Verse from Galatians

“基督释放了我们，为了要使我们得自由。所以你们要站立得稳，不要再被奴役的轭控制。”

‭‭加拉太书‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭

The first Christians, many who were Jews, were used to being fenced in by the Mosaic law. Though the law was good and had been given by God to convict them of sin and lead them to Jesus (Galatians 3:19–25), it was time to live out their new faith based in God’s grace and the freedom of Christ. They hesitated. After all this time, were they really free?

We may have the same problem. Perhaps we grew up in churches with rigid rules that fenced us in. Or we were raised in permissive homes and are now desperate for the security of rules. Either way, it’s time to embrace our freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1). Jesus has freed us to obey Him out of love (John 14:21) and to “serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). An entire field of joy and love is open for those who realize “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Jesus, 

help us to believe we are as free as You say.

Verse from John

“从此，他的门徒中有许多人退去了，不再与他同行。”

‭‭约翰福音‬ ‭6:66‬ ‭

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6:66‬ ‭

This verse is a great reminder that many folks simply gave up following Jesus when things became hard to understand. 

When He shattered their preconceived notions of religious things, when He confronted them about their motives, they went away. 

What will we do when things get difficult in our discipleship and we can't figure out all the answers to what is going on? 

Pray that we will follow Him no matter what hard it gets. 

Verse from John

“他必兴旺，我必衰微。”

‭‭约翰福音‬ ‭3:30‬ ‭

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3:30‬ ‭

The outreach activities of a particular church culminated with a city-wide service. As the team that had organized and led the events—comprised of the youth music group, counselors, and church leaders—walked onto the stage, everyone all excitedly applauded and poured out their appreciation for their hard work.

One man, however, was hardly noticeable, yet he was the leader of the team. When a church member commented, “We hardly noticed you during the program.”, his reply was “I like to work in the background,”. He was not concerned with getting recognition for himself. It was time for those who did the work to receive appreciation.

His quiet demeanor was an entire sermon. It was a reminder that when serving the Lord, we need not seek to be recognized. We can give honor to God whether or not we are openly appreciated by others. A Christ-first attitude can subdue any petty jealousies or unhealthy competition.

Jesus, who is “above all” (John 3:31), “must become greater; I must become less” (v.30). When we have this attitude, we will seek the progress of God’s work. It is Christ, not us, who should be the focus of all we do.

Jesus, be the center of my thoughts, desires, and actions. 

The spotlight is the place for Christ.

Verse from Romans

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:21‬ ‭

Influenced by parents who were strong believers in Jesus, track star Jesse Owens lived as a courageous man of faith. During the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Owens, one of the few African Americans on the US team, received four gold medals in the presence of hate-filled Nazis and their leader, Hitler. He also befriended fellow athlete Luz Long, a German. Surrounded by Nazi propaganda, Owens’s simple act of living out his faith impacted Luz’s life. Later, Long wrote to Owens: “That hour in Berlin when I first spoke to you, when you had your knee upon the ground, I knew you were in prayer . . . . I think I might believe in God.”

Owens demonstrated how believers can answer the apostle Paul’s charge to “hate what is evil” and be “devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:9–10). Though he could have responded to the evil around him with hate, Owens chose to live by faith and show love to a man who would later become his friend and eventually consider belief in God.

As God’s people commit to being “faithful in prayer” (v. 12), He empowers us to “live in harmony with one another” (v. 16).

When we depend on prayer, we can commit to living out our faith and loving all who are made in God’s image. As we cry out to God, He’ll help us break down barriers and build bridges of peace with our neighbors.

Verse from Psalms

“看哪！保护以色列的，必不打盹，也不睡觉。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭121:4‬ ‭

“Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:4‬ ‭

Psalm 121 is a reassuring song about Him as guardian and protector of His children. The psalmist declares that God who watches over us “will not slumber” (v. 3). And for emphasis, he repeats that truth in verse 4: He “will neither slumber nor sleep.”

God never falls asleep at His post. He is always keeping watch over us—the sons and daughters and aunts and uncles and mothers, and even fathers. It’s not so much that He has to do this, but rather that, out of His great love, He chooses to. That promise is definitely something to sing about.

Father, 

thank You for Your constant care over our lives. We know that doesn’t mean a life absent of trouble, but rather a life held close by Your love and presence. 

Help us to confidently rest in the assurance that You’re always at Your post.

Verse from Micah

“有何神像你，赦免罪孽，不追究产业之余民的过犯呢？他不永远怀怒，因为他喜爱怜悯。”

‭‭弥迦书‬ ‭7:18‬ ‭

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭7:18‬ ‭

Second chances can transform a person’s life, especially when the second chance comes from God. The prophet Micah extoled such grace during a time the nation of Israel groveled in bribery, fraud, and other despicable sins. As Micah lamented, “The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth” (Micah 7:2 nlt).

God would rightly punish evil, Micah knew. But being loving, He would give those who repented another chance. Humbled by such love, Micah asked, “Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people?” (v. 18 nlt).

We too can rejoice that God doesn’t abandon us because of our sins if we ask for forgiveness. As Micah declared of God, “Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (v. 19 nlt). God’s love gives second chances to all who seek Him.

Heavenly Father, 

thank You for giving us the grace of second chances.

Verse from Romans

“神的丰富、智慧和知识，是多么高深啊！他的判断是多么难测，他的道路是多么难寻！”

‭‭罗马书‬ ‭11:33‬ ‭

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:33‬ ‭

The Bible teaches that “the foolishness of God is wiser” than the cleverest human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness” of the message of a suffering Savior to rescue “those who believe” (v. 21).

God always has ways of surprising us. Instead of the triumphant king the world would expect, the Son of God came as a suffering servant and died a humbling death by crucifixion—before He was raised in unsurpassable glory.

In God’s wisdom, humility is valued over pride and love shows its worth in undeserved mercy and kindness. Through the cross, our unconquerable Messiah became the ultimate victim—in order to “save completely” (Hebrews 7:25) all who place their faith in Him!

When have God’s ways left you confused? 

How does it help to know His ways are not our own?

Heavenly Father, 

I praise You for the wisdom of Your ways. 

Help me to trust You and walk humbly with You today.

Verses from Psalms

“耶和华啊！我真是你的仆人；我是你仆人，你婢女的儿子；我的锁炼你给我解开了。我要把感恩祭献给你，我要称扬耶和华的名。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭116:16-17‬ ‭

“O Lord, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds. To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116:16-17‬ ‭

It’s said that those who’ve come close to death become more acutely aware of the value of life and the imperative of walking right before God. 

In this psalm, the unnamed psalmist thanks Him for delivering him from the jaws of death (116:3, 8). Assured of God’s sovereignty over his life even in death, he writes, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” (v. 15). 

Given another chance at life, the psalmist gratefully asked: “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” (v. 12 nlt). In response, he dedicated his “extended” years to a life of service to God out of thanksgiving for His goodness (vv. 13–19). He resolved to “walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!” (v. 9 nlt). 

Hezekiah and Jonah offered similar prayers of thanksgiving after their lives were spared (Isaiah 38:10–20; Jonah 2:1–9).

Verse from Mark

“耶稣坐下，叫十二门徒来，对他们说：“谁想为首，就该作众人中最末的一个，作众人的仆人。””

‭‭马可福音‬ ‭9:35‬ ‭

“Sitting down, He called the twelve and *said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:35‬ ‭

In the gospel of Mark, He took a child in His arms to illustrate the importance of serving others, especially the most helpless among us (vv. 36–37).

Christ’s response resets the bar for what greatness looks like in His kingdom. His standard is a heart willing to care for others. And Jesus has promised that God’s empowering presence will be with those who choose to serve (v. 37).

As you have opportunities to serve in your family or community, be encouraged that Jesus greatly values the time and effort you give in service to others.

Verse from James

“照样，舌头虽然是个小肢体，却会说夸大的话。试看，星星之火，可以燎原；”

‭‭雅各书‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭

“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭

So many of us are quick to point out what we consider to be weaknesses in family, friends, or work colleagues, or to focus on their mistakes rather than their successes. “The tongue is a small part of the body,” says James (3:5), yet the words it shapes can either destroy relationships or bring peace and harmony to a situation in the workplace, the church, or the family.

Perhaps we should make David’s prayer our own as we start each day: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).

Father, 

please curb my careless speech and put a guard on my tongue today and every day.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 nkjv

Verse from Ephesians

“并且穿上新人。这新人是照着神的形象，在公义和真实的圣洁里创造的。”

‭‭以弗所书‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭

“and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭

Stephen grew up in a rough part of East London and fell into crime by the age of ten. He said, “If everyone’s selling drugs and doing robberies and fraud, then you’re going to get involved. It’s just a way of life.” 

But when he was twenty, he had a dream that changed him: “I heard God saying, Stephen, you’re going to prison for murder.” This vivid dream served as a warning, and he turned to God and received Jesus as his Savior—and the Holy Spirit transformed his life.

Stephen set up an organization that teaches inner-city kids discipline, morality, and respect through sports. He credits God with the success he has seen as he prays with and trains the kids. “Rebuilding misguided dreams,” he says.

In pursuing God and leaving behind our past, we—like Stephen—follow Paul’s charge to the Ephesians to embrace a new way of life. Although our old self is “corrupted by its deceitful desires,” we can daily seek to “put on the new self” that’s created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22, 24). All believers embrace this continual process as we ask God through His Holy Spirit to make us more like Him.

Stephen said, “Faith was a crucial foundation for me changing my life around.” How has this been true for you?

Jesus, 

You’re alive and working in the world and in my life. 

Help me become more like You day by day as I leave the old self behind.

Verse from Luke

““只是我告诉你们听道的人：当爱你们的仇敌，善待恨你们的人。”

‭‭路加福音‬ ‭6:27‬ ‭

““But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:27‬ ‭

In Leif Enger’s novel Peace Like a River, Jeremiah Land is a single father of three working as a janitor at a local school. He’s also a man of deep, sometimes miraculous, faith. Throughout the book, his faith is often tested.

Jeremiah’s school is run by Chester Holden, a mean-spirited superintendent with a skin condition. Despite Jeremiah’s excellent work ethic—mopping up a sewage spill without complaint, picking up broken bottles the superintendent smashed—Holden wants him gone. One day, in front of all the students, he accuses Jeremiah of drunkenness and fires him. It’s a humiliating scene.

How does Jeremiah respond? He could threaten legal action for unfair dismissal or make accusations of his own. He could slink away, accepting the injustice. Think for a moment what you might do.

“Love your enemies,” Jesus says, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27–28). These challenging words aren’t meant to excuse evil or stop justice from being pursued. Instead, they call us to imitate God (v. 36) by asking a profound question: How can I help my enemy become all God wants him or her to be?

Jeremiah looks at Holden for a moment, then reaches up and touches his face. Holden steps back defensively, then feels his chin and cheeks in wonder. His scarred skin has been healed.

An enemy touched by grace.

God, 

when faced with unfairness, injustice, or abuse, show me how to help my enemy move closer to You.

Verse from 2 Timothy

“全部圣经都是神所默示的，在教训、责备、矫正和公义的训练各方面，都是有益的，”

‭‭提摩太后书‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭

A-poe-la-pi is an elderly member of the Akha, a hill tribe people who live on the mountain ranges of Yunnan Province in China. When a group  visited him on a recent missions trip, A-poe-la-pi told them that he had missed the weekly Bible study because of heavy rains. So he implored them, “Could you share God’s Word with me?”

A-poe-la-pi can’t read, so the weekly gathering is vital to him. As they read the Bible to him, he listened intently. His earnest attitude reminded them that when they listen carefully to the story of the inspired Scriptures, they honor the Lord.

In Deuteronomy 4, Moses urged the Israelites to listen carefully to the rules and regulations he was teaching them (v. 1). He reminded them that the source and inspiration behind the teaching was none other than God Himself, who had spoken to them “out of the fire” of Sinai (v. 12). Moses said, “He declared to you his covenant . . . which he commanded you to follow” (v. 13).

May A-poe-la-pi’s hunger to hear God’s Word encourage a similar desire in us. As the apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:15-16, the inspired Scriptures have been given for our good and growth—to make us wise in the salvation and ways of God.

Lord, 

give us a hunger to hear and understand the truth of Your Word. 

Help us show Your love to others by faithfully living out its instructions for us.

To know Christ, the Living Word, is to love the Bible, the written Word.

Verse from Matthew

“所以，你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人，这是律法和先知的总纲。”

‭‭马太福音‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭

““In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭

The "Golden Rule" is so straightforward, isn't it? Sometimes we make things, especially religious things, far too complicated and complex. The Bible is so wonderful because it is so often practical and plain when God deals with our behavior. 

You want to know how to treat someone? Then do for them what would be a blessing if it was done to you! If it wouldn't bless, encourage, build up, support, comfort, or help you, then don't do it to them. If it would hurt, wound, depress, spite, or discourage you, then don't do it to them. 

Treat others with the same dignity, kindness, love, respect, and tenderness with which you would like to be treated. Simple to understand; revolutionary to do!

Verse from Genesis

“耶和华神说：“那人独居不好，我要为他造个和他相配的帮手。””

‭‭创世记‬ ‭2:18‬ ‭

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:18‬ ‭

There’s a growing “rent-a-family” industry in many countries to meet the needs of lonely people. Some use the service to maintain appearances, so that at a social event they can appear to have a happy family. Some hire actors to impersonate estranged relatives, so that they can feel, if briefly, a familial connection they long for.

This trend reflects a basic truth: Humans are created for relationship. In the creation story found in Genesis, God looks at each thing He has made and sees that it’s “very good” (1:31). But when God considers Adam, He says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (2:18). The human needed another human.

The Bible doesn’t just tell us about our need for connection. It also tells us where to find relationships: among Jesus’s followers. Jesus, at His death, told His friend John to consider Christ’s mother as his own. They would be family to each other even after Jesus was gone (John 19:26–27). 

And Paul instructed believers to treat others like parents and siblings (1 Timothy 5:1–2). The psalmist tells us that part of God’s redemptive work in the world is to put “the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6), and God designed the church as one of the best places to do this.

God, 

help us to depend on others and to be a dependable friend as well.

Verse from 2 Samuel

“守丧期一过，大卫就派人去把拔示巴接到宫里，她就作了大卫的妻子，给大卫生了一个儿子。大卫所作的这事，耶和华看为恶。”

‭‭撒母耳记下‬ ‭11:27‬ ‭

“When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭11:27‬ ‭

Samuel tells us that one afternoon, David “saw a woman bathing” (2 Samuel 11:2). And David wanted her. Though Bathsheba was the wife of one his loyal soldiers (Uriah), David took her anyway. When Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, he panicked. And in a despicable act of treachery, David arranged for Joab to have Uriah die on the battlefield.

There is no hiding David’s abuse of power against Bathsheba and Uriah. Here it is in full color, Samuel ensuring we see it. We must deal with our evil.

Also, we must hear these stories because they caution us against the abuse of power in our times. This was David, “a man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22), but also a man who needed to be held accountable for his actions. May we also prayerfully hold leaders accountable for how they use or abuse power.

By God’s grace, redemption is possible. (2 Samuel 12:13).

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 ‭

Who do you know who needs encouragement? Everyone! Look around you. There isn’t one person in your line of vision who is as confident as they seem. We’re all one failure, snide comment, or bad hair day away from self-doubt.

What if we all obeyed God’s command to “please our neighbors for their good, to build them up”? (Romans 15:2). What if we determined only to speak “gracious words” that are “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”? (Proverbs 16:24). 

What if we wrote these words down, so friends could reread and savor them? Then we’d all have notes in our pockets (or on our phones!). And we’d be more like Jesus, who “did not please himself” but lived for others (Romans 15:3).

Verse from James

“你们倒不如说：“主若愿意，我们就可以活着，作这事或作那事。””

‭‭雅各书‬ ‭4:15‬ ‭

“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.””

‭‭James‬ ‭4:15‬ ‭

Ellen Langer’s 1975 study titled The Illusion of Control examined the level of influence we exert over life’s events. She found that we overestimate our degree of control in most situations. The study also demonstrated how reality nearly always shatters our illusion.

Langer’s conclusions are supported by experiments carried out by others since the study was published. However, James identified the phenomenon long before she named it. 

In James 4, he wrote, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (vv. 13–14).

Then James provides a cure for the delusion, pointing to the One who’s in absolute control: (v. 15). In these few verses, James summarized both a key failing of the human condition and its antidote.

May we understand that our fate doesn’t rest in our own hands. Because God holds all things in His capable hands, we can trust His plans. 

Verse from Psalms

“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 ‭

C. S. Lewis and his older brother, Warren (Warnie), endured several terms at Wynyard, an English boarding school for boys. The headmaster was a cruel man who made life unbearable for everyone there. Decades later, Warnie wrote in his understated dry wit, “I am now sixty-four and a bit, and have never yet been in a situation in which I have not had the consolation of reflecting that at any rate I was better off than I was at Wynyard.” Most of us can recall a similar dark and difficult time in our lives and be grateful that we’re better off now than we were then.

Psalm 40:1-5 records a low point of David’s life when he cried out to the Lord who rescued him. God brought him up from “the slimy pit” and “the mud and mire” and set his feet on a rock (v. 2). “He put a new song in my mouth,” David says, “a hymn of praise to our God” (v. 3).

But deliverance from depression and despair are seldom one-time events. Psalm 40 continues with David’s renewed plea for God’s mercy, lovingkindness, and truth to deliver him from his own sin and the threats of his enemies (vv. 11-14).

Along with David, we can say at every low point, “I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer” (v. 17).

The One who holds the universe will never let you down.