Verse from Deuteronomy

“既然在地上必有穷人存在，所以我吩咐你说：‘你总要向你地上的困苦和贫穷的兄弟大伸援助之手。’”

‭‭申命记‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭

On the outskirts of Paris, as in other cities around the globe, people are coming to the aid of the homeless in their communities. Clothing, covered in waterproof bags, is hung on designated fences for those living on the streets to take according to their needs. The bags are labeled, “I’m not lost; I’m for you if you’re cold.” The effort not only warms those without shelter, but also teaches those in the community the importance of assisting the needy among them.

The Bible highlights the importance of caring for those who are poor, instructing us to be “openhanded” toward them (Deuteronomy 15:11). We might be tempted to avert our eyes to the plight of the poor, holding tightly to our resources instead of sharing them. Yet God challenges us to recognize that we will always be surrounded by those who have needs and therefore to respond to them with generosity, not a “grudging heart” (v. 10). Jesus says that in giving to the poor we receive an enduring treasure in heaven (Luke 12:33).

Our generosity may not be recognized by anyone other than God. Yet when we give freely, we not only meet the needs of those around us but we also experience the joy God intends for us in providing for others. 

Verse from 1 John

“亲爱的，我们应当彼此相爱，因为爱是从神那里来的。凡是爱人的，都是从神生的，并且认识神。”

约翰壹书 4:7 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

1 John 4:7 

The New Testament uses four different words for love: phileo, storge, eros, and agape. Agape is the only word for love used in 1 John 4:7–12, and it’s used thirteen times. This is surprising since there are two subjects doing the loving: humans and God.

This means that John is telling us to love God and each other with the same kind of love with which God loves us. Agape love is born out of our hearts because of the preciousness of the thing that’s loved. It has the idea of prizing something and has nothing to do with the merit of the object being loved.

Verse from Psalms

“我的神！我的神！你为甚么离弃我？为甚么远离不救我，不听我呻吟的话呢？”

诗篇 22:1 

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.”

Psalms 22:1 

In his book The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis records an imaginary conversation between a senior devil and a junior devil as they discuss how to properly tempt a Christian. The two devils desired to destroy the believer’s faith in God. “Be not deceived,” the senior devil says to the junior. “Our cause is never more in jeopardy than when a human . . . looks round upon a universe in which every trace of [God] seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

The Bible gives us many examples of people who acted with faith despite their feelings of abandonment. Abram felt that God’s promise of an heir had gone unheeded (Gen. 15:2-3). The psalmist felt ignored in his trouble (Ps. 10:1). Job’s troubles were so great that he thought God might even kill him (Job 13:15). And Jesus from the cross cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). Yet in each instance God was shown to be faithful (Gen. 21:1-7; Ps. 10:16-18; Job 38:1–42:17; Matt. 28:9-20).

Although Satan may try to tempt you to think you are forsaken, God is always near. He never forsakes His own. “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ ” (Heb. 13:5). We may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (v. 6).

Lord, 

although clouds and darkness sometimes shroud me, I know that You are close by my side. Thank You.

God is always near in spite of our fears.

Verses from John

“我要请求父，他就会赐给你们另一位保惠师，使他跟你们永远在一起。这保惠师就是真理的灵，世人不能接受他，因为看不见他，也不认识他。你们却认识他，因为他跟你们住在一起，也要在你们里面。”

约翰福音 14:16-17 

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

John 14:16-17 

While writing a Bible guide for pastors in Indonesia, a writer grew fascinated with that nation’s culture of togetherness. Called gotong royong—meaning “mutual assistance”—the concept is practiced in villages, where neighbors may work together to repair someone’s roof or rebuild a bridge or path. In cities too he said, “People always go places with someone else—to a doctor’s appointment, for example. It’s the cultural norm. So you’re never alone.”

Worldwide, believers in Jesus rejoice in knowing we also are never alone. Our constant and forever companion is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Far more than a loyal friend, the Spirit of God is given to every follower of Christ by our heavenly Father to “help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16).

Jesus promised God’s Spirit would come after His own time on Earth ended. “I will not leave you as orphans,” Jesus said (v. 18). Instead, the Holy Spirit—“the Spirit of Truth” who “lives with you and will be in you”—indwells each of us who receives Christ as Savior (v. 17).

The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Comforter, Encourager, and Counselor—a constant companion in a world where loneliness can afflict even connected people. May we forever abide in His comforting love and help.

Verse from 2 Samuel

“大卫问：“扫罗家还有剩下的人没有？我要因约拿单的缘故，以慈爱待他。””

撒母耳记下 9:1 

“David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?””

2 Samuel 9:1 

Following the death of his beloved friend Jonathan, David wanted to remember him and to keep a promise to him (1 Samuel 20:12–17). But rather than simply seek something static, David searched and found something very much alive—a son of Jonathan (2 Samuel 9:3). David’s decision here is dramatic. He chose to extend kindness (v. 1) to Mephibosheth (vv. 6–7) in the specific forms of restored property (“all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul”) and the ongoing provision of food and drink (“you will always eat at my table”).

As we continue to remember those who’ve died with plaques and paintings, may we also recall David’s example and extend kindness to those still living.

Verse from 1 Chronicles

“大卫又对他的儿子所罗门说：“你要坚强勇敢地去作，不要惧怕，也不要惊惶，因为耶和华神，就是我的神，与你同在；他必不撇下你，也不丢弃你，直到耶和华殿的一切工作都完成。”

历代志上 28:20 

“David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”

1 Chronicles 28:20 

Among a display of male statues (Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, and others) in London’s Parliament Square, stands a lone statue of a woman. The solitary woman is Millicent Fawcett, who fought for the right of women to vote. She’s immortalized in bronze—holding a banner displaying words she offered in a tribute to a fellow suffragist: “Courage calls to courage everywhere.” Fawcett insisted that one person’s courage emboldens others—calling timid souls into action.

As David prepared to hand his throne over to his son Solomon, he explained the responsibilities that would soon rest heavy on his shoulders. It’s likely Solomon quivered under the weight of what he faced: leading Israel to follow all God’s instructions, guarding the land God had entrusted to them, and overseeing the monumental task of building the temple (1 Chronicles 28:8–10).

Knowing Solomon’s trembling heart, David offered his son powerful words: “Be strong and courageous . . . . Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you” (v. 20). Real courage would never arise from Solomon’s own skill or confidence but rather from relying on God’s presence and strength. God provided the courage Solomon needed.

When we face hardship, we often try to drum up boldness or talk ourselves into bravery. God, however, is the one who renews our faith. He will be with us. And His presence calls us to courage.

Verse from Acts

“约在半夜，保罗和西拉祈祷歌颂神，囚犯们都侧耳听着。”

使徒行传 16:25 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

Acts 16:25 

In the summer of 1963, after an all-night bus ride, US civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and six other black passengers stopped to eat at a diner in Winona, Mississippi. After law enforcement officers forced them to leave, they were arrested and jailed. But the humiliation wouldn’t end with unlawful arrest. All received severe beatings, but Fannie’s was the worst. After a brutal attack that left her near death she burst out in song: “Paul and Silas was bound in jail, let my people go.” And she didn’t sing alone. Other prisoners, restrained in body but not in soul, joined her in worship.

According to Acts 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in a difficult place when they were imprisoned for telling others about Jesus. But discomfort didn’t dampen their faith. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (v. 25). Their bold worship created the opportunity to continue to talk about Jesus. “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to [the jailer] and to all the others in his house” (v. 32).

Most of us will not likely face the extreme circumstances encountered by Paul, Silas, or Fannie, but each of us will face uncomfortable situations. When that happens, our strength comes from our faithful God. May there be a song in our hearts that will honor Him and give us boldness to speak for Him—even in the midst of trouble.

Hard times call for prayer and praise to the One who controls all things.

Verse from John

“...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 

“...When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John 8:44 

When Aaron (not his real name) was 15, he began praying to Satan: “I felt like he and I had a partnership.” Aaron started to lie, steal, and manipulate his family and friends. He also experienced nightmares: “I woke up one morning and saw the devil at the end of the bed. He told me that I was going to pass my exams and then die.” Yet when he finished his exams, he lived. Aaron reflected, “It was clear to me that he was a liar.”

Hoping to meet girls, Aaron went to a Christian festival, where a man offered to pray for him. “While he was praying, I felt a sense of peace flood my body.” He felt something “more powerful, and more liberating,” than what he felt from Satan. The man who prayed told Aaron God had a plan and Satan was a liar. This man echoed what Jesus said of Satan when He responded to some who opposed him: “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

Aaron turned to Christ from Satanism and now “belongs to God” (v. 47). He ministers in an urban community, sharing the difference following Jesus makes. He’s a living testament of God’s saving power: “I can say with confidence that God saved my life.”

God is the source of all that is good, holy, and true. We can turn to Him to find truth.

Verse from John

“他们不住地问耶稣，他就挺起身来，说：“你们中间谁是没有罪的，他就可以先拿起石头打她。””

约翰福音 8:7 

“When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.””

John 8:7 

Lisa felt no sympathy for those who cheated on their spouse . . . until she found herself deeply unsatisfied with her marriage and struggling to resist a dangerous attraction. That painful experience helped her gain a new compassion for others and greater understanding of Christ’s words: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (John 8:7).

Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when He made that statement. A group of teachers of the law and Pharisees had just dragged a woman caught in adultery before Him and challenged, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (v. 5). Because they considered Jesus a threat to their authority, the question was “a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him” (v. 6)—and getting rid of Him.

Yet when Jesus replied, “Let any one of you who is without sin . . .” not one of the woman’s accusers could bring themselves to pick up a stone. One by one, they walked away.

Before we critically judge another’s behavior while looking lightly at our own sin, let’s remember that all of us “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Instead of condemnation, our Savior showed this woman—and you and me—grace and hope (John 3:16; 8:10–11). How can we not do the same for others?

Dear Lord, 

thank You for loving us! 

Help us to look with compassion on others and to be gracious in all we say and do.

Verse from Ecclesiastes

“你们一切都听见了，总而言之，应当敬畏神，谨守他的诫命，因为这是每一个人的本分。”

传道书 12:13 

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13 

A. W. Tozer said, "The word of God was not given to us to make us intelligent sinners, but obedient and authentic saints." As important as it is to remember God—to recall who God is and what He has done for us—and to fear God by practicing a reverential awe of Him and His presence in our lives, it is equally important to hammer home the final nail.

Our lives are made up of choices—difficult forks in the road where we must decide to choose God's way or to pursue our own. And as Moses said to the children of Israel, the choice is really not between right and wrong but between life and death (see Deuteronomy 30:15-16). The prophet Amos said it very succinctly: "Seek the LORD that you may live" (Amos 5:6). Truly, the only sure path to life is found in obedience to God and His Word.

So when you don't feel like loving your spouse, obey God.

When you're tempted to steal or to compromise your integrity, obey God.

When your boss asks you to do something you shouldn't, obey God.

When your lusts and passions are telling you to give in, obey God.

When you're suffering and feel like quitting, obey God.

When the easiest thing to do is nothing, obey God.

When you feel like being lazy, obey God.

Whatever choice you may be facing, obey God.

Thomas Carlisle wrote, "Conviction, be it ever so excellent, is worthless until it converts itself into conduct."

Verse from Psalms

“我要称谢你，因为我的受造奇妙可畏；你的作为奇妙，这是我深深知道的。”

诗篇 139:14 

“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Psalm 139:14 

Human beings are not special—at least according to the London Zoo. In 2005, the zoo introduced a four-day exhibit: “Humans in Their Natural Environment.” The human “captives” were chosen through an online contest. To help visitors understand the humans, the zoo workers created a sign detailing their diet, habitat, and threats. 

According to the zoo’s spokesperson, the goal of the exhibit was to downplay the uniqueness of human beings. One participant in the exhibit seemed to agree. “When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds them that we’re not that special.”

What a stark contrast to what the Bible says about human beings: God “fearfully and wonderfully” made us in “his image” (Psalm 139:14; Genesis 1:26–27).

David began Psalm 139 by celebrating God’s intimate knowledge of him (vv. 1–6) and His all-encompassing presence (vv. 7–12). Like a master weaver, God not only formed the intricacies of David’s internal and external features (vv. 13–14), but He also made him a living soul, giving spiritual life and the ability to intimately relate to God. Meditating on God’s handiwork, David responded in awe, wonder, and praise (v. 14).

Human beings are special. God created us with marvelous uniqueness and the awesome ability to have an intimate relationship with Him. Like David, we can praise Him because we’re the workmanship of His loving hands.

Verse from John

“从那天起，他们就想杀害耶稣。”

约翰福音 11:53 

“So from that day on they plotted to take His life.”

John 11:53 

Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mystery The Clocks features antagonists who commit a series of murders. Although their initial plot targeted a single victim, they began taking more lives in order to cover up the original crime. When confronted by Poirot, a conspirator confessed, “It was only supposed to be the one murder.”

Like the schemers in the story, the religious authorities formed a conspiracy of their own. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38–44), they called an emergency meeting and plotted to kill Him (vv. 45–53). But they didn’t stop there. After Jesus rose from the dead, the religious leaders spread lies about what happened at the grave (Matthew 28:12–15). Then they began a campaign to silence Jesus’s followers (Acts 7:57–8:3). What started as a religious plot against one man for the “greater good” of the nation became a web of lies, deceit, and multiple casualties.

Sin plunges us down a road that often has no end in sight, but God always provides a way of escape. When Caiaphas the high priest said, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50), he didn’t understand the profound truth of his words. The conspiracy of the religious leaders would help bring about the redemption of mankind.

Jesus saves us from sin’s vicious grip. Have you received the freedom He offers?

What road are you going down that could take you further away from God? 

He offers real freedom. 

What do you need to confess to Him today?

Give sin room, and it can take over a life.

Verse from 2 Corinthians

“他却对我说：“我的恩典是够你用的，因为我的能力在人的软弱上显得完全。”所以，我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好让基督的能力临到我的身上。”

哥林多后书 12:9 

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 

In a fallen, broken world, all of us are “crooked,” each with our own collection of natural weaknesses. We might be tempted to keep our vulnerabilities under wraps, but Scripture encourages the opposite attitude. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, for example, Paul suggests that it’s in our weaknesses—for him, an unnamed struggle he calls a “thorn in my flesh” (v. 7)—that Christ is most likely to reveal His power. Jesus had told Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9). So Paul concluded, “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

We may not like our imperfections, but hiding them only denies Jesus’s power to work within those aspects of ourselves. When we invite Jesus into the crooked places in us, He gently mends and redeems in ways our effort could never accomplish.

Invite Jesus into your imperfections for His mending.

Verse from Psalms

“认识你名的人必倚靠你；耶和华啊！你从未撇弃寻求你的人。”

诗篇 9:10 

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

Psalms 9:10 

At the very moment Darnly Motter was giving birth to her third child in the delivery room, her husband, Larry, was one floor below having a blood clot removed from his brain. 

These are the kind of paradoxes that entered the Motters' world the day their car crashed on a lonely stretch of South Dakota highway, leaving Larry in a coma with severe brain damage. When he returned to consciousness, he was partially paralyzed and his short-term memory was gone. For all intents and purposes, he was another baby in the Motter household. 

There were people who advised Darnly to find Larry a comfortable place to live—to set him up in a nursing home—so that she could get on with life. But Darnly knew she couldn't do that. Making a home with Larry—even the new Larry he had become—was part of keeping her wedding vows, she believed.

Over the years, she has often cried herself to sleep at night, and she has occasionally succumbed to the heavy undertow of depression. Her lonely walk as the only "adult" in her marriage has left her feeling maddeningly desperate. But when times get the murkiest, she remembers, "I don't need answers; I just need God." 

That, is a faith statement—something that people who walk by feelings can't say, because it demands that they know and trust God enough to be able to handle the challenges He often allows into life. Faith like this brings freedom and peace, even in the midst of the storms of life, known only by those who choose to set their dial and choose to live by the trusted timeless truths of Scriptures. 

When life isn't fair, God is still there—to make sure you have everything you need to hang in there yourself.

Verse from Psalms

“我把我的灵魂交在你手里，耶和华信实的神啊！你救赎了我。”

诗篇 31:5 

“Into Your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.”

Psalm 31:5 

In Psalm 31, David revealed that he knew something about the Lord’s amazing, caring hands. That’s why he could confidently say, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (v. 5). David believed that the Lord could be trusted even when life got bumpy. Because he was targeted by unfriendly forces, life was very uncomfortable for David. Though vulnerable, he was not without hope. In the midst of harassment David could breathe sighs of relief and rejoice because his faithful, loving God was his source of confidence (vv. 5–7).

Perhaps you find yourself in a season of life when things are coming at you from every direction, and it’s difficult to see what’s ahead. In the midst of uncertainty, confusion, and chaos one thing remains absolutely certain: those who are secure in the Lord are in amazing hands.

Verse from 1 John

“神对我们的爱，我们已经明白了，而且相信了。神就是爱；住在爱里面的，就住在神里面，神也住在他里面。”

约翰壹书 4:16 

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

1 John 4:16 

In his first of three letters to early Christians, the apostle John boldly states that God Himself is love. “We know and rely on the love God has for us,” he writes. “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

God loves. Not in the pillow of a pretend animal but rather with the outstretched arms of a real human body encasing a beating but breaking heart (John 3:16). Through Jesus, God communicated His extravagant and sacrificial love for us.

John goes on, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). When we believe we’re loved, we love back. God’s real love makes it possible for us to love God and others—with all our hearts.

Verse from Psalms

“我的神！我的神！你为甚么离弃我？为甚么远离不救我，不听我呻吟的话呢？”

诗篇 22:1 

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.”

Psalms 22:1 

In just six months, Gerald’s life fell apart. An economic crisis destroyed his business and wealth, while a tragic accident took his son’s life. Overcome by shock, his mother had a heart attack and died, his wife went into depression, and his two young daughters remained inconsolable. All he could do was echo the words of the psalmist, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).

The only thing that kept Gerald going was the hope that God, who raised Jesus to life, would one day deliver him and his family from their pain to an eternal life of joy. It was a hope that God would answer his desperate cries for help. In his despair, like the psalmist David, he determined to trust God in the midst of his suffering. He held on to the hope that God would deliver and save him (vv. 4–5).

That hope sustained Gerald. Over the years, whenever he was asked how he was, he could only say, “Well, I’m trusting God.”

God honored that trust, giving Gerald the comfort, strength, and courage to keep going through the years. His family slowly recovered from the crisis, and soon Gerald welcomed the birth of his first grandchild. His cry is now a testimony of God’s faithfulness. “I’m no longer asking, ‘Why have you forsaken me?’ God has blessed me.”

When it seems there’s nothing left, there’s still hope.

Verse from John

“律法是借着摩西颁布的，恩典和真理却是借着耶稣基督而来的。”

约翰福音 1:17 

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17 

Jesus, who was perfectly qualified to condemn people for their sin, didn’t use the Ten Commandments to crush a Samaritan woman He met at an ancient watering hole. He gently critiqued her life with just a handful of statements. The result was that she saw how her search for satisfaction had led her into sin. Building on this awareness, Jesus revealed Himself as the only source of eternal satisfaction (John 4:10–13).

The combination of grace and truth that Jesus used in this situation is what we experience in our relationship with Him (1:17). His grace prevents us from being overwhelmed by our sin, and His truth prevents us from thinking it isn’t a serious matter.

Will we invite Jesus to show us areas of our lives where we need to grow so we can become more like Him?

Verse from James

“如果有人自以为虔诚，却不约束他的舌头，反而自己欺骗自己，这人的虔诚是没有用的。”

雅各书 1:26 

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James 1:26 

"It's no big deal!" That's the whine of a believer rationalizing vulgar, inappropriate, or hurtful speech. However, someone confessed a long time ago, "Our moral plunge in the office began when we let our language slip. It didn't seem like that big a deal at the time, but what it led to was disastrous." 

Religion that is not reflected in everyday speech is empty and hollow. So let's use our speech to bless and encourage, not to curse, slander, or gossip.