Verse from Numbers

“此外，在你们快乐的日子和指定的节期，以及月朔，你们献燔祭和平安祭的时候，也要吹号，这都要在你们的神面前替你们作为记念；我是耶和华你们的神。””

‭‭民数记‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭

“Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.””

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭

In the Old Testament, trumpets were a reminder to the Israelites that God was near. In the middle of celebrating the feasts and festivals that were part of the covenant agreement between God and the nation of Israel, the Jews were to “sound the trumpets” (Numbers 10:10). 

Blowing a trumpet was a reminder not only of God’s presence but also that He was available when they needed Him most—and He longed to help them.

Verse from Romans

“唯有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，神对我们的爱就在此显明了。”

‭‭罗马书‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

In Japan, wakeari is a catchphrase for people who are obviously less than perfect.

Jesus loves all people—including the wakeari who society casts aside. When a woman who had lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at a Pharisee’s house, she went there and knelt behind Jesus at His feet, weeping (Luke 7:37–38). The Pharisee labeled her “a sinner” (v. 39), but Jesus accepted her. He spoke gently to her, assuring her that her sins were forgiven (v. 48).

Jesus loves imperfect, wakeari people—which includes you and me. And the greatest demonstration of His love for us is that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). As recipients of His love, may we be conduits of His love to the flawed people around us so they too may know that they can receive God’s love despite their imperfections.

I know I’m not perfect, Lord, so help me not to be hypocritical and pretend I have it all together. 

Open my heart to others in acceptance and love so that they might know Jesus’s concern for them.

Broken people are made whole by God’s love.

Verse from Jeremiah

 “我一得到你的话，就把它们吃了；你的话成了我心中的欢喜快乐；耶和华万军的神啊！因为我是称为你名下的人。”

‭‭耶利米书‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭

“When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, Lord God Almighty.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭

Early in his fifty-year ministry in Cambridge, England, Charles Simeon (1759–1836) met a neighboring pastor, Henry Venn, and his daughters. After the visit, the daughters remarked how harsh and self-assertive the young man seemed. In response, Venn asked his daughters to pick a peach from the trees. When they wondered why their father would want the unripe fruit, he responded, “Well, my dears, it is green now, and we must wait; but a little more sun, and a few more showers, and the peach will be ripe and sweet. So it is with Mr. Simeon.”

Over the years Simeon did soften through God’s transforming grace. One reason was his commitment to read the Bible and pray every day. A friend who stayed with him for a few months witnessed this practice and remarked, “Here was the secret of his great grace and spiritual strength.”

Simeon in his daily time with God followed the practice of the prophet Jeremiah, who faithfully listened for God’s words. Jeremiah depended on them so much that he said, “When your words came, I ate them.” He mulled and chewed over God’s words, which were his “joy” and “heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16).

If we too resemble a sour green fruit, we can trust that God will help to soften us through His Spirit as we get to know Him through reading and obeying the Scriptures.

Verse from Psalms

“应当欢欢喜喜事奉耶和华，欢唱着到他的面前。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭100:2‬ ‭

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:2‬ ‭

As we embrace a lifestyle of joyful worship, we can come before our Creator anytime and anywhere. Acknowledging His enduring love and faithfulness, we can enjoy intimate communion with Him and thank Him for His ongoing care (Psalm 100). 

Whether we’re singing praises in our cars, praying in public, or spreading God’s love through kind acts, we can inspire others to “praise his name” (v. 4). Worshiping God is more than a Sunday morning event. 

Verse from John

 “马大对耶稣说：“主啊，如果你早在这里，我的兄弟就不会死了！”

‭‭约翰福音‬ ‭11:21‬ ‭

““Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

‭‭John‬ ‭11:21‬ ‭

When Jesus lived on earth, His seemingly slow pace sometimes disappointed His friends. In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word that their brother, Lazarus, was sick. They knew Jesus could help (vv. 1–3). But He arrived some four days later (v. 17), after Lazarus had died. “ ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died’ ” (v. 21). Translation: Jesus didn’t move fast enough. But He had bigger plans: raising Lazarus from the dead (vv. 38–44). 

Can you relate to Martha’s desperation? I can. Sometimes, I long for Jesus to move more quickly to answer a prayer. Sometimes, it seems like He’s late. But Jesus’ sovereign schedule is different from ours. 

He accomplishes His saving work on His timetable, not ours. And the ultimate outcome displays His glory and goodness in ways that are so much greater than our plans.

Verse from Luke

 “但那听见而不遵行的，就像人在地上建屋，没有根基，急流一冲，就立刻倒塌，毁坏得很厉害。””

‭‭路加福音‬ ‭6:49‬ ‭

“But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:49‬ ‭

In our lives the question is not if the floods will come, but when. Sometimes we have advance notice, but usually not. Jesus stresses a strong foundation for such times—one built by not just hearing His words but also by living out the gospel (Luke 6:47). 

That practice is almost like pouring concrete into our lives. When the floods come, and they will, we can withstand them because we’ve been “well built” (v. 48). The absence of practice leaves our lives vulnerable to collapse and destruction (v. 49). It’s the difference between being wise and foolish.

It’s good to pause occasionally and do a little foundation assessment. Jesus will help us to fortify the weak places that we might stand strong in His power when the floods come.

Verse from Isaiah

“你从水中经过的时候，我必与你同在；你渡过江河的时候，水必不淹没你；你从火中行走的时候，必不会烧伤；火焰也不会在你身上烧起来。”

‭‭以赛亚书‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭

The ball drops in New York’s Times Square. The crowd counts down to Big Ben chiming. Sydney Harbor erupts in fireworks. However your city marks it, there’s something exciting about welcoming in a new year and the fresh start it brings. On New Year’s Day we push out into new waters. What friendships and opportunities might we find?

For all its excitement, though, a new year can be unsettling. None of us knows the future or what storms it may hold. Many New Year’s traditions reflect this: Fireworks were invented in China to supposedly ward off evil spirits and make a new season prosperous. And New Year’s resolutions date back to the Babylonians who made vows to appease their gods. Such acts were an attempt to make an unknown future secure.

When they weren’t making vows, the Babylonians were busy conquering people—including Israel. In time, God sent the enslaved Jews this message: “Do not fear . . . . When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1–2). Later, Jesus said something similar when He and the disciples were caught sailing in a violent storm. “Why are you so afraid?” He told them before commanding the waters to be still (Matthew 8:23–27).

Today we push out from the shore into new, uncharted waters. Whatever we face, He’s with us—and He has the power to calm the waves.