Verse from 1 Samuel

“扫罗的儿子约拿单起身，到何列斯去见大卫，鼓励他，使他靠神坚强起来，”

‭‭撒母耳记上‬ ‭23:16‬ ‭

“And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭23:16‬ ‭

In 1925, Langston Hughes, an aspiring writer working as a busboy at a hotel, discovered that a poet he admired (Vachel Lindsey) was staying there as a guest. Hughes shyly slipped Lindsey some of his own poetry, which Lindsey later praised enthusiastically at a public reading. Lindsey’s encouragement resulted in Hughes receiving a university scholarship, furthering him on his way to his own successful writing career.

A little encouragement can go a long way, especially when God is in it. Scripture tells of an incident when David was on the run from King Saul, who was trying “to take his life.” Saul’s son Jonathan sought David out “and helped him find strength in God. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel’ ” (1 Samuel 23:15–17).

Jonathan was right. David would be king. The key to the effective encouragement Jonathan offered is found in the simple phrase “in God” (v. 16). Through Jesus, God gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). As we humble ourselves before Him, He lifts us as no other can.

All around us are people who need the encouragement God gives. If we seek them out as Jonathan sought David and gently point them to God through a kind word or action, He’ll do the rest. Regardless of what this life may hold, a bright future in eternity awaits those who trust in Him.

Verse from 1 Peter

“你们要作神各样恩赐的好管家，各人照着所领受的恩赐彼此服事。”

‭‭彼得前书‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭

In 2013, British actor David Suchet was filming the final TV episodes as Agatha Christie’s beloved Belgian detective Hercule Poirot—and also starring in a stage play—when he took on “the biggest role in [his] life.” Between those projects he recorded an audio version of the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation—752,702 words—over two hundred hours.

Suchet, who became a believer in Jesus after reading the book of Romans in a Bible he found in a hotel room, called the project the fulfillment of “a 27-year-long ambition. I felt totally driven. I did so much research on every part of it that I couldn’t wait to get going.” Then he donated his wages.

His recording remains an inspiring example of how to glorify God by stewarding a gift, then sharing it. Peter urged such stewardship in his letter to first-century believers. Persecuted for worshiping Jesus, not Caesar, they were challenged to focus instead on living for God by nurturing their spiritual gifts. “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11). Like all gifts, we can develop them “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Suchet offered his talents to God. We can do the same. Whatever God has given to you, manage it well for His glory.

Verse from Ephesians

“借着各样的祷告和祈求，随时在圣灵里祈祷，并且要在这事上恒久警醒，为众圣徒祈求。”

‭‭以弗所书‬ ‭6:18‬ ‭

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:18‬ ‭

Paul’s instructions on prayer in Ephesians 6:18–20 addressed the reality of spiritual warfare and the Ephesian believers’ need for spiritual armor. The spiritual conflict before them was made all the more daunting because of the rampant idolatry and occult practices that prevailed in their community (see Acts 19:19, 25–27). 

In Ephesians 6:10–17, the apostle described for this church family the challenges they faced and the resources available to them. Nevertheless, even with the elements of spiritual armor in place, Paul made it clear that prayer is a key component for living out their faith in such a harsh place. In battling spiritual forces, we need to enlist the aid of the greatest spiritual power in the universe—the true and living God Himself.

Verse from Proverbs

“心里平静，可使身体健康；但嫉妒能使骨头朽烂。”

‭‭箴言‬ ‭14:30‬ ‭

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:30‬ ‭

Envy is an easy trap to fall into. It feeds on our deepest vulnerabilities, wounds, and fears, whispering that if we were only more like so-and-so, we wouldn’t be struggling, and we wouldn’t be feeling bad.

As Peter reminded new believers in 1 Peter 2, the only way to “rid [ourselves]” of the lies that envy tells us is to be deeply rooted in the truth, to “have tasted”—deeply experienced—“that the Lord is good” (vv. 1–3). We can “love one another deeply, from the heart” (1:22) when we know the true source of our joy—“the living and enduring word of God” (v. 23).

We can surrender comparison when we remember who we really are—beloved members of “a chosen people, . . . God’s special possession.” We're called “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (2:9).

Verse from Isaiah

“主耶和华的灵在我身上，因为耶和华膏了我， 叫我传福音给困苦的人；差遣我去医治伤心的人，向被掳的宣告自由，向被囚的宣告释放；”

‭‭以赛亚书‬ ‭61:1‬ ‭

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1‬ ‭

Jesus read from Isaiah 61 not long after He began His public ministry (Luke 4:18–19). Then He proclaimed to an astonished synagogue audience in Nazareth, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). 

Interestingly, as He read Isaiah, Christ stopped before the last part of Isaiah 61:2, which reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” This omission was surely intentional. Jesus was likely signaling two things: He was declaring Himself to be the long-awaited One, and He was informing the people this wasn’t a time for judgment. 

It was the time for proclaiming good news, setting captives free, and comforting the brokenhearted. Salvation had arrived.

Verse from Ephesians

“这样看来，你们不再是外人和客旅，而是与圣徒一同作国民，是神家里的人了，”

‭‭以弗所书‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭

“So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭

Downton Abbey was a popular British television drama that followed the fictional Crawley family as they navigated a changing social structure in early 1900s England. One of the key characters, Tom Branson, initially worked as the family’s chauffeur before shocking everyone by marrying the youngest Crawley daughter. Following a period of exile, the young couple returned to Downton Abbey and Tom became part of the family, gaining access to rights and privileges he had been denied as an employee.

We were once considered “foreigners and strangers” (Ephesians 2:19) and excluded from the rights given to those who are part of God’s family. But because of Jesus, all believers, regardless of their background, are reconciled to God and called “members of his household” (v. 19).

Being a member of God’s family brings incredible rights and privileges. We can “approach God with freedom and confidence” (3:12) and enjoy unlimited, unhindered access to God. We become part of a larger family, a community of faith to support and encourage us (2:19–22). Members of God’s family have the privilege of helping each other grasp the enormity of God’s lavish love (3:18).

Fear or doubt could easily make us feel like an outsider, keeping us from fully accessing the benefits of being part of God’s family. But hear and embrace once more the reality of God’s free and generous gifts of love (2:8–10) and bask in the wonder of being His.

Verses from Proverbs

“孩子们，现在要听从我，不可离弃我口中的话。你的道路要远离她，不可走近她的家门；”

‭‭箴言‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭

“Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭

Doors can lead us to wonderful places—or dangerous ones. A door features prominently in Solomon’s advice in Proverbs 5 on avoiding sexual temptation. While sexual sin may be enticing, he says, trouble awaits if it’s pursued (5:3–6). Best to stay far from it, for if you walk through that door you’ll be trapped, your honor lost, your wealth pecked away by strangers (vv. 7–11). 

Solomon counsels us to enjoy the intimacy of our own spouse instead (vv. 15–20). His advice can apply to sin more broadly too (vv. 21–23). 

Whether it’s the temptation to overeat, overspend, or something else, God can help us to avoid the door that leads to entrapment.