The 34th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Blotted-Out Memory (By Darrell Pearson)

(Today’s devotional is written by Dr. Darrell Pearson, our regular English speaker.)

Over two decades ago a baby fell into a well in Texas, and the story quickly grabbed the attention of the nation and the world as rescuers attempted to pull “baby Jessica” from the deep well. It took 58 hours, but rescuers were successful, and the 18 month old girl escaped with surprisingly few injuries—she lost a toe, and had a permanent scar on her forehead from the ordeal. It was one of those stories that you couldn’t help following closely, hoping and praying that the child would survive the situation.

The Psalmist is number 130 begins with the image of being caught in the “depth” of despair.  “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cries for mercy.”

Every human has been in the depths of despair at one time or another, and so we easily relate to the psalm writer’s predicament. We too are overwhelmed not just by the presence of physical situations that are perilous, but the peril of our own shortcomings and sin.

3 & 4: “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who, O Lord, could stand? But with you, there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared.”  Every human being thinks about this record of wrong: the sum of those sins that are vast over one’s life. We do our best to forget them, but we can’t; we know our history, we know where we’ve come up short, and we fear that we will not be forgiven. But the good news of God does not leave us in those sins!

5 & 6: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits. And in his word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Just as a person waits in the dark, maybe fearful and afraid, but knowing the morning is coming, we know that our only true hope lies in the Lord Himself. And, of course, He delivers for us!

7 & 8: “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all her sins.” Not partial redemption, not a just a hint of daylight, not empty hope, but complete confidence that as long as one puts his or her hope in the LORD that library full of sins will be taken care of and removed. At the depth of our worst despair, we discover that in the LORD those sins are not held against us.  The story of Easter is about the redemption we experience through God’s work of redemption on the cross. Amazing!

Several weeks ago “baby” Jessica turned 25. In an interview, news reporters asked her about what she remembers from the incident so long ago. She has no memory whatsoever of her 58 hours in the depth of that well. The terrible and frightening ordeal does not live with her in the present. In the same way, we know that our sins of the past, our time in the deep wells of despair, has been removed. We live with the memory of our sins blotted out by the one who gave Himself for us.

Prayer: “O Lord, we try to forget our sins and shortcomings, but they remain with us and in our memories. Remind us of your faithfulness in redeeming us from our sinful pasts. Praise you for your redemption you offer us in Christ Jesus!”

The 33rd Day of the 40-Day Journey: A Day When Hope Is Reborn

Failure after failure, dashed dreams upon dashed dreams, wounds upon wounds, pain upon pain.  You no longer dream; you no longer attempt new things in life; you bind yourself with so much bondage that no one even knows what the person behind all the bondage looks like.

This is a day after hope has died.

This must be how Martha and Mary felt on the fourth day after their brother Lazarus had died. 

This is a day beyond any hope of life.

 (Today’s long text from John records another encounter with Jesus.  Please give yourself some space and time to read it slowly, preparing to have a personal encounter with Jesus and hear His words yourself.)

John 11

The Death of Lazarus

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when people walk at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”  45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

Lazarus was likely already dead by the time Jesus heard the news of his sickness.  Jesus stayed on for two more days and then finally went to Bethany on the fourth day.  People believed that God could act to restore life within the three days of death as the soul hovers over the body of the dead.  By fourth day, the soul departs, and there is no hope of resurrection.  Jesus arrives on the fourth day, the hopeless day.

Is there still any reason to hope?  Can hope be reborn?  Jesus’ answer is an emphatic yes:  “if you believe, you will see the glory of God.” (v40b)

The glory of God was clearly seen in the events that occurred that day outside the tomb.   When Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”, there came forth “life and liberation from the hopeless hole, on the hopeless day, amidst a hopeless crowd” (Peter Woods).  On this day, hope is reborn!

The glory of God is that Jesus now calls forth – in us – life and liberation from our bondage and desperation.

Now Jesus’ question for us is, “Do you believe this?” just as He said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (v25,26) 

In the Gospel of John, belief and faith are always verbs.  What should we do to show that we indeed believe?

First, proclaim that Jesus Christ is indeed the God who does wonders. Martha delivered one of the greatest proclamations of faith recorded anywhere in the gospels (v27), even as she was unaware of what Jesus was about to do to bring her brother back from the dead.

Secondly, obey Jesus’ call by removing whatever tombstone is imprisoning you (v39,41) and take off your grave clothes so that you can live freely from today on (v44).  In whatever area of your life that is hidden behind a tombstone, ask the help of the Holy Spirit to open up this area of your life – first by being open and honest with God and then by being open and honest with at least one other person who can help you bring this area of your life to God for healing, deliverance, and renewal.  As you live each day, immerse yourself in the Word of God and maintain communion with God through prayer throughout the day.  Then you can experience in even greater depth the new life that Jesus promised to all who follow Him!  

Go and celebrate your new life with God’s people this Palm Sunday!

The 32nd Day of the 40-Day Journey: Live in the Light (By Li-Chen Tsai)

(Today's devotional is by Dr. Li-Chen Tsai, our English/Youth coworker)

You and I were born with a sinful nature. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)

Sin means missing the mark. It is a failure to live up to God’s requirements.  The focus is in pleasing the flesh.

After we become Christians, God gives us a Helper, the Holy Spirit …“whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26). Those who accept Jesus receive the gift of the power of Holy Spirit to overcome sin.

So there are two natures living in us, one is sinful and the other spiritual.

Romans 8:5-11.

5” Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.“

The mind of sinful person and the mind of spiritual person are completely opposite.  Sin leads to death, away from God. A person controlled by Spirit will have eternal life and peace.

It is a matter of choice whom we allow to control us, especially when confronted with temptation. Will we be controlled by sin or by the Holy Spirit?

Imagine having a flashlight. Its purpose is to bring light in the darkness so we can see everything clearly and not fall as we move around.  But what good is it to have a flashlight if we don’t turn on the power?  We are going still to be in the dark even though we have a flashlight.

The Holy Spirit is our power, given to all who accepted Jesus. But the light needs to be turned on by daily communion with our living God.

“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Gal 6:8

The 30th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Let Dry Bones Come to Life

What is the hope when you are in a hopeless situation?

These Israelites had been traumatized.  They witnessed Jerusalem under siege for two years by the Babylonians, resulting in severe famine (2 King 25:3).  They remembered how the Babylonians broke through the city wall, burned the city and the temple of God, killed many people of all ages, and forced the rest into exile.  These Israelites in exile felt deserted by God and expressed their desperation with a common expression, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ (Ez 37:11) 

Where is the hope for the hopeless?

One day, God gave Ezekiel, a young priest and prophet, a vision for the hopeless Israelites.

Ezekiel 37

The Valley of Dry Bones

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, You alone know.”

4 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then He said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”

Where is the hope?  Even in a land filled with death, there is a hope for a renewed life for individuals, communities, and nations.  The sure hope is that God has the power to resurrect the dry bones and to recreate new lives. 

How does God do it?

1) God resurrects and recreates through obedient human agents.  Ezekiel had to walk among the dry bones, which would have been anathema to the Israelites (Is 66:24).  Not only so, he had to follow God’s strange commands to speak to the bones.  But he did so obediently.  Amazingly, God put the dry bones together, covered them with tendons, flesh, and skin, and breathed new breath into them. God desired Ezekiel’s participation, even though Ezekiel himself was probably as dead as the dry bones. 

How dry are the bones within you and around you?  Are you expecting miracles?  God desires our participation too, through prayers, helping hands…  And all this is done through listening to God and obeying God’s guidance humbly.

2) God resurrects and recreates through the power of the Spirit of God.  “Breath”, “wind”, and “spirit” are the same word in Hebrew.  Without the breath of the Spirit, there was no life for people for the people Ezekiel saw in the vision, even though they may have had all the physical elements:  bones, tendons, flesh, and skin.  Only after the Spirit breathed into them could they be alive and strong like a mighty army.

The same Spirit breathed into the nostrils of humanity to give them life in the Garden of Eden, raised Christ from the dead to be the first born over all creation, and gives a brand new life to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ (John 3:7,8; Romans 8:11).  The presence of the Spirit of God assures us that we are no longer orphans, and God is with us, even though our personal lives, our families, our communities, and our society sometimes may seem to be as dead as dry bones (John 14:16-18).

So come to the Lord with all your distress and despair.  Spend a few minutes to dwell in His presence, let the Spirit guide your prayer of confession and commitment.  Receive His comfort, and obey whatever guidance the Lord gives you today.

The 27th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Now I See

A group of people once were invited to descend into a mine and turn off their lights to see how dark it was.  They did, and the darkness was overwhelming.  It was darker than when you simply close your eyes.  In fact, it didn’t matter if they closed or opened their eyes.  It was darker than dark.

The world of total darkness is where many people who are blind have to live.  There is no light, no color, no visible perception of the majesty and beauty of nature or the surrounding world.  How dreadful it must be!

As dreadful as physical blindness can be, spiritual blindness is even more hopeless.  We cannot see the true meaning of life.  We stumble through life, making poor choices and wrong decisions.  We are discouraged, distressed, and diseased, yet we cannot find true healing.

Today’s text, the last text of this week, tells us the story of a person who was born blind but had an encounter with someone who gave him an amazing gift. This is one of the longest for this Lenten season, spanning the entire 9^th chapter of the Gospel of John.  So be patient and be blessed as you enjoy the word of God.

John 9:1-41


Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

1 As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”  The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God and tell the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is He, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

This man who was born blind (v20) had an encounter with Jesus.  This encounter “shattered” his world of blindness, both physically and spiritually – physically, because he could now see the beauty of this world and those he loved (v7, 25), and spiritually, because he could also “see” that Jesus was from God, was the Messiah, and was to be trusted and to be worshiped (v30-33, 36,38).  This gift of spiritual sight brought him out of his lonely world of fear and isolation into a world of courage and hope as he testified boldly to the miraculous work of God (v9-11, 15, 17, 25, 30-33), even when facing opposition and ostracism by those who were still spiritually “blind” (v18-23, 28, 29, 34,39-41).

The encounter with Jesus Christ gives us the gift of spiritual vision that transforms life, just as Jesus promised before and after his encounter with this blind man:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12)

“I have come that they (sheep) may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10)

Today, Jesus still comes to those who are in need, and He grants spiritual sight, saving faith, and abundant life to all those who ask.

Pause for a few minutes before the Lord and examine your life by asking yourself some hard questions:

1)    Where have I felt blind in my life? Perhaps you have never been able to see clearly who Jesus is.  Perhaps you have been covering your feelings of insignificance and insecurity with addictions to substances, work, “compulsive” activities, or habits.  Perhaps there are some strongholds of unforgiveness, resentment, cynicism, helplessness, or hopelessness in your life. 

2)    Where do I, along with my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, need to receive a new vision from the Lord so we may live as “children of light” and shine in this world like stars in the dark sky (Eph 5:8; Phil 2:15)?  Perhaps you need to bring calmness to the unsettled, courage to the discouraged and the fearful, comfort to those who mourn, simplicity to a life that is complicated with possessions, honesty to a world that is decaying in deception, hope to a generation whose survival depends on it….  Perhaps, the call is simply to tell others, “I was blind but now I see.” (v25)

Whatever your situation may be, you need a true encounter with Jesus.  So come to Jesus, in humility, in prayer, through the word of God, with the help of the Spirit of God.  Remember Jesus’ promise, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7)

The 26th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Living in the Light

 (This devotional is written by Li-Chen Tsai, our English/Youth co-worker.)


When we first walk in a dark room, it is very hard to see anything. But once the light is turned on, everything is visible. Nothing is hidden.

Before we knew the Lord, we were walking in darkness. The truth about Christ was hidden from us.  After we became Christians, God shines His light on us and we are filled with His knowledge. “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 Jo 1:5).

            Ephesians 5:8-14

8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—

 9 for the fruit of the light are found in all that is good and right and true. 

10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 

11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 

12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 

13  but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 

14  for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

God desires for us to live in the light. As a result, we are able to bear good fruit, doing what is right and true (v8, 9)

How do we live in the light?

First, by trying to know what pleases God (v10).  When we are pursuing a relationship with someone, it is very natural to have the desire to know everything about the person. We want to know what they like or dislike and do the things that please them.

Second, by not doing things that displeases God (v11) – staying away from sin, having no part in the works of darkness.  Just as in a friendship with another person, we naturally want to avoid doing things that offend the other person.  God’s light exposes our sin, helping us to see even those sins that are not readily apparent to us, so that we can confess the things in our lives that offend God and be cleansed of everything that would hinder our relationship with Him.

Some people think they can get away with sin as long as it is done in secret and nobody knows it.  But  “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.” (1 Cor 4:5)

Let’s respond to God’s calling! Rise up, leave darkness behind. Choose to live in the light because God is light. Christ will shine on you.

The 25th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Sacred Space

What brings you comfort in the face of terror and tragedy?  For centuries, God’s people have found comfort in today’s text, one of the most beloved psalms.

Psalm 23


1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
He leads me beside quiet waters, 
3 He refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 
I will fear no evil, 
for You are with me; 
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
6 Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

詩篇23

1（大衛的詩。）耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。

2祂使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。

3祂使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路。

4我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因為你與我同在；你的杖，你的竿，都安慰我。

5在我敵人面前，你為我擺設筵席；你用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。

6我一生一世必有恩惠慈愛隨著我；我且要住在耶和華的殿中，直到永遠。

One scholar observes that the phrase, “You are with me,” is in the middle of this poem.  There are exactly 26 Hebrew words before and after “You are with me”.  Perhaps the psalmist wants to tell us that when God being with us is the very center of our life, we have true comfort and consolation.

When God being with us is at the very center of our life,

o      we have all we need, and desires no longer control us (v1-3a).

o      we live in a godly way that brings glory to God (3b)

o      we do not fear evil even if we face the creeping laugh of death (v4,5)

o      we have the assurance of an eternal home where we can enjoy God’s goodness and love forever (v6).

“God with us” is the message of the Gospel.  “Immanuel”, God with us, is the name of Jesus Christ – God the Incarnate (Matt 1:23; John 1:14).  Before He died on the cross, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help the believers and to be with them forever (John 14:6).  After He was raised from the dead, Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission and promised that He would be with them to the end of the age (Matt 28:18-20). Today, God is with His people through the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit assures us that we are children of God (Romans 8:15-16).  The Spirit helps us to pray when we are weak.  “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26b)

How, then, do we experience “God with us” as the center of our life?

First, “God with us” can be our experience because of the grace of God.  It is God who takes the initiative.  It is a priceless gift from God.  Nothing we do can earn us this gift (Eph 2:8-9).  Jesus Christ has paid the price on the cross.

Yet, we need to get ready to receive the gift. 

For those who have never received the gift of Jesus Christ, remember that God desires to set you free from the bondage of sin.  Confess your sins before God, acknowledge that only Jesus can cleanse your sin and save you, live as the Spirit guides you, and trust that God will be with you all your life.

For us who are Christians, it means spring cleaning and making a sacred space for the holy God.  It means exposing the dark corners of our hearts and lives by confessing our sins to at least one other person.  It means clearing out the clutters - those habits, tendencies, routines, relationships… that are not immoral in themselves but consume us so completely that we no longer have desire, space, or time for our Lord.

Are you ready for God to be with you?

Let’s pray,

Spirit of God, thank You for the assurance that we are the sheep of Your pasture and children of God!  Search me, cleanse me, and guide me so that my heart can be a sacred space for You to dwell, as I walk through the earth to my eternal home.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 24th Day of the 40-Day Journey: God works ‘outside the box’

How do we choose leaders?  We choose according to certain criteria.  Leaders need specific qualities – some natural and some acquired.

How does God choose individuals to be leaders of His people?  In these verses that record how David was anointed as king, we learn that God chooses people in ways that surprise even the most intelligent.

Saul, the first king of Israel, was disobedient to God’s command and was rejected by God as king (1 Sam 15:22-23).  Then Samuel, the prophet of Israel, set out to choose another king.

1 Samuel 16:1-13


1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”  2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”  The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”  5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” 

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”  Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.  Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”  13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came on David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

We often choose according to a specific order, in this case, birth order.  Even today, we expect the first born to be the king.  Prince William has priority over Prince Harry as the future British king.

We choose according to appearances and accomplishments.  Saul was the tallest in Israel.  We continue to allow appearances to influence our choices.  According to a sociological study, most executives are tall and handsome.

But God surprises us at times.  God often makes out-of-order choices.  He chose Issac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau.  When choosing the future king of Israel from among Jesse’s sons, God didn't choose Eliab, who was tall and good-looking, the eldest son of Jesse.  Nor did He choose any of the other six older sons.  Instead, God chose David, the youngest one, the one whom even his own dad did not remember to include in the selection process being conducted by Samuel.  God often chooses the least likely, the least significant, the forgotten.

We like to put God in a box.  We want to be sure that we know how God works in this world.  Yet God is not a god-in-a-box. God doesn’t work according to human preferences, regulations, or standards.  The Spirit moves and works like the wind, according to God’s own will (Jn 3:8).

What does that mean to us?

First, it teaches us to be humble whenever we are presumptuous to think we fully know the will of God.  None of us truly knows what is in someone else’s heart; in fact, we seldom fully know what is in our own heart.  Only God truly sees our heart.  Listen to the Lord and always be ready to be changed by the Spirit.

Secondly, it reminds us to prepare new wineskins for new wine (Mark 2:22).  We simply cannot cling to old traditions, regulations, or standards.  We need to have a new paradigm for God’s new work.  It may be disturbing and fearful at times when we feel that things are out of control.  But we are comforted to know that God is sovereign and will accomplish what He desires.

Thirdly, it assures us an exciting pilgrim journey of faith.  With a God who enjoys to do new things in this world, our journey on earth will not be a boring one.  As we walk with a God who loves us with an everlasting love, our journey to eternity is also a secure one with a destiny that is certain.

Let’s pray,

Dear Lord, I thank You that you do not work according to human ways, because Your ways are so much higher than my ways, and Your thoughts than my thoughts.  Please continually fill me with Your Spirit, so that I will always be ready to embrace Your leading and Your work in my life, for the glory of Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

The 20th Day of the 40-Day Journey: True Hope

Friedrich Nietzsche has a famous quote: “Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man.”  Do you agree?  I would say, it depends on what you are hoping for.  False hope brings humiliation and disappointment and prolongs the torment.  True hope should not.  But is there a true hope?

Yes!  In his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul tells us that there is a hope that does not disappoint us or put us to shame.

Romans 5

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

This hope that does not bring us disappointment or shame is the hope of the glory of God (v2b).  No matter how weak, ungodly, or aimless we were or are, God’s divine character will be instilled in us (8:17, 18, 21, 30).

How can we be sure that this hope is true?

First, God’s grace initiated it (v1-3).  We gain this hope not by our achievements but through Jesus Christ.  It is God who has been striving to reach us and give us the gift.  The hope through Jesus Christ comes to us through the grace of God.

Second, believers’ lives prove it (v3,4).  We no longer have to fear suffering; instead, we can boast in the trials and tribulations that afflict us in this present evil age.  In the storms of life, we are made stronger, transformed by God, and gain proven character.  Without dark nights, there would be no bright morning dawn.  Without the suffering on Good Friday, there would be no glorious Easter Sunday.  Against all odds, suffering produces in us more hope, because even though we are still imperfect, God will complete what He has started in us until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6).

Finally, Christ’s love confirms it (v5-8).  In times of torment and despair, the Spirit of God speaks to us and reminds us of Christ’s death and God’s unyielding love for us.  We find the authentication of our hope in the love of God.  As God’s children who are secure in the love of God, we dare to hope even in the midst of sufferings!

Let’s pray,

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace in Christ so that we can rejoice in our true hope of a glorious future, even in the midst of our present sufferings.  Always remind us of the love You have shown us in Christ so that we can have the firm assurance of this hope.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!