Verse from Jeremiah

“疲倦的人，我必使他振作；愁苦的人，我必使他满足。””

耶利米书 31:25 

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.””

Jeremiah 31:25 

According to legend, Qu Yuan was a wise and patriotic Chinese government official who lived during the time known as the Warring States period (475–246 bc). It has been said that he tried repeatedly to warn his king about an impending threat that would destroy the country, but the king rejected his advice. Eventually, Qu Yuan was exiled. When he learned about the fall of his beloved country to the foe he had warned about, he ended his life.

Qu Yuan’s life resembles some aspects of the life of the prophet Jeremiah. He too served kings who scorned his warnings, and his country was ravaged. However, while Qu Yuan gave in to his despair, Jeremiah found genuine hope. Why the difference?

Jeremiah knew the Lord who offers the only true hope. “There is hope for your descendants,” God had assured His prophet. “Your children will return to their own land” (Jeremiah 31:17). Although Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 bc, it was later rebuilt (see Nehemiah 6:15).

At some point, we all find ourselves in situations that can cause us to despair. It could be a bad medical report, a sudden job loss, a shattered family. But when life knocks us down, we can still look up—for God is on the throne! He holds our days in His hands, and He holds us close to His heart. 

Lord, 

fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that things will turn out right in Your way, in Your time.

Verse from Romans

“所以，我们总要追求和睦的事，与彼此造就的事。”

罗马书 14:19 

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

Romans 14:19 

is it possible to set aside irreconcilable differences when so much seems to be at stake? That’s one of the questions the apostle Paul answers in his New Testament letter to the Romans. Writing to readers caught in social, political, and religious conflict, he suggests ways of finding common ground even under the most polarized conditions (14:5–6).

According to Paul, the way to agree to disagree is to recall that each of us will answer to the Lord not only for our opinions but also for how we treat one another in our differences (v. 10).

Conditions of conflict can actually become occasions to remember that there are some things more important than our own ideas—even more than our interpretations of the Bible. 

All of us will answer for whether we have loved one another, and even our enemies, as Christ loved us.

Verse from Numbers

“难道把羊群和牛群都给他们宰了，就够他们吃吗？或是把海里所有的鱼都给他们聚了来，就够他们吃吗？””

民数记 11:22 

“Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?””

Numbers 11:22 

Longing for different circumstances can lead to complaining, and even a form of relationship damaging self-centeredness. The Israelites were familiar with this dilemma. It seems they were never satisfied and always griping about God’s provision (Exodus 17:1–3). Even though the Lord cared for His people in the wilderness by sending them “bread from heaven” (16:4), they began craving other food (Numbers 11:4). Instead of rejoicing over the daily miracles of God’s faithful and loving care, the Israelites wanted something more, something better, something different, or even something they used to have (vv. 4–6). They took out their frustrations on Moses (vv. 10–14).

Trusting God’s goodness and faithfulness can help us get a good grip on gratitude. Today we can thank Him for the countless ways He cares for us.

Verse from Proverbs

“你要一心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明；”

箴言 3:5 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”

Proverbs 3:5 

Not only was the cross one of the most painful and excruciating means of execution invented by the Romans, but for our Lord it would mean taking the sins of the world upon Himself. Just prior to His crucifixion, we witness the Son’s mysterious request of His Father. Christ asked if the cup of crucifixion could be taken from Him. Yet our Lord yielded His will to the Father knowing that it was His mission on Earth to redeem all who would believe in His sacrificial death. 

The lesson for us is significant. Even when we face terrible suffering, we know God can deliver us; however, we must also trust Him if He chooses not to. Only by holding our Father’s hand in the valley can we endure to see the light of the mountaintop ahead.

Verse from Ephesians

“我们原是神所作成的，是在基督耶稣里创造的，为的是要我们行各样的善事，就是神预先所安排的。”

以弗所书 2:10 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10 

The theme of giving was one the apostle Paul wrote about in his letter to gentile Christians in Ephesus. He called them to leave their old lives behind and embrace the new, saying that they were saved by grace. Out of this saving grace, he explained, flows our desire to “do good works,” for we have been created in God’s image and are His “handiwork” (2:10). We can spread God’s love through our everyday actions.

We can take the time to listen to someone when they speak to us. We can ask someone who is serving us how they are. We can stop to help someone in need. As we give to others, we’ll receive joy in return (Acts 20:35).

Verse from Proverbs

“柔和的回答使烈怒消退，暴戾的话激动怒气。”

箴言 15:1 

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)

The tragedy of war is staggering, yet our relationships and families can begin to fracture with only a few hateful words. James wrote, “See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” (James 3:5).

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response to the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. Within 90 days, other European countries had taken sides to honor their military alliances and pursue their own ambitions. A single event escalated into World War I, one of the most destructive military conflicts of modern time.

A small comment can start a large fight. When we, by God’s grace, choose not to retaliate with our words, we honor Jesus our Savior. When He was abused and insulted, He fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7).

Proverbs urges us to speak the truth and seek peace through our words. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, . . . and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (15:4,23).

A careless word may kindle strife,

A cruel word may wreck a life;

A timely word may lessen stress,

A loving word may heal and bless. —Anon.

Verse from Romans

“所以，我们既然因信称义，就借着我们的主耶稣基督与神和好；”

罗马书 5:1 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Romans 5:1 

“Do you still hope for peace?” a journalist asked Bob Dylan in 1984.

“There is not going to be any peace,” Dylan replied. His response drew criticism, yet there’s no denying that peace remains ever elusive.

About 600 years before Christ, most prophets were predicting peace. God’s prophet wasn’t one of them. Jeremiah reminded the people that God had said, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people” (Jeremiah 7:23). Yet they repeatedly ignored the Lord and His commands. Their false prophets said, “Peace, peace” (8:11), but Jeremiah predicted disaster. Jerusalem fell in 586 bc.

Peace is rare. But amid Jeremiah’s book of dire prophecies we discover a God who loves relentlessly. “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” the Lord told His rebellious people. “I will build you up again” (31:3–4).

God is a God of love and peace. Conflict comes because of our rebellion against Him. Sin destroys the world’s peace and robs each of us of inner peace. Jesus came to this planet to reconcile us to God and give us that inner peace (Romans 5:1).

Whether we live in a combat zone or dwell in a serene neighborhood with nary a whisper of war, Christ invites us into His peace.

Verse from John

“你们是出于你们的父魔鬼，喜欢按着你们的父的私欲行事。他从起初就是杀人的凶手，不守真理，因为他心里没有真理。他说谎是出于本性，因为他本来就是说谎者，也是说谎的人的父。”

约翰福音 8:44 

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John 8:44 

A Long Island businessman in the 1930s bought an expensive brass barometer to mount in his home. However, when the man pulled the instrument out of the box and started to hang it, the arrow that indicated current weather conditions was pointing hard to "Hurricane." 

Angrily, he pounded his palm on the glass face of the barometer. The arrow didn't move. He shook it and then banged it on the table. The arrow still didn't move. This thing was obviously defective. So the next morning he fired off a nasty letter to the manufacturer and dropped it in a mailbox on his way to work in Manhattan. 

But sure enough, a storm did roar through Long Island that day. And when he drove home in the afternoon, his house was destroyed ... in a hurricane. 

All of life is a choice of who you will believe. Life is a battle between believing the truth or swallowing lies. And because the nature of our hearts—like that of the man in this story—is to doubt the truth and believe deceptions, it takes a deliberate effort to embrace God's truth as non-negotiable. If we don't keep our minds in the truth of the Scriptures on a daily basis, we become easy marks for our constant foe, the devil, who is both "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) and "the father of lies." 

So even when the Scriptures teach something you don't like, it's always the right choice to believe God anyway. It's better to know the truth that a hurricane is coming than to mistakenly think you're in the clear.

Believe God, Not the Deceiver

Verse from Matthew

“但引到生命的门是窄的，路是小的，找着的人也少。”

马太福音 7:14 

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Matthew 7:14 

Life is all about choices—and their consequences. As author Robert Louis Stevenson put it, “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” 

We see this throughout the Scriptures as our first parents hid from God in the ancient garden (Genesis 3:8), Moses was forbidden to enter the promised land (Deuteronomy 32:52), David was confronted by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12), and after denying his Lord, Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). 

By the same token, Moses counseled the Israelites to choose the things of life (Deuteronomy 30:19), and Solomon warned those who do not choose to fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:28–29). Why is this so important? In Psalm 25:12, David sang, “Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.” 

When the wisdom of God guides us in our choices, we have less reason to fear the consequences those choices might bring.

Verse from 1 John

“不要爱世界和世上的东西。人若爱世界，爱父的心就不在他里面了。”

约翰壹书 2:15 

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

1 John 2:15 

What in the world do you love? Why not complete a year-end inventory of your heart and its affections? Just like a year-end inventory in a big warehouse, walk down the aisles of your heart and take note of what clutters the shelves. How do you use your time? What do you think about and talk about? 

Perhaps you'll find some "old inventory" that should be moved out of your heart. Perhaps there are some habits you've developed over the years—and if you are honest, you really love these old habits more than you love God. Things like hobbies or television—or perhaps even addictions like food, alcohol, drugs or pornography. 

Perhaps the inventory will reveal a possession that you realize owns you. It is in competition with God for your love. 

Perhaps it's time to clear out some inventory and replace it with some fresh obedience to God's commands. 

Wasn't it Jesus who said the greatest commandment was to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Matthew 22:37)? 

Love God. Love His people. Love His mission and will. When you're consumed with love for Him, you won't have much room left to love the world.

Verses from 1 Timothy

“我感谢那给我力量的我们主基督耶稣，因他以我有忠心，派我服事他。我从前是亵渎上帝的，逼迫人的，侮慢人的；然而我还蒙了怜悯，因我是不信不明白的时候而做的。”

提摩太前书 1:12-13 

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”

1 Timothy 1:12-13 

The apostle Paul accepted his new life in Christ, refusing to deny his past or let it stop him from serving the Lord (1 Timothy 1:12­–14). Because Paul knew Jesus’s work on the cross saved and changed him—the worst of sinners—he praised God and encouraged others to honor and obey Him (vv. 15–17).

When we accept God’s grace and forgiveness, we’re freed from our past. Flawed but fiercely loved, we have no reason to be ashamed of our real faces as we serve others with our God-given gifts.

Lord, 

thanks for eliminating our shame and insecurities as You use us to serve You, no matter what our life looked like before You saved us.

God accepts us as we are, and changes us as we serve Him in love.

Verse from Luke

“因为人子来，是要寻找拯救失丧的人。””

路加福音 19:10 

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."”

Luke 19:10 

In Luke 19, Jesus gives His mission statement: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10). Those words convey even more importance when we consider their timing: Jesus is purposefully, methodically making His way to Jerusalem to be crucified. On the way, He draws people to Him, including this despised, wealthy tax collector. The crowd had already judged Zacchaeus—and Jesus. “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner,” they said of Him (v. 7). Jesus saw it differently. Zacchaeus’s declaration, “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor,” revealed the change in his heart (v. 8); and Jesus responded, “This man, too, is a son of Abraham” (v. 9).

Are we prone to snap judgments about other people’s sins? Or do we see ourselves as recipients of God’s grace, freely extended to anyone who recognizes their need of it?

Verse from Proverbs

“如果你的手有行善的力量，就不可推辞，要向那些需要帮助的人行善。”

箴言 3:27 

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

Proverbs 3:27 

Hurricane Harvey brought catastrophic flooding to eastern Texas in 2017. The onslaught of rain stranded thousands of people in their homes, unable to escape the floodwaters. In what was dubbed the “Texas Navy,” many private citizens brought boats from other parts of the state and nation to help evacuate stranded people.

The actions of these valiant, generous men and women call to mind the encouragement of Proverbs 3:27, which instructs us to help others whenever we are able. They had the power to act on behalf of those in need by bringing their boats. And so they did. Their actions demonstrate a willingness to use whatever resources they had at their disposal for the benefit of others.

We may not always feel adequate for the task at hand; often we become paralyzed by thinking we don’t have the skills, experience, resources, or time to help others. In such instances, we’re quick to sideline ourselves, discounting what we do have that might be of assistance to someone else. 

The Texas Navy couldn’t stop the floodwaters from rising, nor could they legislate government aid. But they used what they had within their power—their boats—to come alongside the deep needs of their fellow man. May we all bring our “boats”—whatever they may be—to take the people in our paths to higher ground.

Lord, 

all that I have is from You. 

Help me to always use what You’ve given me to help others.

God provides for His people through His people.

Verse from Isaiah

“哪知他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚，我们得平安；因他受的鞭伤，我们得医治。”

以赛亚书 53:5 

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5 

Soldiers forced Jesus to don an entire crown of thorns (John 19:1–3). If one thorn hurts a lot, how much agony would an entire crown of them inflict? And that’s just a small portion of the physical pain He suffered. A whip flogged His back. Nails penetrated His wrists and ankles.

But Jesus endured spiritual pain too. Verse 5 of Isaiah 53 tells us, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him.” The “peace” Isaiah talks about here is another way of talking about forgiveness. Jesus allowed Himself to be pierced—by nails, by a crown of thorns—to bring us spiritual peace with God. His sacrifice, His willingness to die on our behalf, paved the way to make a relationship with the Father possible. And He did it, Scripture tells us, for us.

Verse from Nehemiah

“主啊，求你留意听你仆人的祷告，也听那些喜爱敬畏你名的仆人的祷告；求你使你的仆人今天顺利，使他在这人面前蒙怜悯。”那时我是王的酒政。”

尼希米记 1:11 

“O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king.”

Nehemiah 1:11 

While serving as butler to the king of Persia during the time of Israel’s exile, Nehemiah heard news concerning the people who had returned to Jerusalem. Some work needed to be done. “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:3). The broken walls left them vulnerable to attack by enemies. 

Nehemiah had compassion for his people and wanted to get involved. But prayer came first, especially since a new king had written a letter to stop the building efforts in Jerusalem (see Ezra 4). Nehemiah prayed for his people (Nehemiah 1:5–10), and then asked God for help before requesting permission from the king to leave (v. 11).

Is prayer your response? It’s always the best way to face any task or trial in life.

Father, 

Your Holy Spirit reminds us to pray first. 

Today, we commit to doing so as Your Spirit prompts us.

Make prayer a first priority, instead of a last resort.

Verse from Isaiah

“直到你们年老，我还是一样；直到你们发白，我仍然怀抱你。我以前既然这样作了，以后我仍必提携你；我必怀抱你，也必拯救你。”

以赛亚书 46:4 

“Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you.”

Isaiah 46:4 

We may not always be able to feel God’s arms beneath us, but the Lord has promised that He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). As we rest in His care and promises, He helps us learn to trust in His faithfulness. He lifts us above our worries to discover new peace in Him.

Abba, Father, 

I praise You for carrying me through life. 

Please give me faith to trust that You are always with me.

God carries us to new places of grace as we trust in Him.

Verse from Job

“你且问走兽，走兽必指教你，又问空中的飞鸟，飞鸟必告诉你；”

约伯记 12:7 

““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;”

Job 12:7 

In the book of Job, Job’s friends are debating the reasons for his suffering and ask, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” (see 11:5–9). In response Job declares, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7). Animals testify to the truth that God designed, cares for, and controls His creation: “In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (v. 10).

Since God cares for birds (Matthew 6:26; 10:29), we can be assured He loves and cares for you and me, even when we don’t understand our circumstances. Look around and learn of Him.

Verse from 1 Peter

“他在木头上亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然不活在罪中，就可以为义而活。因他受的鞭伤，你们就得了医治。”

彼得前书 2:24 

“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

1 Peter 2:24 

Kieran Healy of North Carolina received a water bill that would make your heart stop. The notification said that he owed 100 million dollars! Confident he hadn’t used that much water the previous month, Healy jokingly asked if he could pay the bill in installments.

Owing a 100-million-dollar debt would be an overwhelming burden, but that pales in comparison to the real—and immeasurable—burden sin causes us to carry. Attempting to carry the burden and consequences of our own sins ultimately leaves us feeling tired and riddled with guilt and shame. The truth is we are incapable of carrying this load.

And we were never meant to. As Peter reminded believers, only Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could carry the heavy burden of our sin and its weighty consequences (1 Peter 2:24). In His death on the cross, Jesus took all our wrongdoing on Himself and offered us His forgiveness. Because He carried our burden, we don’t have to suffer the punishment we deserve.

Instead of living in fear or guilt, the “empty way of life handed down to” us (1:18), we can enjoy a new life of love and freedom (vv. 22–23).

Lord, 

sometimes our guilt and shame can feel so heavy. 

Help us to release our past and its pain to You and experience Your peace, knowing You have carried it all and have set us free.

Verse from Micah

“世人哪，耶和华已指示你何为善。他向你所要的是什么呢？只要你行公义，好怜悯，存谦卑的心，与你的上帝同行。”

弥迦书 6:8 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8  

There was an email posting from Ruth McGinnis, a Nashville recording artist and author, who had recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In the midst of her ordeal, God began reframing the definition of success in her life: 

One of the most powerful insights I've had as a result of this unexpected detour in my well-planned life is truly understanding that the value of my work—the books I've written, my instrumental recordings, the speaking and performing I've done for countless years—has nothing to do with commercial success. I always thought that to be "successful," I would have to register in the marketplace with some measurable impact, like making the New York Times best-sellers list. As a result, even though I've enjoyed a rewarding career as a creative person, I've always felt that somehow I'd never quite arrived—that my life was incomplete. 

Having cancer has forever changed this. The cards, letters, gifts, phone calls, and emails I've received from people I know—and many I've never met—have revealed to me that the reach of my work and the value of my simply being here is greater than I ever could have imagined. 

I am convinced this is true for each one of us. That we all tend to be hard on ourselves and measure our achievements against harsh standards. We fail to appreciate our own contributions, and we forget to acknowledge the gifts, beauty and efforts of others. 

I will never think of success, fulfillment and contentment the way I used to. Cancer has swept the veil away from my eyes—has given me a new way of looking at life and rethinking everything. It is an unexpected gift. 

Your life will be measured, not by the amount of money or power or fame you gain, but by the way you allow God to touch others through you.

Verse from John

“耶稣所行的，还有许多其他的事；如果都一一写下来，所要写成的书，我想就是这个世界也容不下了。”

约翰福音 21:25 

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

John 21:25  

Although the Scriptures don’t contain every story about Jesus (in fact John twice admits that he has only recorded a portion of Jesus’s life and ministry—see John 20:30 and 21:25), we have the significant parts. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we have the whole story of Jesus that is necessary for our salvation.

But what about those things that aren’t written down in John’s gospel? There have been attempts to fill the holes. Should John’s admission that “Jesus performed many other miraculous signs” (20:30) make us insecure? Should we try to “fill in the blanks”? Not at all. When John first tells us that what he recorded is only a part of Jesus’s story, he gives us full confidence that what we have is enough: “These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31).