Verses from Exodus and Psalms

“所以，你要对以色列人说：‘我是耶和华，我要把你们从埃及人的重担底下救出来；我要拯救你们脱离他们的奴役；我要用伸出来的膀臂，并借着严厉的刑罚来救赎你们。”

出埃及记 6:6 

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. (Exodus 6:6)

“至于我，我是困苦贫穷的；主仍顾念我。你是我的帮助，我的拯救；我的神啊！求你不要耽延。”

诗篇 40:17 

But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay. (Psalm 40:17)

He is always at work on our behalf, even if we can’t see what He is doing.

Lord, 

please help me to trust You despite my discouragement. 

I invite You to fill me with hope through the power of Your Holy Spirit. 

Let my life testify of Your faithfulness.

Times of trouble are times for trust.

Verse from Luke

“他像一个人盖房子，深深地挖地，把根基安在磐石上；到发大水的时候，水冲那房子，房子总不能摇动，因为根基立在磐石上。”

路加福音 6:48 

“They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”

Luke 6:48 

In the parable about the wise and foolish builders, Jesus isn’t teaching that we can be saved by our good works. Rather, because we are saved, we will do good works—we will obey God’s Word. The apostle Paul, using the same metaphor of a solid foundation, makes it clear that “no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. But, as theologian John Calvin reminded us, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone” (see Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; 3:8, 14).

Verse from Malachi

“耶和华说：「我曾爱你们。」你们却说：「你在何事上爱我们呢？」耶和华说：「 以扫不是 雅各的哥哥吗？我却爱雅各 ，”

玛拉基书 1:2 

“"I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" " Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob;”

Malachi 1:2 

The Israelites questioned how much God loved them because of their time in captivity in Babylon. But that captivity was God’s correction for their continued rebellion against Him. So now, God sent the prophet Malachi to them. His opening words from the Lord were, “I have loved you” (Malachi 1:2). Israel replied skeptically, inquiring as to how God has loved them, as if to say, “Really?” But God, through Malachi, reminded them of the way He had demonstrated that love: He had chosen them over the Edomites.

We all go through difficult seasons in life. We may be tempted to question God’s love for us during those times. Let’s recall the many ways He’s shown us His unfailing love. When we stop to consider His goodness, we find that He is indeed a loving Father.

Verse from Matthew

“所以我告诉你们，不要为生命忧虑吃甚么喝甚么，也不要为身体忧虑穿甚么。难道生命不比食物重要吗？身体不比衣服重要吗？”

马太福音 6:25 

“"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Matthew 6:25 

The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:25–34 emphasizes the fatherly care of God for those who follow Jesus, making worry about the basic things of life unnecessary. The main idea in the word translated “worry” is “distracting or anxious care.” In Luke 10:41, Jesus said Martha was “worried and upset about many things.” 

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Six times the word worry appears in Matthew 6:25–34. For those who call God “Father,” worry is unreasonable (vv. 25–30), uncharacteristic (vv. 30–32), unproductive (v. 33), and unprofitable (v. 34).

What might you be doing or not doing that indicates a lack of trust in God as our faithful heavenly Father?

Verse from Nahum

“耶和华是良善的；在患难的时候，他作人的避难所；信靠他的人，他都认识。”

那鸿书 1:7 

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7)

In Nahum, we see God as both a refuge and a judge. It says, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble” (1:7 niv). But it also says, “He will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness” (v.8 niv). Over 100 years earlier, Nineveh had repented after Jonah preached God’s forgiveness, and the land was safe (Jonah 3:10). But during Nahum’s day, Nineveh was plotting “evil against the Lord” (Nah. 1:11). In chapter 3, Nahum details Nineveh’s destruction.

Many people know only one side of God’s dealings with the human race but not the other. They think that He is holy and wants only to punish us, or that He is merciful and wants only to show kindness. In truth, He is judge and refuge. Peter writes that Jesus “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). As a result, He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (v.24).

The whole truth about God is good news! He is judge, but because of Jesus, we can go to Him as our refuge.

Lord, 

never let us underestimate You by seeing only one side of Your role in our lives. 

Help us to enjoy Your love and kindness while recognizing how much You hate sin.

God’s justice and mercy intersect at the cross.

Verse from Galatians

“可是，矶法到了安提阿的时候，因为他有该责备的地方，我就当面反对他。”

加拉太书 2:11 

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”

Galatians 2:11 

At a roundtable discussion about reconciliation, one participant wisely said, “Don’t freeze people in time.” He observed how we tend to remember mistakes people make and never grant them the opportunity to change.

There are so many moments in Peter’s life when God could have “frozen” him in time. But He never did. Peter—the impulsive disciple—“corrected” Jesus, earning a sharp rebuke from the Lord (Matthew 16:21–23). He famously denied Christ (John 18:15–27), only to be restored later (21:15–19). And he once contributed to racial divisions within the church.

The issue arose when Peter (also called Cephas) had separated himself from the Gentiles (Galatians 2:11–12). Only recently he associated freely with them. But some Jews arrived who insisted that circumcision was required for believers in Christ, so Peter began avoiding the uncircumcised Gentiles. This marked a dangerous return to the law of Moses. Paul called Peter’s behavior “hypocrisy” (v. 13). Because of Paul’s bold confrontation, the issue was resolved. Peter went on to serve God in the beautiful spirit of unity He intends for us.

No one needs to remain frozen in their worst moments. In God’s grace we can embrace each other, learn from each other, confront each other when it’s necessary, and grow together in His love.

Lord, 

draw us close to You today, so that we may also be closer to each other. 

Protect Your church’s unity. 

Give us understanding where there is distrust. 

Heal us where we are divided.

If we confront someone, we should have one goal in mind: restoration, not embarrassment. Chuck Swindoll

Verse from 1 Chronicles

“我算甚么？我的人民又算甚么？竟有力量这样乐意奉献？因为万物都是从你而来，我们只是把从你手里得来的，奉献给你。”

历代志上 29:14 

“"But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.”

1 Chronicles 29:14 

Though the Lord didn’t choose David to build His temple, he invested all his resources to the project (1 Chronicles 29:1–5). The leaders under him and the people they served gave generously too (vv. 6–9). The king acknowledged all they’d contributed had first been given to them by God—the Creator, Sustainer, and Owner of everything (vv. 10–16).

When we recognize God owns it all, we can commit to grateful, generous, and faithful giving for the benefit of others. And we can trust the Lord will provide—and may even use the generosity of others to help us when we’re in need.

Lord, 

please help us remember You own it all as we commit to giving You our all, willingly and selflessly.

Verse from John

“他们来到加利利的伯赛大人腓力那里，请求他，说：“先生，我们想见耶稣。””

约翰福音 12:21 

“these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."”

John 12:21 

At first glance, it might appear that Jesus brushes off the Greeks who requested to see Him. But characteristically, His indirect reply points to a far more profound reality. Jesus is explaining the significance of what will happen to Him later that week. First He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23), a reference to His death and resurrection for the salvation of the world—including the Greeks. Then He uses the metaphor of wheat to describe Himself and His mission. 

William Hendriksen points out the significance of the kernel of wheat in the context of the approaching Passover celebration. The seed must die before it can grow into a wheat stalk, producing many more seeds that will be made into bread—bread that will be eaten at Passover. Jesus (the Bread of Life) would have to die to produce “many seeds” (v. 24). And anyone who wants to serve Jesus must hate their life in this world (v. 25)—in other words, die to self.

Am I willing to die to self in order to serve the One who died for me? 

Will I do what is necessary to “see Jesus”?

Verses from Psalms

“谁喜爱生命，爱慕长寿，享受美福，

也要离恶行善，寻找并追求和睦。”

诗篇 34:12, 14 

“Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.”

Psalms 34:12, 14 

Often we hear that happiness comes from doing things our own way. That, however, is not true. That philosophy leads only to emptiness, anxiety, and heartache.

Poet W. H. Auden observed people as they attempted to find an escape in pleasures. He wrote of such people: “Lost in a haunted wood, / Children afraid of the night / Who have never been happy or good.”

The psalmist David sings of the remedy for our fears and unhappiness. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Happiness is doing things God’s way, a fact that can be verified every day. “Those who look to him are radiant,” writes David (v. 5). Just try it and you’ll see. That’s what he means when he says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8).

We say, “Seeing is believing.” That’s how we know things in this world. Show me proof and I’ll believe it. God puts it the other way around. Believing is seeing. “Taste and then you will see.”

Take the Lord at His word. Do the very next thing He is asking you to do and you will see. He will give you grace to do the right thing and more: He will give you Himself—the only source of goodness—and with it, enduring happiness.

Lord, 

sometimes we must simply pray: “I believe. Help my unbelief.” 

Help us trust You by doing what You have given us to do today.

Verse from John

““神爱世人，甚至把他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。”

约翰福音 3:16 

“"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 

Everything Adam and Eve saw in the garden must have been a marvel as they walked with God. But one day they willfully disobeyed. They ate of the one tree they were forbidden to eat (Genesis 2:15–17; 3:6). And that disobedience immediately led to lies and blame-shifting (3:8–13).

Still, God loved and cared for them. He sacrificed animals in order to clothe them (v. 21)—and later He provided a way of salvation for all sinners through the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16). He loves us that much! 

Verse from John

“凡接受他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐给他们权利，成为神的儿女。”

约翰福音 1:12 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

John 1:12 

In Luke’s account of Christ’s death, we see several dramatic events. A seemingly inexplicable darkness was present over the entire earth—not just over Jerusalem where the crucifixion took place (vv. 44–45). Inside the temple in Jerusalem the curtain that separated worshipers from the holy of holies was torn in two, symbolizing that through Christ our access to God has been opened (v. 45). After Christ died, a Roman soldier who had participated in His execution declared, “Surely this was a righteous man” (v. 47). And others watching lamented and beat their breasts (v. 48).

The witness in the sky, within the temple, and by people at the foot of the cross demonstrate that this was no ordinary death. It was the death of the loving God-Man who shed His blood to redeem all who would believe in Him.

Jesus died on the cross so we could live in the wonder of a relationship with God as our heavenly Father. How comforting it is to know that because of Jesus’s sacrificial love for us, we can rest in God’s care as His children! We can close our eyes without fear because our Father watches over us and has promised to wake us up to life with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Lord Jesus, 

I receive the gift of forgiveness You offer me through the cross. 

Help me to turn from my sins and follow You, all the way home.

Verse from Hebrews

“因为他献上了一次的祭，就使那些成圣的人永远得到完全。”

希伯来书 10:14 

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

Hebrews 10:14 

Hebrews 4 describes how Christ’s sacrifice redeems us totally. So in one important sense, that “completed button” has been pressed for us. Jesus’s death did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves: He made us acceptable in God’s eyes when we place our faith in Him. It is finished, as Jesus Himself said (John 19:30). 

Paradoxically, even though His sacrifice is complete and total, we spend the rest of our lives living into that spiritual reality—“being made holy,” as Hebrews’ author writes.

The fact that Jesus has finished something that’s still being worked out in our lives is hard to understand. When we are struggling spiritually, it’s encouraging to remember that Jesus’s sacrifice for us is complete . . . even if our living it out in this life is still a work in progress. Nothing can stop His intended end from being achieved eventually: being transformed into His likeness (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). 

Jesus, 

thank You for giving Your life for us. 

Help us trust You as we grow into followers whose lives look more and more like Yours, knowing that You are the one who makes us complete.

Verse from Psalms

“耶和华啊！你所造的真是众多。它们都是你用智慧造成的；全地充满你所造的东西。”

诗篇 104:24 

“O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.”

Psalms 104:24 

The writer of Psalm 104 sings of the Lord’s many works of art in nature (v. 24). He regards “the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number” (v. 25) and rejoices in God for providing constant and complete care for His masterpieces (vv. 27–31). 

Considering the majesty of the God-given life around him, the psalmist bursts with worshipful gratitude: “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 33).

While reflecting on the Lord’s magnificent and immense creation, we can look closely at His intentional creativity and attention to detail. 

And like the psalmist, we can sing to our Creator with thankful praise for how powerful, majestic, and loving He is and always will be. Hallelujah!

Verse from Psalms

“因为耶和华从他至高的圣所里垂看，从天上观看大地，”

诗篇 102:19 

“For He looked down from His holy height; From heaven the LORD gazed upon the earth,”

Psalms 102:19 

Our God has a perfect perspective of everything we experience. The psalmist wrote, “For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those who were doomed to death” (Psalm 102:19–20 nasb).

Like the hurting people pictured in Psalm 102, we are often locked into the present with its struggles, “groaning” with despair. But God sees our lives from beginning to end. Our Lord is never caught off guard by the things that can blindside us. As the psalmist anticipated, His perfect perspective will lead to an ultimate rescue that sets free even those “doomed to death” (vv. 20, 27–28).

In difficult moments, remember: We may not know what is coming next, but our Lord does. We can trust Him with every moment that stretches before us.

Focusing on Christ puts everything else into perspective.

Verse from Matthew

“耶稣马上伸手拉住他，对他说：“小信的人哪，为甚么疑惑？””

马太福音 14:31 

“Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"”

Matthew 14:31 

When Peter was walking on water toward Jesus, he quickly became distracted by the wind and waves, and he began to sink (Matthew 14:29–30). But as soon as Peter cried out, “immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him” (vv. 30–31).

When we’re unsettled by the chaos of life, it’s easy to forget that God is standing in the middle of the storm with us. Jesus asked Peter, “Why did you doubt?” (v. 31). No matter what we’re going through, He is there. He is here. Next to us at that moment, in this moment, ready to reach out and rescue us.

Verse from Matthew

“耶稣说：“我就是生命的食物，到我这里来的，必定不饿；信我的，永远不渴。”

约翰福音 6:35 

“Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

John 6:35 

The heart hunger described in today’s devotional was modeled by Jesus. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus told the Enemy, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then in John 4:34, He told His followers, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” 

Jesus’s passion for the Father and His purposes is the greatest example we can have of true spiritual heart hunger. While we cannot perfectly reflect that desire, we can learn to long for the Father’s presence and provision—just as Jesus did.

Dear God, 

remind me of my need for Your daily bread of presence.

Verse from Job

““挑剔是非的，怎能与全能者争辩呢？责备神的，回答这个问题吧。””

约伯记 40:2 

“"Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it."”

Job 40:2 

We can find nearly every argument in the book of Job about why there is pain in the world, but the arguing never seems to help Job much. His is a crisis of relationship more than a crisis of doubt. Can he trust God? Job wants one thing above all else: an appearance by the one Person who can explain his miserable fate. He wants to meet God Himself, face to face.

Eventually Job gets his wish. God shows up in person (see Job 38:1). He times His entrance with perfect irony, just as Job’s friend Elihu is expounding on why Job has no right to expect a visit from God.

No one—not Job, nor any of his friends—is prepared for what God has to say. Job has saved up a long list of questions, but it is God, not Job, who asks the questions. “Brace yourself like a man,” He begins; “I will question you, and you shall answer me” (v. 3). Brushing aside thirty-five chapters’ worth of debates on the problem of pain, God plunges into a majestic poem on the wonders of the natural world.

God’s speech defines the vast difference between the God of all creation and one puny man like Job. His presence spectacularly answers Job’s biggest question: Is anybody out there? Job can only respond, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (42:3).

Lord, 

we have so many questions about life and its unfairness. 

You have shown Yourself good to us. 

Help us to trust You for what we cannot understand.

No calamity is beyond God’s sovereignty.

Verse from Isaiah

“你从水中经过的时候，我必与你同在；你渡过江河的时候，水必不淹没你；你从火中行走的时候，必不会烧伤；火焰也不会在你身上烧起来。”

以赛亚书 43:2 

“"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.”

Isaiah 43:2 

Sometimes life feels like a white-water rafting trip, one that contains more rapids than we might like. God’s promise to Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, can guide our feelings when we fear the worst is happening: “When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). 

The Israelites faced an overwhelming fear of rejection by God as they went into exile as a consequence of their sin. Yet instead, He affirms them and promises to be with them because He loves them (vv. 2, 4).

God won’t abandon us in the rough waters. We can trust Him to guide us through the rapids—our deepest fears and most painful troubles—because He also loves us and promises to be with us.  

Verse from Psalms

“求你教导我们怎样数算自己的日子，好使我们得着智慧的心。”

诗篇 90:12 

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12 

Time is a precious commodity that we can waste, spend, or invest. Nothing more clearly requires—or displays—a heart of wisdom than the way we use our time. 

This may be why Jesus—pressed by the crowds, confronted by the needs around Him, and threatened by the religious establishment—is never described in the Gospels as being in a hurry. Instead, He saw time as having a part in the Father’s purposes. 

At the wedding feast in Galilee, He said to His mother, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). As He drew ever closer to the cross, however, He saw that time coming to culmination. In John 12:27 He affirmed, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” 

Living wisely is rooted in understanding that our loving Father has a purpose behind our seconds, minutes, hours, and days.

Verse from Joshua

“在这日以前或这日以后，耶和华听人的祷告，没有像这日一样的，因为耶和华为以色列作战。”

约书亚记 10:14 

“There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”

Joshua 10:14 

SOS, the Morse code signal, was created in 1905 because sailors needed a way to indicate extreme distress. The signal gained notoriety in 1910 when used by the sinking ship Steamship Kentucky, saving all forty-six people aboard.

While SOS may be a more recent invention, the urgent cry for help is as old as humanity. We hear it often in the Old Testament story of Joshua, who faced opposition from fellow Israelites (Joshua 9:18) and challenging terrain (3:15–17) for more than fourteen years as the Israelites slowly conquered and settled the land God had promised them. During this struggle “the Lord was with Joshua” (6:27).

In Joshua 10, the Israelites go to the aid of the Gibeonites, allies of Israel who were being attacked by five kings. Joshua knew that he needed the Lord’s help to defeat so many powerful enemies (v. 12). God responded with a hailstorm, even stopping the sun in the middle of the sky to give Israel more time to defeat the enemy. Joshua 10:14 recounts, “Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”

If you are in the midst of a challenging situation, you can send out an SOS to God. Although help will look different than the assistance Joshua received, perhaps help comes through an unexpected job, an understanding doctor, or peace in the midst of grief. Be encouraged that these are ways He is responding to your call for help and fighting for you.