“最后，弟兄们，凡是真实的、庄重的、公正的、纯洁的、可爱的、声誉好的，无论是甚么美德，甚么称赞，这些事你们都应当思念。”
腓立比书 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
The apostle Paul urged the Christians in Philippi to pursue joy in their relationship with Christ. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). Instead of a life cluttered with anxiety, he urged them to pray about everything and let God’s peace guard their hearts and minds in Christ (vv. 6–7).
Looking at our everyday tasks and responsibilities, we see that not all of them are enjoyable. But we can ask, “How can this spark joy in God’s heart and in my own?” A change in why we do things can bring a transformation in the way we feel about them (Phil. 4:8)
Lord,
show me how You want to spark joy in the tasks I face today.
A focus on the Lord is the beginning of joy.
Insight
Paul’s encouragement to rejoice in difficult situations wasn’t from the perspective of someone who did not understand suffering. On Paul’s second missionary journey (ad 50–52), he was falsely accused of disturbing the social peace of the city. Severely flogged and unjustly imprisoned (Acts 16:20–25), Paul remained a picture of calmness and peace. Luke tells us that in the midst of such adversity, “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (v. 25). Paul knew what it meant to “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). He could write these words because he himself practiced them.
Are you at peace like Paul when life is difficult?
Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Monday, 6 February 2017
Verse from Job
“可是他知道我所行的道路，他试炼我以后，我必像精金出现。”
约伯记 23:10
“"But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10
During an interview, singer and songwriter Meredith Andrews spoke about being overwhelmed as she tried to balance outreach, creative work, marital issues, and motherhood. Reflecting on her distress, she said, “I felt like God was taking me through a refining season, almost through a crushing process.”
Job was overwhelmed after losing his livelihood, his health, and his family. Worse still, although Job had been a daily worshiper of God, he felt that the Lord was ignoring his pleas for help. God seemed absent from the landscape of his life. Job claimed he could not see God whether he looked to the north, south, east, or west (Job 23:2–9).
In the middle of his despair, Job had a moment of clarity. His faith flickered to life like a candle in a dark room (v10). Christians are tried and purified when God uses difficulty to burn away our self-reliance, pride, and earthly wisdom. If it seems as if God is silent during this process and He is not answering our cries for help, He may be giving us an opportunity to grow stronger in our faith.
Pain and problems can produce the shining, rock-solid character that comes from trusting God when life is hard.
Dear Lord,
help me to believe that You are with me, even when I can’t see You working in my life.
I surrender myself to Your purpose for any suffering I may endure.
Faith-testing times can be faith-strengthening times.
约伯记 23:10
“"But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10
During an interview, singer and songwriter Meredith Andrews spoke about being overwhelmed as she tried to balance outreach, creative work, marital issues, and motherhood. Reflecting on her distress, she said, “I felt like God was taking me through a refining season, almost through a crushing process.”
Job was overwhelmed after losing his livelihood, his health, and his family. Worse still, although Job had been a daily worshiper of God, he felt that the Lord was ignoring his pleas for help. God seemed absent from the landscape of his life. Job claimed he could not see God whether he looked to the north, south, east, or west (Job 23:2–9).
In the middle of his despair, Job had a moment of clarity. His faith flickered to life like a candle in a dark room (v10). Christians are tried and purified when God uses difficulty to burn away our self-reliance, pride, and earthly wisdom. If it seems as if God is silent during this process and He is not answering our cries for help, He may be giving us an opportunity to grow stronger in our faith.
Pain and problems can produce the shining, rock-solid character that comes from trusting God when life is hard.
Dear Lord,
help me to believe that You are with me, even when I can’t see You working in my life.
I surrender myself to Your purpose for any suffering I may endure.
Faith-testing times can be faith-strengthening times.
Sunday, 5 February 2017
Verses from Psalms
“你们要称谢耶和华，因他本是良善的，他的慈爱永远长存。
要称谢那用智慧造成诸天的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。要称谢那铺张大地在水上的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。要称谢那造成大光的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。他造太阳管白昼，因为他的慈爱永远长存。他造月亮和星星管黑夜，因为他的慈爱永远长存。”
诗篇 136:1, 5-9
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Psalms 136:1, 5-9
Nature daily displays the truth, goodness, and beauty of the One who brought it into being. Every day nature offers a new and fresh declaration of God’s glory. Do we see Him through that beauty, or do we merely glance at it and shrug it off in indifference?
All nature declares the beauty of the One who made it. Our response can be worship, adoration, and thanksgiving—for the radiance of a cornflower, the splendor of a morning sunrise, the symmetry of one particular tree.
Author C. S. Lewis describes a walk in the forest on a hot summer day. He had just asked his friend how best to cultivate a heart thankful toward God. His hiking companion turned to a nearby brook, splashed his face and hands in a little waterfall, and asked, “Why not begin with this?” Lewis said he learned a great principle in that moment: “Begin where you are.”
A trickling waterfall, the wind in the willows, a baby robin, the blue sky, a tiny flower. Why not begin your thankfulness with this?
Father,
may we always be reminded that You have placed beauty here because it reflects Your character.
We praise You!
What are you thankful for today?
[God] is the beauty behind all beauty. Steve DeWitt
要称谢那用智慧造成诸天的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。要称谢那铺张大地在水上的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。要称谢那造成大光的，因为他的慈爱永远长存。他造太阳管白昼，因为他的慈爱永远长存。他造月亮和星星管黑夜，因为他的慈爱永远长存。”
诗篇 136:1, 5-9
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Psalms 136:1, 5-9
Nature daily displays the truth, goodness, and beauty of the One who brought it into being. Every day nature offers a new and fresh declaration of God’s glory. Do we see Him through that beauty, or do we merely glance at it and shrug it off in indifference?
All nature declares the beauty of the One who made it. Our response can be worship, adoration, and thanksgiving—for the radiance of a cornflower, the splendor of a morning sunrise, the symmetry of one particular tree.
Author C. S. Lewis describes a walk in the forest on a hot summer day. He had just asked his friend how best to cultivate a heart thankful toward God. His hiking companion turned to a nearby brook, splashed his face and hands in a little waterfall, and asked, “Why not begin with this?” Lewis said he learned a great principle in that moment: “Begin where you are.”
A trickling waterfall, the wind in the willows, a baby robin, the blue sky, a tiny flower. Why not begin your thankfulness with this?
Father,
may we always be reminded that You have placed beauty here because it reflects Your character.
We praise You!
What are you thankful for today?
[God] is the beauty behind all beauty. Steve DeWitt
Saturday, 4 February 2017
Verse from 1 Thessalonians
“凡事谢恩；这就是神在基督耶稣里给你们的旨意。”
帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:18
“in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In the suburb where Lawrence lives, he often complains about the constant power outages. They can hit three times in a week and last up to twenty-four hours, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. The inconvenience is hard to bear when he cannot use basic household appliances.
His Christian neighbor often asks, “Is this also something to thank God for?” She is referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. He always say, “Yes, of course, we thank God in all things.” But the half-hearted manner in which he say it is contradicted by his grumbling every time the power goes off.
One day, however, his belief in thanking God in all circumstances took on new meaning. He returned from work to find his neighbor visibly shaken as she cried, “Thank Jesus the power was off. My house would have burned down, and my family and I would have perished!”
A refuse-collection truck had hit the electricity pole in front of her house and brought down the high-tension cables right over several houses. Had there been power in the cables, fatalities would have been likely.
The difficult circumstances we face can make it hard to say, “Thanks, Lord.” We can be thankful to our God who sees in every situation an opportunity for us to trust Him—whether or not we see His purpose.
Father,
we honor You with our words,
but so often our actions reveal that our hearts don’t trust You.
Help us to see You at work in every circumstance,
no matter how difficult.
By God’s grace we can be thankful in all things.
帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:18
“in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In the suburb where Lawrence lives, he often complains about the constant power outages. They can hit three times in a week and last up to twenty-four hours, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. The inconvenience is hard to bear when he cannot use basic household appliances.
His Christian neighbor often asks, “Is this also something to thank God for?” She is referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. He always say, “Yes, of course, we thank God in all things.” But the half-hearted manner in which he say it is contradicted by his grumbling every time the power goes off.
One day, however, his belief in thanking God in all circumstances took on new meaning. He returned from work to find his neighbor visibly shaken as she cried, “Thank Jesus the power was off. My house would have burned down, and my family and I would have perished!”
A refuse-collection truck had hit the electricity pole in front of her house and brought down the high-tension cables right over several houses. Had there been power in the cables, fatalities would have been likely.
The difficult circumstances we face can make it hard to say, “Thanks, Lord.” We can be thankful to our God who sees in every situation an opportunity for us to trust Him—whether or not we see His purpose.
Father,
we honor You with our words,
but so often our actions reveal that our hearts don’t trust You.
Help us to see You at work in every circumstance,
no matter how difficult.
By God’s grace we can be thankful in all things.
Friday, 3 February 2017
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
After many years of Sarai and Abram still longing for an heir, Sarai followed the custom of the culture and told her husband to conceive through Hagar (a slave in Abram's household). But when Hagar became pregnant, she treated Sarai with contempt. When Sarai mistreated her in return, Hagar fled far away to the desert.
The Lord saw Hagar in her pain and confusion, and He blessed her with the promise that she would be the mother of many descendants. After the encounter, Hagar called the Lord “El Roi,” which means “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13), for she knew she wasn’t alone or abandoned.
As Hagar was seen—and loved—so are we. We might feel ignored or rejected by friends or family, yet we know that our Father sees not only the face we present to the world, but all of our secret feelings and fears. He speaks the words that bring us life.
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
After many years of Sarai and Abram still longing for an heir, Sarai followed the custom of the culture and told her husband to conceive through Hagar (a slave in Abram's household). But when Hagar became pregnant, she treated Sarai with contempt. When Sarai mistreated her in return, Hagar fled far away to the desert.
The Lord saw Hagar in her pain and confusion, and He blessed her with the promise that she would be the mother of many descendants. After the encounter, Hagar called the Lord “El Roi,” which means “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13), for she knew she wasn’t alone or abandoned.
As Hagar was seen—and loved—so are we. We might feel ignored or rejected by friends or family, yet we know that our Father sees not only the face we present to the world, but all of our secret feelings and fears. He speaks the words that bring us life.
Thursday, 2 February 2017
Verse from Ecclesiastes
“我知道神所作的一切，都必永存...”
传道书 3:14
“I know that everything God does will remain forever...”
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Four-year-old Asher’s gleeful face peeked out from beneath his favorite hooded sweatshirt. His alligator-head hooded sweatshirt, complete with plush jaws that seemed to swallow his head! His mom’s heart sank. She wanted the family to make a good impression as they visited a family they hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Oh, Hon,” she said, “that may not be appropriate for the occasion.”
“Of course it is!” Asher protested brightly.
“Hmm, and what occasion might that be?” she asked. Asher replied, “You know. Life!” He got to wear the shirt.
That joyful boy already grasps the truth of Ecclesiastes 3:12—“There is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” Ecclesiastes can seem depressing and is often misunderstood because it’s written from a human perspective, not God’s. The writer, King Solomon, asked, “What do workers gain from their toil?” (v. 9). Yet throughout the book we catch glimpses of hope. Solomon also wrote: “That each of [us] may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all [our] toil—this is the gift of God” (v. 13).
We serve a God who gives us good things to enjoy. As we acknowledge Him and follow His loving commands, He infuses our lives with purpose, meaning, and joy.
Restore to us childlike joy that appreciates Your good gifts.
The Lord who made you wants you to make Him the center of your life.
传道书 3:14
“I know that everything God does will remain forever...”
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Four-year-old Asher’s gleeful face peeked out from beneath his favorite hooded sweatshirt. His alligator-head hooded sweatshirt, complete with plush jaws that seemed to swallow his head! His mom’s heart sank. She wanted the family to make a good impression as they visited a family they hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Oh, Hon,” she said, “that may not be appropriate for the occasion.”
“Of course it is!” Asher protested brightly.
“Hmm, and what occasion might that be?” she asked. Asher replied, “You know. Life!” He got to wear the shirt.
That joyful boy already grasps the truth of Ecclesiastes 3:12—“There is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” Ecclesiastes can seem depressing and is often misunderstood because it’s written from a human perspective, not God’s. The writer, King Solomon, asked, “What do workers gain from their toil?” (v. 9). Yet throughout the book we catch glimpses of hope. Solomon also wrote: “That each of [us] may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all [our] toil—this is the gift of God” (v. 13).
We serve a God who gives us good things to enjoy. As we acknowledge Him and follow His loving commands, He infuses our lives with purpose, meaning, and joy.
Restore to us childlike joy that appreciates Your good gifts.
The Lord who made you wants you to make Him the center of your life.
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Verse from Psalms
“我要教导你，指示你应走的路；我要劝戒你，我的眼睛看顾你。”
诗篇 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
Psalms 32:8
In Psalm 32, David celebrated the marvel of God’s forgiveness, guidance, and concern for us. Unlike a human father, God knows every detail of our lives and the deepest needs of our hearts. And He has also promised to guide us (v.8)
Whatever our circumstances today, we can rely on God’s presence and care because “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).
Dear Father in heaven,
thank You for watching over me in love and guiding me along Your path today.
We are never out of God’s sight and His loving care.
诗篇 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
Psalms 32:8
In Psalm 32, David celebrated the marvel of God’s forgiveness, guidance, and concern for us. Unlike a human father, God knows every detail of our lives and the deepest needs of our hearts. And He has also promised to guide us (v.8)
Whatever our circumstances today, we can rely on God’s presence and care because “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).
Dear Father in heaven,
thank You for watching over me in love and guiding me along Your path today.
We are never out of God’s sight and His loving care.
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