Verse from Philippians

“我靠着那加给我能力的，凡事都能作。”

腓立比书 4:13

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

Many of us have grown soft and spoiled because of all the conveniences that we have allowed into our lives. 

Could we honor God with our praises and thanksgivings if these conveniences were to suddenly vanish? Are we relying on our own strengths or on His strength? 

May we be able to live with the assurance that we can withstand any situation with the help of Christ.

Verse from Ephesians

“我们原是神所作成的，是在基督耶稣里创造的，为的是要我们行各样的善事，就是神预先所安排的。”

以弗所书 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10

David was struck by a phrase he heard quoted from a contemporary Bible translation. When he Googled the phrase “our way of life” to locate the passage, many of the results focused on things people felt were threatening their expected way of living. Prominent among the perceived threats were climate change, terrorism, and government policies.

What really is our way of life as followers of Jesus? He wondered. Is it what makes us comfortable, secure, and happy, or is it something more?

Paul reminded the Christians in Ephesus of the remarkable way God had transformed their lives. “God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5 nrsv). The result is that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (v. 10 nrsv).

Doing good works, helping others, giving, loving, and serving in Jesus’s name—these are to be our way of life. They are not optional activities for believers, but the very reason God has given us life in Christ.

In a changing world, God has called and empowered us to pursue a life that reaches out to others and honors Him.

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Verse from 2 Corinthians

“如果有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已经过去，你看，都变成新的了！”

哥林多后书 5:17

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Chris Baker is a tattoo artist who transforms symbols of pain and enslavement into works of art. Many of his clients are former gang members and victims of human trafficking who have been marked with identifying names, symbols, or codes. Chris transforms these into beautiful art by tattooing over them with new images.

Jesus does for the soul what Chris Baker does for the skin—He takes us as we are and transforms us. The Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 nlt). Before knowing Christ, we follow our desires wherever they lead us, and our lifestyles reflect this. When we repent and begin to walk with Christ, the passions and pitfalls that once dominated our lives are the “old life” (1 Cor. 6:9–11) that fades away as we are transformed. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18).

Still, life as a “new person” isn’t always easy. It can take time to disconnect from old habits. We may struggle with ideas that were foundational to our old way of life. Yet over time, God’s Holy Spirit works in us, giving us inner strength and an understanding of Christ’s love. As God’s beautiful new creations, we’re free to leave the past behind. 

Verse from Hebrews

“因此，我们必须更加密切注意所听过的道理，免得我们随流失去。”

希伯来书 2:1

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

Hebrews 2:1

At the end of one school semester, Lawrence and his wife picked up their daughter from her school 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. On their way back home they detoured to a nearby beach resort for snacks. While enjoying their time there, they watched the boats at the seashore. Usually they are anchored to prevent them from drifting away, but he noticed one boat drifting unhindered among the others—slowly and steadily making its way out to sea.

As they drove home, he reflected on the timely caution given to believers in the book of Hebrews: "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (Heb. 2:1). We have good reason to stay close. The author of Hebrews says that while the Mosaic law was reliable and needed to be obeyed, the message of the Son of God is far superior. Our salvation is  “so great” in Jesus that He shouldn’t be ignored (v. 3).

Drifting in our relationship with God is hardly noticeable at first; it happens gradually. However, spending time talking with Him in prayer and reading His Word, confessing our wrongs to Him, and interacting with other followers of Jesus can help us stay anchored in Him. As we connect with the Lord regularly, He will be faithful to sustain us, and we can avoid drifting away.

To avoid drifting away from God, stay anchored to the Rock.

Verse from 1 Peter

“照样，你们作丈夫的，也要合情合理的与妻子同住。要体谅她比你软弱，要尊敬她，因为她是和你一同承受生命的恩典的。这样，就使你们的祷告不受拦阻。”

彼得前书 3:7

“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

1 Peter 3:7

When the minister asked one of his elders to lead the congregation in prayer, the man shocked everyone. “I’m sorry, Pastor,” he said, “but I’ve been arguing with my wife all the way to church, and I’m in no condition to pray.” The next moment was awkward. The minister prayed. The service moved on. Later, the pastor vowed never to ask anyone to pray publicly without first asking privately.

That man demonstrated astonishing honesty in a place where hypocrisy would have been easier. But there is a larger lesson about prayer here. God is a loving Father. If I as a husband do not respect and honor my wife—a cherished daughter of God—why would her heavenly Father hear my prayers?

The apostle Peter made an interesting observation about this. He instructed husbands to treat their wives with respect and as equal heirs in Christ “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7). The underlying principle is that our relationships affect our prayer life.

What would happen if we exchanged the Sunday smiles and the façade of religiosity for refreshing honesty with our brothers and sisters? What might God do through us when we pray and learn to love each other as we love ourselves?

Father, 

You love all of Your children, 

but so often we fight and disagree. 

Help us learn to interact with love and respect in all our relationships so the world will see the difference You make. 

Teach us to pray.

Verse from Psalms

“他把我从荒芜的坑里，从泥沼中拉上来；他使我的脚站在盘石上，又使我的脚步稳定。”

诗篇 40:2

“He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”

Psalms 40:2

The historic riverwalk area of Savannah, Georgia, is paved with mismatched cobblestones. Local residents say that centuries ago the stones provided ballast for ships as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. When cargo was loaded in Georgia, the ballast stones were no longer needed, so they were used to pave the streets near the docks. Those stones had accomplished their primary job—stabilizing the ship through dangerous waters.

The days in which we live can feel as turbulent as the high seas. Like sailing ships of old, we need stability to help us navigate our way through the storms of life. David faced danger as well, and he celebrated the character of God for providing him with stability after he had endured a desperate time. He declared, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit; out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand” (Ps. 40:2). David’s experience was one of conflict, personal failure, and family strife, yet God gave him a place to stand. So David sang “a hymn of praise to our God” (v. 3).

In times of difficulty, we too can look to our powerful God for the stability only He brings. His faithful care inspires us to say with David, “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us” (v. 5). 

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness; 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, 

but wholly lean on Jesus’s name. 

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand—all other ground is sinking sand. Edward Mote

When the world around us is crumbling, Christ is the solid Rock on which we stand.

Insight 

Psalm 40 is a beautiful song of thanksgiving to God for His deliverance. The key to understanding and appreciating this psalm is seen in the simplicity of the opening words. David knows and celebrates the deliverance of the Lord because he “waited patiently” for Him (v. 1). In our times of trial and struggle, we want to be delivered quickly and in ways that are simple to see. But David reminds us that God’s deliverance comes in God’s timing. We, like David, must wait patiently for the Lord if we are to see His wonders (v. 5).

Verse from Hebrews

...“我决不撇下你，也不离弃你。””

希伯来书 13:5

..."I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"”

Hebrews 13:5

The writer to the Hebrews comforted his readers by quoting Deuteronomy 31:6, where God told His people: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). In the darkest moments of life, the assurance of His loving presence gives us confidence that we are not alone. He gives us the grace to endure, the wisdom to know He is working, and the assurance that Christ can “empathize with our weaknesses” (4:15).

Together let’s embrace the blessing of His loving presence so we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (13:6).

Lord, 

thank You for the promise that You will never leave me. 

May the reality of Your constant supporting presence fill my heart with comfort, confidence, and courage.

There is peace in the presence of God.