been set for him (v. 3), and “no one is concerned” (v. 4). David even sees his dilemma as “my prison” (v. 7). 

Yet he knows the trustworthiness of the One he cries out to, and he anticipates a day when “the righteous will gather about [him]” (v. 7). He will not always be desperately lonely.


Does an emotional cave imprison you today? Consider writing out your thoughts in raw honesty and giving them to God. 

Friday, 25 May 2018

Verse from Philippians

最后,弟兄们,凡是真实的、庄重的、公正的、纯洁的、可爱的、声誉好的,无论是甚么美德,甚么称赞,这些事你们都应当思念。
腓立比书 4:8 

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 

A few years ago, a woman shared a story about finding her preteen son watching news coverage of a violent event. Instinctively, she reached for the remote and changed the channel. “You don’t need to be watching that stuff,” she told him rather abruptly. An argument followed, and eventually she shared that he needed to fill his mind with “whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely . . .” (Philippians 4:8). 

After dinner, she and her husband were watching the news when suddenly their five-year-old daughter burst in and turned off the television. “You don’t need to be watching that stuff,” she declared in her best “mom” voice. “Now, think about those Bible things!” 

As adults, we can better absorb and process the news than the children. Still, the couple’s daughter was both amusing and wise when she echoed her mother’s earlier instructions. Even well-adjusted adults can be affected by a steady diet of the darker side of life. Meditating on the kind of things Paul lists in Philippians 4:8 is a powerful antidote to the gloom that sometimes settles on us as we see the condition of our world.

Making careful decisions about what fills our minds is an excellent way to honor God and guard our hearts as well.

Father, 
open our eyes today to what’s beautiful. 
Teach us to meditate on You.


What we let into our minds shapes the state of our souls.

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Verse from Psalms

我必平平安安躺下睡觉,因为只有你耶和华能使我安然居住。
诗篇 4:8 

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”
Psalms 4:8 

Troubled relationships, an uncertain future, whatever it is—we all give in to worry at one point or another.

King David was clearly in distress when he penned Psalm 4. People were ruining his reputation with groundless accusations (v. 2). And some were questioning his competency to rule (v. 6). David probably felt angry for being treated so unfairly. Surely he could have spent nights stewing about it. Yet we read these remarkable words: “In peace I will lie down and sleep” (v. 8).

Charles Spurgeon explains verse 8 beautifully: “In thus lying down, . . . [David] resigned himself into the hands of another; he did so completely, for in the absence of all care, he slept; there was here a perfect trust.” What inspired this trust? From the start, David was confident that God would answer his prayers (v. 3). And he was sure that since God had chosen to love him, He would lovingly meet his needs.


May God help us to rest in His power and presence when worries threaten. In His sovereign and loving arms, we can “lie down and sleep.”

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

Verses from Jeremiah

但倚靠耶和华,以耶和华为他所信赖的,这人是有福的。他必像一棵树,栽种在水边,树根伸进河里;炎热来到,并不害怕,树叶仍然繁茂;在荒旱之年,它不挂虑,并且不断结果子。””
耶利米书 17:7-8 

““But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.””
Jeremiah 17:7-8 

Trust. Can we trust in God? Is the Lord really faithful? While we may wish to have been alive when Jesus walked the earth or Jeremiah spoke fearlessly God's hard truth, we are especially blessed to be alive today. 


We stand at the end of an incredible stream of God's work. We can look at history and know Him to be profoundly faithful to His people. We can launch out into the future with boldness because we know God is already there. He has never changed, He is always faithful to us, even when we have not always been faithful to Him. 

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Verse from Jonah

说:我从患难中求告耶和华,他就应允我;我从阴间的深府呼求,你就垂听我的声音。
约拿书 2:2 

“and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.”
Jonah 2:2 

The story of Jonah is a story of the unexpected. The only character in the story who doesn’t obey God is the one the reader would expect to be obedient, the one who told the sailors, “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). 

In contrast to the fugitive prophet, the pagan sailors turn to God (v. 16); the fish did as the Lord commanded (2:10); the Ninevites (a blood-thirsty and pagan people) repented (3:5–10). But the unexpected doesn’t stop there. God goes to great lengths to teach Jonah who He is. 

Rather than punish the disobedient prophet who is angry at God’s mercy, God invites Jonah (and us) to contemplate the depths of His love and mercy.


When have you experienced the love and mercy of God?

Monday, 21 May 2018

Verses from Luke

““只是我告诉你们听道的人:当爱你们的仇敌,善待恨你们的人。咒诅你们的,要为他们祝福,凌辱你们的,要为他们祷告。
路加福音 6:27-28 

““But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27-28 

In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges was the first African-American child to integrate an all-white public elementary school in the American South. Every day for months, federal marshals escorted Ruby past a mob of angry parents shouting curses, threats, and insults at her. Safely inside, she sat in a classroom alone with Barbara Henry, the only teacher willing to instruct her while parents kept their children from attending school with Ruby.

Noted child psychologist Robert Coles met with Ruby for several months to help her cope with the fear and stress she experienced. He was amazed by the prayer Ruby said every day as she walked to school and back home. “Please, God, forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing” (see Luke 23:34).

The words of Jesus spoken from the cross were stronger than the hatred and insults hurled at Him. In the most agonizing hours of His life, our Lord demonstrated the radical response He taught His followers: “Love your enemies . . . . Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27–28, 36).

This remarkable approach is possible only as we consider the powerful love Jesus has given us—love stronger than even the deepest hatred.

Father, 
You have so graciously forgiven us. 

Help us today to forgive others who have wronged us.

Sunday, 20 May 2018

Verse from Acts

所有信的人都在一起,凡物公用,
使徒行传 2:44 

“And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;”
Acts 2:44 

Carrie’s five-year-old daughter, Maija, has an interesting approach to playtime. She loves mixing together dolls from different playsets to come up with a new community. In the world of her imagination, everything belongs together. These are her people. She believes they are happiest when they’re together, despite being different sizes and shapes.

Her creativity is a reminder of God’s purpose for the church. On the day of Pentecost, Luke tells us, “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Though these people were from different cultures and spoke different languages, the Holy Spirit’s arrival made them a new community: the church. From then on, they would be considered one body, unified by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The leaders of this new body were a group of men Jesus brought together during His time on earth—His disciples. If Jesus hadn’t united them, more than likely they would never have come together. And now more people—“about three thousand” (2:41)—had become Christ-followers. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, this once divided group “had everything in common” (v. 44). They were willing to share what they had with each other.


The Holy Spirit continues to bridge the gaps between people groups. We might not always get along, nor readily understand one another. But as believers in Christ, we belong together.

Saturday, 19 May 2018

Verses from Daniel

即便如此,我们所事奉的上帝能将我们从烈火的窑中救出来。王啊,他也必救我们脱离你的手;即或不然,王啊,你当知道我们决不事奉你的神,也不敬拜你所立的金像。」
但以理书 3:17-18 

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."”
Daniel 3:17-18 

Sometimes life deals us a tremendous blow. Other times the miraculous happens.

Three young men, captives in Babylon, stood in front of the fearsome king of that land and boldly proclaimed that under no circumstances would they worship the giant image of gold towering above them. Together they declared: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know . . . we will not . . . worship the image” (Daniel 3:17–18).

These three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were hurled into the fiery furnace; and God miraculously delivered them so that not a hair of their head was singed and their clothing was smoke-free (vv. 19–27). They had been prepared to die but their trust in God was unwavering—“even if” He had not saved them.

God desires that we cling to Him—even if our loved one isn’t healed, even if we lose our job, even if we are persecuted. Sometimes God rescues us from danger in this life, and sometimes He doesn’t. But the truth we can hold firmly is this: “The God we serve is able,” loves us, and is with us in every fiery trial, every even if.

Dear Lord, 
we love You! 

Please give us unwavering faith—and strength and hope for each day—no matter the circumstance.

Friday, 18 May 2018

Verse from Jeremiah

““你去在耶路撒冷人的耳中呼叫,说:耶和华这样说:你年轻时的恩爱,新婚时的爱情,你怎样在旷野、在未曾耕种之地跟从我,我都记得。
耶利米书 2:2 

“"Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals, Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown.”
Jeremiah 2:2 

In Jeremiah 2:2, God yearns for His beloved but wayward Israel, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me.” The Hebrew word for devotion conveys the highest loyalty and commitment possible. At first, Israel expressed this unwavering devotion to God, but gradually she turned away.

Despite the undeniably powerful feelings in the early stages of commitment, sometimes familiarity can create complacency and complacency can dull the sharp edge of love and a lack of zeal can lead to unfaithfulness. We know the importance of fighting against such a lag in our marriages. 

What about the fervor of our love relationship with God? Are we as devoted to Him now as we were when we first came to faith?

God faithfully allows His people to return (3:14–15). Today we can renew our vows to follow Him—anywhere.

Dear God, 
help me to keep the promises I’ve made to You. 

I will follow You anywhere.

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Verse from Psalms

你们要称谢耶和华,因他本是良善的, 他的慈爱永远长存。
诗篇 136:1 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Psalms 136:1 

As with Psalm 136, many of the psalms encourage us to remember and praise God’s goodness. In Psalm 42, when the writer’s soul is “downcast” (v. 5), he remembers “by day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me” (v. 8). He puts his “hope in God,” and praises his Savior and God (v. 11). 

The psalmist David remembers God in the desert and is comforted: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings” (63:6–7). 

And in his distress the psalmist Asaph “[seeks] the Lord” and is prompted to “remember the deeds of the Lord; . . . [His] miracles of long ago . . . and meditate on all [His] mighty deeds” (77:2, 10–12).

Lord, 
thank You for the world You made and for the blessings on my life. 
Fill my heart with gratitude and put words in my mouth to acknowledge and appreciate You.


For all eternity, God’s love endures forever.

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

Verse from Matthew

我心里柔和谦卑,你们应当负我的轭,向我学习,你们就必得着心灵的安息;
马太福音 11:29 

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 

Unlike many other religious teachers’ emphasis on rigorous study of Scripture or an elaborate set of rules, Jesus taught that it’s simply through knowing Him that we know God (v. 27). 

In seeking Him, we find our heavy burdens lifted (vv. 28–30) and our lives transformed.

Because following Him, our gentle and humble Leader (v. 29), is never burdensome—it’s the way of hope and healing. 

Tuesday, 15 May 2018

Verse from Hebrews

在一切善事上成全你们,好使你们遵行他的旨意;又借着耶稣基督在我们里面,行他所喜悦的事。愿荣耀归给他,直到永永远远。阿们。
希伯来书 13:21 

“equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:21 

“How have you seen God at work lately?” some were asked this question. One replied, “I see Him at work as I read the Scriptures each morning; I see Him at work as He helps me face each new day; I see Him at work when I know that He has been with me every step of the way—I realize how He has helped me to face challenges while giving me joy.” A wonderful answer because it reflects how through God’s Word and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God stays near to, and works in, those who love Him.

God working in His followers is a wonderful mystery that the writer to the Hebrews refers to as he draws his letter to a close in what’s known as a benediction: “. . . and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:21). With this conclusion, the writer reinforces the essential message of his letter—that God will equip His people to follow Him and that God will work in and through them for His glory.

The gift of God working in us can take us by surprise; perhaps we forgive someone who wrongs us or show patience to someone we find difficult. Our “God of peace” (v. 20) spreads His love and peace in and through us. 


How have you seen God at work lately?

Monday, 14 May 2018

Verse from 1 John

亲爱的,不要每个灵都信,总要试验那些灵是否出于神,因为有许多假先知已经来到世上了。
约翰壹书 4:1 

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1 

When King Sennacherib’s armies had Judah’s King Hezekiah trapped inside Jerusalem’s walls, the Assyrians thought victory was theirs. Reality proved different. Although the Assyrian field commander used smooth words and pretended to speak for God, the Lord had His hand on His people.

“Have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord?” the commander asked (2 Kings 18:25). As he tried to entice Jerusalem to surrender, he even said, “Choose life and not death!” (v. 32).

That sounds like something God would say. But the prophet Isaiah told the Israelites the true words of the Lord. “[Sennacherib] will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here,” God said. “I will defend this city and save it” (19:32–34; Isaiah 37:35). That very night “the angel of the Lord” destroyed the Assyrians (v. 35).

From time to time, we’ll encounter smooth-talking people who “advise” us while denying God’s power. That isn’t God’s voice. He speaks to us through His Word. He guides us with His Spirit. His hand is on those who follow Him, and He will never abandon us.


Teach us to discern Your voice, Lord.

Sunday, 13 May 2018

Verse from Matthew

你的财宝在哪里,你的心也在哪里。
马太福音 6:21 

“for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21 

Most earthly possessions can easily be destroyed by insects or rust, or can even be stolen. Matthew 6 encourages us to place a special focus—not on things that have a limited lifespan but on those that have eternal value.

Our real treasure isn’t measured in what we accumulate—but in what or whom we invest our time and our passions. What “treasures” are we storing up in heaven by serving and following Jesus?

Dear Father, 
help me to choose to invest my life in things that are eternal.


Our real wealth is what we invest for eternity.

Saturday, 12 May 2018

Verse from Luke

耶稣到了那里,往上一看,对他说:撒该,快下来,今天我要住在你家里。””
路加福音 19:5 

“When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."”
Luke 19:5 

Rima, a Syrian woman who had recently moved to the United States, tried to explain to her tutor with hand motions and limited English why she was upset. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she held up a beautifully arranged platter of fatayer (meat, cheese, and spinach pies) that she had made. Then she said, “One man,” and made a swishing sound as she pointed from the door to the living room and then back to the door. 

The tutor pieced together that several people from a nearby church were supposed to visit Rima and her family and bring some gifts. But only one man had shown up. He had hurried in, dropped off a box of items, and rushed out. He was busy taking care of a responsibility, while she and her family were lonely and longed for community and to share their fatayer with new friends.

Taking time for people is what Jesus was all about. He attended dinner parties, taught crowds, and took time for interaction with individuals. He even invited Himself to one man’s house. Zacchaeus, a tax collector, climbed a tree to see Him, and when Jesus looked up, He said, “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:1–9). And Zacchaeus’s life was changed forever.

Because of other responsibilities, we won’t always be able to take the time. But when we do, we have a wonderful privilege of being with others and watching the Lord work through us.


The best gift you can give to others may be your time.