Verse from Psalms

“神啊！求你按着你的慈爱恩待我，照着你丰盛的怜悯涂抹我的过犯。”

诗篇 51:1 

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.”

Psalms 51:1 

The article in the local newspaper was short but heartwarming. After attending a faith-based program on building stronger family ties, a group of prison inmates were given a rare treat of an open visit with their families. Some hadn’t seen their children in years. Instead of talking through a glass panel, they could touch and hold their loved ones. The tears flowed freely as families grew closer and wounds began to heal.

For most readers, it was just a story. But for these families, holding one another was a life-changing event—and for some, the process of forgiveness and reconciliation was begun.

God’s forgiveness of our sin and offer of reconciliation, made possible through His Son, is more than a mere fact of the Christian faith. The article’s news of reconciliation reminds us that Jesus’s sacrifice is great news not just for the world, but for you and me.

In times when we’re overwhelmed by guilt for something we’ve done, however, it’s news we can cling to desperately. That’s when the fact of God’s unending mercy becomes personal news: because of Jesus’s dying on our behalf, we can come to the Father washed clean, “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). In such times, when we know we don’t deserve His mercy, we can hold on to the only thing we can depend on: God’s unfailing love and compassion (v. 1).

Verse from Matthew

“对耶稣说：“你听见他们说甚么吗？”耶稣说：“我听见了。‘你从小孩和婴儿的口中，得着了赞美。’这话你们没有念过吗？””

马太福音 21:16 

“and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, ' OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF '?"”

Matthew 21:16 

After watching ten-year-old Viola using a tree branch as a microphone to mimic a preacher, Michele decided to give Viola the opportunity to “preach” during a village outreach. Viola accepted. Michele, a missionary in South Sudan, wrote, “The crowd was enraptured. . . . A little girl who had been abandoned stood in authority before them as a daughter of the King of kings, powerfully sharing the reality of God’s Kingdom. Half the crowd came forward to receive Jesus” (Michele Perry, Love Has a Face).

The crowd that day hadn’t expected to hear a child preach. This incident brings to mind the phrase “out of the mouths of babes,” which comes from Psalm 8. David wrote, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes” (v. 2 esv). Jesus later quoted this verse in Matthew 21:16, after the chief priests and scribes criticized the children calling out praise to Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem. The children were a nuisance to these leaders. By quoting this Scripture, Jesus showed that God took seriously the praise of these children. They did what the leaders were unwilling to do: give glory to the longed-for Messiah.

As Viola and the children in the temple showed, God can use even a child to bring Him glory. Out of their willing hearts came a fountain of praise.

Lord, help us have the willing heart of a child when it comes to praise.

Verse from Proverbs

“你要专心领受教训，留心听知识的言语。”

箴言 23:12 

“Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 23:12 

If you’re working with the wrong information, you’re going to end up with disastrous results. Always. This is why Proverbs encourages us to “apply [our] heart to instruction and [our] ears to words of knowledge”—God’s wisdom (Proverbs 23:12). 

If we instead seek advice from those who are foolish, those who pretend to know more than they do and who have turned their back on God, we’ll be in trouble. They “scorn . . . prudent words” and can lead us astray with unhelpful, misguided, or even deceptive advice (v. 9).

Instead, we can bend our “ears to words of knowledge” (v. 12). We can open our heart and receive God’s liberating instruction, words of clarity and hope. When we listen to those who know the deep ways of God, they help us receive and follow divine wisdom. 

And God’s wisdom will never lead us astray but always encourages and leads us toward life and wholeness.

Verse from Luke

“到了吃饭的时候，他拿起饼来，感谢了，擘开递给他们，”

路加福音 24:30  

“When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.”

Luke 24:30 

Scholars say Jesus’s meals weren’t random. Theologian Mark Glanville calls them “the delightful ‘second course’” of Israel’s feasts and celebrations in the Old Testament. At the table, Jesus lived what God had intended Israel to be: “a center of joy, celebration and justice for the whole world.” 

From the feeding of 5,000, to the Last Supper—even to the meal with two believers after His resurrection (Luke 24:30)—the table ministry of Jesus invites us to stop our constant striving and abide in Him. Indeed, not until eating with Jesus did the two believers recognize Him as the risen Lord. “He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened” (vv. 30–31) to the living Christ.

Make time to eat the Bread of Life.

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 

In the midst of a harried life, a quiet moment can remind us of God’s creative might! He surrounds us with evidence of His power and tenderness; He made both the high mountains and branches for birds. “In wisdom [He] made them all” (v. 24).

Lord, 

Your creation amazes us. You made all things through Your limitless power, inviting us to enjoy the beauty You’ve surrounded us with. Help us to notice Your works and worship You in quiet moments.

Verse from Proverbs

“如果人在火炭上行走，他的脚怎能不灼伤呢？”

箴言 6:28 

“Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”

(Proverbs 6:28) 

We get to feeling so strong inside spiritually, or we get seduced by a "favorite" temptation, and we decide we can flirt with what is sinful. But the Holy Spirit reminds us through the Wise Man that when we flirt with evil, we're eventually going to get burned.

May this be a reminder to us to not flirt with evil because we are the ones who will get burned. 

Verse from Isaiah

“不要惧怕，因为我与你同在；不要四处张望，因为我是你的神，我必坚固你，我必帮助你；我必用公义的右手扶持你。”

以赛亚书 41:10 

“'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'”

Isaiah 41:10 

Today’s Scripture includes two “hand” references. After cautioning His ancient people not to fear or be dismayed, the Lord told them, “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Many anxious and fearful children have been steadied by the strength of a parent. Here God’s power comes into view. 

In the second “hand” reference, once again it’s the Lord who acted to secure the safety of His own. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand” (v. 13). 

While life situations and times have changed, the Lord hasn’t. We need not despair (v. 10) because the Lord still assures us with the promise of His support and with the words we desperately need to hear: “Do not fear” (vv. 10, 13).

Verse from Proverbs

“好争竞的人煽惑争端，就如余火加炭，火上加柴一样。”

箴言 26:21 

“As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.”

(Proverbs 26:21) 

Scroll to the bottom of many online news sites and you’ll find the “Comments” section where readers can leave their observations. Even the most reputable sites have no shortage of rude rants, uninformed insults, and name-calling.

The book of Proverbs was collected about 3,000 years ago, but its timeless wisdom is as up-to-date as today’s breaking news. Two proverbs in chapter 26 seem at first glance to contradict each other, yet they apply perfectly to social media. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him” (v. 4). And then, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (v. 5).

The balance in those statements is in the “according to”: Don’t answer in the way a fool would answer. But respond so that foolishness is not considered wisdom.

Are we ourselves foolish at times? Have we at times posted a sarcastic comment or turned someone else’s statement back on them. God hates it when we treat our fellow human beings with such disrespect, even when they’re also being foolish. 

God gives us an amazing range of freedoms. We are free to choose what we will say, and when and how we say it. And we are always free to ask Him for wisdom.

Things to keep in mind: Is what I am saying true, and is it loving? What is my motivation? Will it help anyone? Will this reflect the character of Jesus?

Verse from Colossians

“因此，我们自从听见的日子，也就为你们不住地祷告祈求，愿你们在一切属灵的智慧悟性上，满心知道上帝的旨意；”

歌罗西书 1:9 

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,”

Colossians 1:9 

Like most four-year-olds, Ruby loved to run, sing, dance, and play. But she started complaining about pain in her knees. Ruby’s parents took her in for tests. The results were shocking—a diagnosis of cancer, stage 4 neuroblastoma. Ruby was in trouble. She was quickly admitted to the hospital.

Ruby’s hospital stay lingered on, spilling over into the Christmas season, a hard time to be away from home. One of Ruby’s nurses came up with the idea to place a mailbox outside her room so family could send letters full of prayers and encouragement to her. Then the plea went out on Facebook, and that’s when the volume of mail coming in from friends and complete strangers surprised everyone, most of all Ruby. With each letter received (more than 100,000 total), Ruby grew a little more encouraged, and she finally got to go home.

Paul’s letter to the people at Colossae was exactly that—a letter (Colossians 1:2). Words penned on a page that carried hopes for continued fruitfulness and knowledge and strength and endurance and patience (vv. 10–11). Can you imagine what a dose of good medicine such words were to the faithful at Colossae? Just knowing that someone was praying nonstop for them strengthened them to stay steady in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Our words of encouragement can dramatically help others in need.

Verse from Proverbs

“听从生命责备的，必常在智慧人中。”

箴言 15:31 

“He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise.”

Proverbs 15:31 

Criticism and praise stir in us powerful emotions that, if left unchecked, can lead to either self-loathing or an overinflated ego. In Proverbs we read of the benefits of encouragement and wise counsel: “Good news gives health to the bones. . . .Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding” (15:30, 32).

If we’re on the receiving end of a rebuke, may we choose to be sharpened by it. Proverbs states, “Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise” (v. 31). And if we’re blessed with words of praise, may we be refreshed and filled with gratitude. As we walk humbly with God, He can help us learn from both criticism and praise, shelve them, and then move on in Him (v. 33).

Father God, 

thank You for the gift of praise and criticism. 

As we humbly surrender to You, 

may we grow and be sharpened by both.

Verse from Colossians

“无论做什么，或说话或行事，都要奉主耶稣的名，借着他感谢父上帝。”

歌罗西书 3:17 

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:17 

Sometimes God answers our prayers not by giving us what we want but by challenging us to change. When the prophet Jonah was angry because God spared the wicked city of Nineveh from destruction, God caused a plant to shade him from the hot sun (Jonah 4:6). Then He made it wither. When Jonah complained, God answered, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” (vv. 7–9). Jonah, focused only on himself, insisted it was. But God challenged him to think about others and have compassion.

God sometimes uses our prayers in unexpected ways to help us learn and grow. It’s a change we can welcome with open hearts because He wants to transform us with His love.

Lord Jesus, 

thank You for helping us grow when we pray. Help us to be sensitive to what You want for our lives today.

Verse from Romans

“我们各人务要叫邻舍喜悦，好让他得到益处、得到造就。”

罗马书 15:2 

“Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”

Romans 15:2 

Those of us who are striving to “get in shape” spiritually, to grow in our faith, can sometimes feel as if we don’t belong because we’re not as spiritually fit—as mature in our walk with Jesus—as someone else.

Paul gave us this short, direct suggestion: “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). And to the believers in Rome he wrote: “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up” (Romans 15:2). Recognizing that our Father is so lovingly gracious with us, let’s show God’s grace to others with encouraging words and actions.

As we “accept one another” (v. 7), let’s entrust our spiritual growth to God—to the work of His Spirit. And while we daily seek to follow Him, may we create an atmosphere of encouragement for our brothers and sisters in Jesus as they also seek to grow in their faith.

Lord, 

help us today to encourage others along the way. Guide us to say what will not discourage but will spur them toward a deeper walk with You in Your love.

Verse from Acts

“在约帕有一个女门徒，名叫戴比莎，希腊话叫多加；她为人乐善好施。”

使徒行传 9:36 

“Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.”

Acts 9:36 

The poor widows Tabitha (Dorcas) was a disciple of Jesus living in Joppa who was well known in the community for her acts of kindness. She was “always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). Then she got sick and passed away. At the time, Peter was visiting a nearby city, so two believers went after him and begged him to come to Joppa.

When Peter arrived, the widows Tabitha had helped showed him the evidence of her kindness—“the robes and other clothing that [she] had made” (v. 39). We don’t know if they asked him to intervene, but led by the Holy Spirit Peter prayed and God brought her back to life! The result of God’s kindness was that “this became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord” (v. 42).

As we’re kind to those around us, may they turn their thoughts to God and feel valued by Him.

Verse from Psalms

“你们清早起来，很晚才歇息，吃劳碌得来的饭，都是徒然；因为主必使他所爱的安睡。”

诗篇 127:2 

“It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”

Psalms 127:2 

Finally, on January 8, 1964, seventeen-year-old Randy Gardner did something he hadn’t done for eleven days and twenty-five minutes: he nodded off to sleep. He wanted to beat the Guinness Book World Record for how long a human could stay awake. By drinking soft drinks and hitting the basketball court and bowling alley, Gardner rebuffed sleep for a week and a half. Before finally collapsing, his sense of taste, smell, and hearing went haywire. Decades later, Gardner suffered from severe bouts of insomnia. He set the record but also confirmed the obvious: sleep is essential.

Many of us struggle to get a decent night’s rest. Unlike Gardner who deprived himself intentionally, we might suffer sleeplessness for a number of reasons—including a mountain of anxieties: the fear of all we need to accomplish, the dread of others’ expectations, the distress of living at a frantic pace. Sometimes it’s hard for us to turn off the fear and relax.

The psalmist tells us that “unless the Lord builds the house,” we labor in vain (Psalm 127:1). Our “toiling” and our relentless efforts are useless unless God provides what we need. Thankfully, God does provide what we need. And God’s love extends to all of us. He invites us to release our anxieties to Him and sink into His rest, into His grace.

Verse from John

“说了这话，就转过身来，看见耶稣站在那里，却不知道是耶稣。”

约翰福音 20:14 

“When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.”

John 20:14 

After Jesus’s death, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning and found the stone rolled away and His body gone (John 20:1–2). She ran to get Peter and John, who returned with her to find the tomb empty (vv. 3–10). But Mary lingered outside in her grief (v. 11). When Jesus appeared there, “she did not realize that it was Jesus” (v. 14), thinking He was the gardener (v. 15).

How could she have not recognized Jesus? Was His resurrected body so changed that it was difficult to recognize Him? Did her grief blind her to His identity?

How might we too miss Jesus when He comes into our days—during prayer or Bible reading, or by simply whispering in our hearts?

Dear God, 

give us eyes to see Jesus, 

however He comes—in a familiar context or surprising us in an unexpected one.

Verse from Psalms

“主啊！现在我还等候甚么呢？我的指望在乎你。”

诗篇 39:7 

“"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.”

Psalms 39:7 

As King David’s troops fought the Ammonites, David was back at his palace casting more than just a glance at another man’s wife (see 2 Samuel 11). In Psalm 39, David chronicles the painful process of restoration from the terrible sin that resulted. “The turmoil within me grew worse,” he wrote. “The more I thought about it, the hotter I got” (vv. 2–3 nlt).

David’s broken spirit caused him to reflect: “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is” (v. 4). Amid his renewed focus, David didn’t despair. He had nowhere else to turn (v. 7). David would survive this personal battle and go on to serve God.

What motivates our prayer life doesn’t matter as much as the focus of our prayer. God is our source of hope. He wants us to share our heart with Him. 

Father, 

our hope is in You. 

Forgive us for seeking answers apart from You. 

Draw us close to You today.

Verse from Genesis

“于是，夏甲给那对她说话的耶和华，起名叫“你是看顾人的神”，因为她说：“在这里我不是也看见了那位看顾人的吗？””
‭‭创世记‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭

“Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭

Hagar was a “nobody” in her culture, pregnant and alone, fleeing to a desert without help or hope. Seen by God, however, she was empowered, in return, to see Him. No longer a vague concept, God became real to her, so real that she gave God a name, El Roi, which means “You are the God who sees me.” She said, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).

Our seeing God sees each of us too. Feeling unseen, alone, or like a nobody? God sees you and your future. In return, may we see in Him our ever-present hope, encouragement, salvation, and joy—both for today and for our future. Praise Him today for this gift of amazing sight, to see the one true and Living God.

Verse from 1 Corinthians

“如经上所记：「夸口的，当指着主夸口。」”

哥林多前书 1:31 

“Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””

1 Corinthians 1:31

In the early 1960s, some unusual paintings featuring a person or animal with huge, sad eyes became popular. Some considered the work “kitschy”—or tacky—but others delighted in it. As the artist’s husband began to promote his wife’s creations, the couple grew quite prosperous. But the artist’s signature—Margaret Keane—didn’t appear on her work. Instead, Margaret’s husband presented his wife’s work as his own. Margaret fearfully remained silent about the fraud for twenty years until the couple’s marriage ended. It took a courtroom “paint-off” between them to prove the true artist’s identity.

The man’s deception was clearly wrong, but even as followers of Jesus, we may find it easy to take credit for talents we possess, leadership skills we display, or even for our kind deeds to others. But those qualities are possible only because of God’s grace. In Jeremiah 9, we find the prophet lamenting the lack of humility and the unrepentant hearts of the people. He wrote that the Lord says we shouldn’t boast of our wisdom, our strength, or our riches, but only that we might understand and know that He is the Lord “who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth” (v. 24).

Our hearts fill with gratitude as we realize the identity of the true Artist. “Every good and perfect gift is . . . from the Father” (James 1:17). All of the credit, all of the praise belongs to the Giver of good gifts.

Verse from Psalms

“你的话是我脚前的灯，是我路上的光。”

诗篇 119:105 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

Psalms 119:105 

Psalm 119 is the masterful composition of one who understood that God’s Word provides us with light for everyday living (v. 105). Yet, how often do we find ourselves having to needlessly strain to see, and straying from the best paths because we forget to use the light of God’s Word? 

Psalm 119 encourages us to be intentional about “hitting the light switch.” What happens when we do? We find wisdom for purity (vv. 9–11); we discover fresh motivation and encouragement for avoiding detours (vv. 101–102). And when we live with the lights on, the psalmist’s praise is likely to become our praise: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (v. 97).

Verse from Exodus

““除我以外，你不可有别的神。”

出埃及记 20:3 

“"You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Exodus 20:3 

Some people thought Karen was the best basketball player to ever come from her state. After leading her high-school team to back-to-back appearances in the championship game—once as a winner—she earned a full-ride scholarship to a major college program and capped off her career with a great run in the NCAA women's tournament. 

Drafted by a professional team and offered a startling salary as a rookie, she was set to live her childhood dream. For as long as she could remember, basketball had been the focus of her life. And now it was paying her back. Big time. 

But strangely, just as she was reaching the pinnacle of athletic success, she slipped into an unexpected funk. She felt uncharacteristically empty and purposeless. After all her sacrifice, after all her incredible achievements, she couldn't seem to shake free from whatever was oppressing her. 

Months passed without her being able to draw up enough energy for a single workout. She gorged herself on junk food, and her weight ballooned. The date to report to her pro team came and went. She was literally losing it. 

One afternoon, Karen summoned the strength to pick up a basketball and take a few shots in the gym. Within a mere matter of minutes, discouraged by her lack of precision, she put the ball away for good. The very thing she had once hoped to be her ticket to success had eaten her alive.

Idols can do that, you know. There's nothing wrong with basketball—or business or music or writing or entertainment or decorating—but when something becomes the focus of all your dreams and attention and energy, it becomes an idol in your life. For all intents and purposes, you begin worshiping it instead of God. 

Nothing can satisfy us like God. And nothing should replace Him in our affections.

Verse from Psalms

“你必把生命的路指示我，在你面前有满足的喜乐，在你的右手中有永远的福乐。”

诗篇 16:11 

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Psalms 16:11 

As David describes in Psalm 16, the kind of peace and joy God brings into our lives isn’t caused by a choice to stoically stomp down the pain during hard times; it’s more like a gift we can’t help but experience when we take refuge in our good God (vv. 1–2).

We could respond to the aching pain that death brings by distracting ourselves, perhaps thinking that turning to these other “gods” will keep the pain at bay. But sooner or later we’ll find that efforts to avoid our pain only bring deeper pain (v. 4).

Or we could turn to God, trusting that even when we don’t understand, the life He’s already given us—even in its pain—is still beautiful and good (vv. 6–8). And we can surrender to His loving arms that tenderly carry us through our pain into a peace and joy that even death can never quench (v. 11).