Verse from John

“我把这些事告诉你们，是要使你们在我里面有平安。在世上你们有患难，但你们放心，我已经胜了这世界。””

约翰福音 16:33

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””

John 16:33

The broken world we live in seems to be an endless supply of heartache and disappointment, whether from our own choices or things beyond our control.

Yet the follower of Christ has hope—not only in the life to come but for this very day. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Notice that without minimizing the struggles or sadness we may experience, Christ counters them with His promises of peace, joy, and ultimate victory.

Great peace is available in Christ, and it’s more than enough to help us navigate whatever life throws at us.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, 

Thou hast taught me to say, 

It is well, it is well, with my soul. 

Horatio G. Spafford

Our hope and peace are found in Jesus.

Verse from Revelation

“所有咒诅都不再有了。

启示录 22:3

“There will no longer be any curse...

Revelation 22:3

You and I have something in common. We live in a mixed-up, tarnished world and we have never known anything different. Adam and Eve, however, could remember what life was like before the curse. They could recall the world as God intended it to be—free of death, hardship, and pain (Gen. 3:16-19). In pre-fall Eden, hunger, unemployment, and illness did not exist. No one questioned God’s creative power or His plan for human relationships.

The world we have inherited resembles God’s perfect garden only slightly. To quote C. S. Lewis, “This is a good world gone wrong, but [it] still retains the memory of what ought to have been.” Fortunately, the cloudy memory of what the earth should have been is also a prophetic glimpse into eternity. There, just as Adam and Eve walked and talked with God, believers will see His face and serve Him directly. There will be nothing between God and us. “No longer will there be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). There will be no sin, no fear, and no shame.

The past and its consequences may cast a shadow on today, but a believer’s destiny carries the promise of something better—life in a place as perfect as Eden.

One day God will put everything right.

Verse from Matthew

“但你们中间却不要这样；谁想在你们中间成为大的，就要作你们的仆役；”

马太福音 20:26

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,”

Matthew 20:26

In traditional African societies, leadership succession is a serious decision. After a king’s demise, great care is taken selecting the next ruler. Besides being from a royal family, the successor must be strong, fearless, and sensible. Candidates are questioned to determine if they will serve the people or rule with a heavy hand. The king’s successor needs to be someone who leads but also serves.

Even though Solomon made his own bad choices, he worried over his successor. “Who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill” (Eccl. 2:19). His son Rehoboam was that successor. He demonstrated a lack of sound judgment and ended up fulfilling his father’s worst fear.

When the people requested more humane working conditions, it was an opportunity for Rehoboam to show servant leadership. “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them . . . ,” the elders advised, “they will always be your servants” (1 Kings 12:7). But he rejected their counsel. Rehoboam failed to seek God. His harsh response to the people divided the kingdom and accelerated the spiritual decline of God’s people (12:14-19).

In the family, the workplace, at church, or in our neighborhood—we need His wisdom for the humility to serve rather than be served.

Dear Lord, 

please give me a humble servant’s heart. 

Help me to lead and follow with humility and compassion.

A good leader is a good servant.

Verse from Proverbs

“如果你寻找它如同寻找银子，搜寻它好象搜寻宝藏；”

箴言 2:4

“and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,”

Proverbs 2:4

Proverbs 2 encourages us to make the effort to know God better by carefully seeking a heart of understanding. When we read the Bible carefully and invest time memorizing Scripture, we absorb its truths more deeply (vv. 1-2). Sometimes reading the Word aloud helps us to hear and understand the wisdom of God more fully. And when we pray the words of Scripture back to God and ask Him for “insight and understanding” (v. 3), we enjoy a conversation with the Author.

We come to know God and His wisdom when we search for it with our whole heart. We find understanding when we seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure.

Dear Lord, 

help me to slow down and listen to what You want to teach me through Your Word so I can be the person You want me to be.

How do we read the bible? Study it carefully or just skimming through? Do we love the Word or it's just a book to us? 

Verse from 1 Corinthians

“我要克制自己的身体...自己反而落选了。”

哥林多前书 9:27

“but I discipline my body...I myself will not be disqualified.”

1 Corinthians 9:27

There is a woman who has pushed her body and mind to the limit. She climbed mountains, faced death, and even broke a Guinness world record. Now she’s engaged in a different challenge—that of raising her special-needs child. The courage and faith she employed while ascending the mountains she now pours into motherhood.

In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul speaks of a runner competing in a race. After urging a church enamored with their rights to give consideration to one another (ch. 8), he explains how he sees the challenges of love and self-sacrifice to be like a marathon of endurance (ch. 9). They relinquish their rights to Him.

As athletes train their bodies that they might win the crown, we too train our bodies and minds for our souls to flourish. As we ask the Holy Spirit to transform us, moment by moment, we leave our old selves behind. Empowered by God, we stop ourselves from uttering that cruel word. We put away our electronic device and remain present with our friends. We don’t have to speak the last word in a disagreement.

As we train to run in the Spirit of Christ, how might God want to mold us today?

Lord, 

let me not demand my rights, 

but train to win the prize that lasts forever.

Training leads to transformation.

Verse from Mark

“因为人子来，不是要受人服事，而是要服事人，并且要舍命，作许多人的赎价。””

马可福音 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."”

Mark 10:45

When a road-construction foreman was killed in an accident, the love of this man for his family, co-workers, and community resulted in an overwhelming sense of loss. His country church couldn’t accommodate all the mourners, so planners moved the service to a much larger building. Friends and family packed the auditorium! The message was clear: Tim touched many lives in a way uniquely his. So many would miss his kindness, sense of humor, and enthusiasm for life.

There is a contrast between him and King Jehoram. His brief reign of terror is traced in 2 Chronicles 21. To solidify his power, Jehoram killed his own brothers and other leaders (v. 4). Then he led Judah into idol worship. The record tells us, “He passed away, to no one’s regret” (v. 20). Jehoram thought that brute force would ensure his legacy. It did. He is forever commemorated in Scripture as an evil man and a self-centered leader.

Although Jesus also was a king, He came to Earth to be a servant. As He went about doing good, He endured the hatred of those who grasped for power. In the process, this Servant-King gave His life away.

Today, Jesus lives along with His legacy. That legacy includes those who understand that life isn’t just about themselves. It’s about Jesus—the One who longs to wrap His strong, forgiving arms around anyone who turns to Him.

Lord, 

in Your death as well as in Your life, 

You did the will of Your Father and served others. 

In some small way, 

help us to serve others with our lives today.

A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy.

Verse from Luke

“耶稣对他们讲一个比喻，论到人必须常常祈祷，不可灰心。”

路加福音 18:1

“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Luke 18:1

Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains.

In the opening words of chapter 18:  “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). Its the story of the persistent widow (vv. 2-8). Through this story, the lesson to His followers was very clear: “Always pray and never give up.”

Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way.

As we rely on God’s grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the process as well, we can keep coming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His wisdom and care for us.

Our Lord’s encouragement to us is clear: Always pray and don’t give up!

Lord, 

in the difficulty I face today, 

guard my heart, 

guide my words, 

and show Your grace. 

May I always turn to You in prayer.