Verse from Psalms

“神啊！求你鉴察我, 知道我的心思；试验我，知道我的意念。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭139:23‬ ‭

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:23‬ ‭

Intentional weeding is the first step in removing personal sin. Thus, David prayed: “Search me, God, and know my heart. . . . See if there is any offensive way in me” (Psalm 139:23-24).

What a wise approach, to go after our sin by asking God to show it to us. He above all knows everything about us. “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me,” wrote the psalmist. “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (vv. 1-2).

“Such knowledge,” David added, “is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (v. 6). Even before a sin takes root, therefore, God can alert us to the danger. He knows our “landscape.” So when a sneaky sinful attitude tries to take root, He’s first to know and point it out

When you ask God to search your heart, what personal wrongs do you discover? How does intentional “weeding” help rid you of a relentless sin?

Verse from Ephesians

“求他按着他荣耀的丰盛，借着他的灵，用大能使你们内在的人刚强起来，”

‭‭以弗所书‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭

“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭

What's the greatest thing we can do to bless those we love in Christ Jesus? What is the most helpful thing we can do when a brother or sister in Christ, or even a whole congregation of God's people is facing a major challenge from the Evil One? What is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children or our parents as they seek to live for Jesus today? 

The apostle Paul just showed us. We can ask God to strengthen His people with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their inner being. Then we can let them know that we have prayed this for them, and that we will continue to pray it until their storm is past.

Verse from Psalms

“我投靠耶和华，你们怎么对我说：“你要像飞鸟逃到你的山上去。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭

“In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭

In Psalm 11, David’s conviction that his refuge was in God compelled him to resist suggestions to flee rather than face his foes (vv. 2-3). Six simple words comprised his statement of faith: “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1). That well-rooted conviction would guide his conduct.

David’s words in verses 4-7 amplified God’s greatness. Yes, life can sometimes be like a battlefield, and hostile fire can send us scattering for cover when we’re bombarded with health challenges or financial, relational, and spiritual stresses. So, what should we do? 

Acknowledge that God is the king of the universe (v. 4); take delight in His amazing capacity to judge with precision (vv. 5-6); and rest in His delight in what’s right, fair, and equitable (v. 7). We can run swiftly to God for shelter. 

Verse from Matthew

“对耶稣说：“你听见他们说甚么吗？”耶稣说：“我听见了。‘你从小孩和婴儿的口中，得着了赞美。’这话你们没有念过吗？””

‭‭马太福音‬ ‭21:16‬ ‭

““Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:16‬ ‭

The first Palm Sunday was a day of highs and lows. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds enthusiastically shouted, “Hosanna! . . . Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9). Yet many in the crowd were expecting a Messiah to free them from Rome, not a Savior who would die for their sins that same week.

Later that day, despite the anger of the chief priests who questioned Jesus’ authority, children in the temple expressed their joy by shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (v. 15), perhaps leaping and waving palm branches as they ran around the courtyard. 

They couldn’t help but worship Him, Jesus told the indignant leaders, for “from the lips of children and infants [God has] called forth [His] praise” (v. 16). They were in the presence of the Savior!

Jesus invites us to also see Him for who He is. When we do, like a child overflowing with joy, we can’t help but revel in His presence

Verse from Galatians

“你们因着信，在基督耶稣里都作了神的儿子。”

‭‭加拉太书‬ ‭3:26‬ ‭

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26‬ ‭

After meeting the Queen of England at a ball in Scotland, Sylvia and her husband received a message that the royal family would like to visit them for tea. Sylvia started cleaning and prepping, nervous about hosting the royal guests. Before they were due to arrive, she went outside to pick some flowers for the table, her heart racing. Then she sensed God reminding her that He’s the King of kings and that He’s with her every day. Immediately she felt peaceful and thought, “After all, it’s only the Queen!”

Sylvia is right. As the apostle Paul noted, God is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15) and those who follow Him are “children of God” (Galatians 3:26). When we belong to Christ, we’re heirs of Abraham (v. 29). We no longer are bound by division—such as that of race, social class, or gender—for we’re “all one in Christ Jesus” (v. 28). We’re children of the King.

How could holding onto this truth shape the way we live today?

Verse from Psalms

“行为完全，遵行耶和华律法的，都是有福的。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭119:1‬ ‭

“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:1‬ ‭

As Christians, we hear this passage a little differently than those who lived under the Torah, the Law of Moses. We recognize that our blamelessness comes as a gift because of Jesus' sacrificial death on the Cross (Romans 5:6-11; Colossians 1:19-22). We know we are not justified by keeping the Law (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16, 3:11, 24, 5:4). 

Instead, we are doing our absolute best to walk in the way of the Lord out of thanks for God's glorious grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8! :1-4). Doing the will of God brings us many blessings. Those blessings are not just for us in the future, but they begin right now as we live in Christ Jesus.

Verse from John

“我是好牧人，我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我，”

‭‭约翰福音‬ ‭10:14‬ ‭

““I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—”

‭‭John‬ ‭10:14‬ ‭

In the New Testament, Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, stating that His people, the sheep, will follow Him because they know His voice (John 10:4). But those same sheep will run from a stranger or thief (v. 5). Like sheep, we (God’s children) get to know the voice of our Shepherd through our relationship with Him. And as we do, we see His character and learn to trust Him.

As we grow to know and love God, we’ll be discerning of His voice and better able to run from the “the thief [who] comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10)—from those who try to deceive and draw us away from Him. Unlike those false teachers, we can trust the voice of our Shepherd to lead us to safety