The Inner Voice

April 1, 2021 (Thursday)
Being a Servant

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

– John 13:14-17

Memory Verse: “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
                           
Washing others’ feet means to serve them. We take a position of being a servant. Jesus taught us the beauty of living a life of servanthood. When we treat others with the attitude of serving them, we can understand them much better. Love is not to rule over but to serve.
 
Lord, thank you for teaching me the beauty of serving others. Amen.

April 2, 2021 (Friday)
In Times of Trouble

“I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
   it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
   you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
   a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shrivelled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
   and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
   O my help, come quickly to my aid!”

– Psalm 22:14-19

Memory Verse: “But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
   O my help, come quickly to my aid!” (Psalm 22:19)
                           
We have to seek God in times of trouble. When we suffer, we should cry out to God. We will experience the helping hands of God. Our Lord Jesus walked through the path of suffering, looking to God. God gave him the power to overcome his suffering. Let us look to God and take up our cross and follow Jesus
 
I cry out to you in times of trouble. Please help me, oh Lord. Amen.

April 3, 2021 (Saturday)
Suffering and Love

“The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

– 1 Peter 4:7-8

Memory Verse: “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
                           
Jesus suffered because he loved us. We suffer because of love. Our suffering becomes the most beautiful thing when we do it because of love. Because we love, we cover their sins. Because we love, we are patient. Because we love, we endure. Let us meditate on Jesus’ love when we meditate on his suffering.
 
Lord, fill me with your love. Amen.

April 4, 2021 (Sunday)
Death Has Died

“But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

– Romans 6:8-11

Memory Verse: “But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8)
                           
Death gives us fear. Death brings darkness to us. Death takes the power away from us. But we have already died with Christ. That means we have left the matter of death with Christ. Now death cannot have control over us anymore. Our death has been crucified with Christ on the cross. Let us allow the life of Christ to take control over us.
 
Lord, help me to live with the life of Christ given to us. Amen.

April 5, 2021 (Monday)
The Path of Life

“I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit.
You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.”

– Psalm 16:8-11

Memory Verse: “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
                           
God shows us the path of life every day. God leads us into that path. When we follow the path of life, our life will be full of joy and eternal pleasures. Let us seek the path of life God shows us and follow it. Our life will be brightened up.
 
Lord, help me to seek the path of life given to us. Amen.

April 6, 2021 (Tuesday)
God’s Righteousness

“For the word of the Lord is upright,
   and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

– Psalm 33:4-5

Memory Verse: “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5)
                           
God loves righteousness and justice. God moves according to his righteousness and justice. Let us empty our false desires hidden within us. Let us seek God’s justice. God will work within our lives. God will give us the power and the wisdom. God will fill us with his steadfast love.
 
Lord, help me to live my life, meditating on your righteousness. Amen.

April 7, 2021 (Wednesday)
Silver or Gold

“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

– Acts 3:1-10

Memory Verse: “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)
                           
What we need is not silver or gold. What we need is the power of God that raises us up. Let us ask for God’s power. Silver or gold will be with us for a while and disappear but the power of God will be with us forever and keep us strong.
 
Lord, raise me up with your power. Amen.

April 8, 2021 (Thursday)
God’s Glory

“O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
   to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
   and crowned them with glory and honour.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

– Psalm 8

Memory Verse: “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8)
                           
The world manifests God’s glory. Sun, moon, and stars reveal God’s majestic glory. The universe is an embodiment of God’s glory. Among all creations, God created human beings just a little lower than God and put his glory in them. Let us reveal God’s glory in our words, in our actions, in our attitudes, and in every aspect of our lives. 
 
Lord, reveal your glory through me. Amen.

April 9, 2021 (Friday)
God Is On My Side

“With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
   What can mortals do to me?
The Lord is on my side to help me;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in mortals.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes.”

– Psalm 118:6-9

Memory Verse: “With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)
                           
When we say, “God is on my side”, we do not mean that God shows favoritism to us. It means God knows us and our situations. Not only he knows us but he also accepts us and helps us. We don’t need to seek after people’s approval and help. It is better to trust God than mere mortals.  
 
Lord, help me to fear you rather than mere mortals. Amen.

April 10, 2021 (Saturday)
Eternal Life

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”

– John 11:25-26

Memory Verse: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25, 26)
                           
Jesus said those who believe in him would never die. This gives us tremendous power. When we believe in this, we can live our life with confidence. No one or nothing in the world can give us this kind of promise. It is a very special and unique promise Jesus gave to us. Let us not doubt but believe in Jesus’ promise and hold unto it.
 
Lord, thank you for the eternal life. Amen.

April 11, 2021 (Sunday)
Confession

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

– 1 John 1:5-10

Memory Verse: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
                           
Not knowing our own sins is to be in the darkness. When we come to the light, we can see our own sins. If we let guilt and self-condemnation take us over, we will fall into deeper darkness. But if we confess our sins, trusting God’s mercifulness, we will experience the light. 
 
Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins. Amen.

April 12, 2021 (Monday)
Life of Being Born of the Spirit

“Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”

– John 3:1-10

Memory Verse: “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:5)
                           
Let us leave our life in the hands of the Holy Spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is always with us and helps us. If we need the wisdom, the Spirit will give us the wisdom. If we need the power to go on, the Spirit will give us the power. When we depend on the Holy Spirit, we can march through the challenges of life. When we completely surrender ourselves to the Spirit, we will experience the Kingdom of God. That is the life of being born of the Spirit.
 
Lord, thank you for the Holy Spirit. Amen.

April 13, 2021 (Tuesday)
Space and Time

“The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
   the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
your throne is established from of old;
   you are from everlasting.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
   the floods have lifted up their voice;
   the floods lift up their roaring.
More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
   more majestic than the waves of the sea,
   majestic on high is the Lord!
Your decrees are very sure;
   holiness befits your house,
   O Lord, for evermore.”

– Psalm 93

Memory Verse: “Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” (Psalm 93:2)
                           
Space and time are in God’s control. The very God loves us and keeps us safe even though we exist in the limits of space and time. The space will not be able to destroy us and the time harm us. When God is with us, our space becomes a beautiful place and our time precious.
 
Lord, thank you for keeping me safe. Amen.

April 14, 2021 (Wednesday)
Love and Salvation

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

– John 3:16-21

Memory Verse: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)
                           
Jesus came to the world not to condemn it but to save it through him. Jesus showed us the way to salvation. Jesus showed us how the humanity may be able to survive and thrive. Jesus showed us the way to live in peace and harmony. The essence of Jesus’ teaching was to love one another as God has loved us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
 
Lord, help me to follow the way of love as you have taught me. Amen.

April 15, 2021 (Thursday)
Happiness

“Two things I ask of you;
   do not deny them to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
   give me neither poverty nor riches;
   feed me with the food that I need,
or I shall be full, and deny you,
   and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I shall be poor, and steal,
   and profane the name of my God.”

– Proverbs 30:7-9

Memory Verse: “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need.” (Proverbs 30:8)
                           
Forgetting God because we are rich or complaining to God because we are poor is not what happy life is all about. God will provide us with what we need. Let us work hard honestly and wait on God. Our joy and gratitude will be restored in our lives.
 
Lord, thank you for providing me with what I need. Amen.

April 16, 2021 (Friday)
Praise

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
   for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
   until the destroying storms pass by.
I cry to God Most High,
   to God who fulfils his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me,
   he will put to shame those who trample on me.
          Selah
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
 
I lie down among lions
   that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
   their tongues sharp swords.
 
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
   Let your glory be over all the earth.
 
They set a net for my steps;
   my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
   but they have fallen into it themselves.
          Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
   my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
   Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
   I will awake the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
   I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
   your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
 
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
   Let your glory be over all the earth.”

– Psalm 57

Memory Verse: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody.” (Pslam 57:7)
                           
We don’t praise God when things are going well. We praise God when life is hard and difficult and therefore it is hard to praise. We praise God not because we feel good. We praise God because we can overcome darkness through our praise. Let us praise God. Let us do it more so when life is hard.
 
Lord, I praise you. Amen.

April 17, 2021 (Saturday)
Storm

“When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.”

– John 16:16-21

Memory Verse: “It is I; do not be afraid.” (John 16:20)
                           
There is a time when life is difficult. We sometimes encounter life’s storms. Let us not be afraid. That is the time when we can meet the Lord who is in the storm. When we invite him in our life, we can continue our journey. We will be able to get to where we were planning to go.
 
Lord, help me not to be afraid when I meet life’s storms. Amen.

April 18, 2021 (Sunday)
Joy and Peace

“You have put gladness in my heart
   more than when their grain and wine abound.
I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
   for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.”

– Psalm 4:7-8

Memory Verse: “I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)
                           
We all need joy and peace. God gave us peace and joy as gifts. This joy is greater than the joy of abundant grain and wine. This peace gives us a good sleep. These are not what we can make on our own. These are gifts of God given to us when we believe in God. Let us believe in God. The quality of our life will change.
 
Lord, thank you for giving me joy and peace as gifts. Amen.

April 19, 2021 (Monday)
God’s Work

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’”

– John 6:27-29

Memory Verse: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
                           
God’s works are not limited to certain kinds of work such as religious activities. Whatever we do, if we do it, believing in God, it becomes God’s work. Even the ordinary works become God’s amazing works and fulfill God’s will when we do them, believing in God.
 
Lord, help me to do everything, believing in you. Amen.

April 20, 2021 (Tuesday)
Come To the Lord

“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

– John 6:37-40

Memory Verse: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)
                           
Coming to the Lord itself is a spiritual act. It is by God’s grace that we can come to the Lord. We cannot come to the Lord all by ourselves. Whoever comes to the Lord, Jesus will never drive away, he promised. It is God’s will that all who come to Jesus will not be lost and will be raised up on the last day. Let us come to the Lord.
 
Lord, thank you for your grace that allows me to come to you. Amen.

April 21, 2021 (Wednesday)
God Listens To Our Prayer

“I cried aloud to him,
   and he was extolled with my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
   the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
   he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
 
Blessed be God,
   because he has not rejected my prayer
   or removed his steadfast love from me.”

– Psalm 66:17-20

Memory Verse: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18)
                           
If we had iniquity in our heart, God would not have listened to our prayers and accepted our worship. But God listened to our prayers and accepted our worship. That means God has forgiven our sins. Let us not live in guilt but come to the Lord with boldness. God will forgive our sins and answer our prayers.

Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins and listening to my prayers. Amen.

April 22, 2021 (Thursday)
Drawing Us Closer To God

“No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.”

– John 6:44-45

Memory Verse: “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.” (John 6:44)
                           
The ultimate purpose of learning about God is to come to God. It is not about having more knowledge about God. Jesus taught us about God so that we can come to God. Let us pay attention to what Jesus taught us about God. We will realize that God reveals himself to those whom he loves. God teaches them, and draws them closer to him. When we come to God, he will raise us up.
 
Lord, thank you for your grace of drawing me closer to you. Amen.

April 23, 2021 (Friday)
Peace

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”

– Ephesians 2:13-14

Memory Verse: “For he is our peace.” (Ephesians 2:14)
                          
Jesus is our peace. Whoever is in Christ pursues peace. This world is divided. Racially we are divided. Countries are divided. Even our families are divided. Divisiveness is what we experience daily. We have greed within us and this greed produces anger and hatred. We wish that God would take away the greed within us and establishes his justice.
 
Lord, please grant me a loving heart that pursues peace. Amen.

April 24, 2021 (Saturday)
Inner Being

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

– Ephesians 3:14-19

Memory Verse: “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:16)
                           
Our inner being has to be strengthened. Our inner being is like a root of a tree. When the root is strong, the tree will stand strong. In winter, it will lose its leaves and only naked branches will remain. But if the root is strong, it will come alive when the spring comes. It will be full of leaves and its fruit. The root will not grow overnight. When we live our lives with faith, having hope in God, it will grow deeper and wider. That is how we become a bigger person.

O Spirit, please strengthen my inner being. Amen.

April 25, 2021 (Sunday)
The Good Shepherd

“‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”

– John 10:11-15

Memory Verse: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)
                           
The good shepherd knows us. Even though he knew our sins, he didn’t condemn us but sacrificed for us. It was because he knew our needs more deeply than our sins. It is deeper knowledge to know one’s needs than his/her sins. It is the knowledge of love. Let us live life as the good shepherd lived. That is how the sheep follow the shepherd.
 
Lord, thank you for being my good shepherd. Amen.

April 26, 2021 (Monday)
The Discipline of Listening

“The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
   but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.”

– Proverbs 15:28

Memory Verse: “The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.” (Proverbs 15:28)
                           
Righteous people train their listening ears. The wisdom of life will be theirs. Let us carefully pay attention to what is going on. We will be able to hear many things that are important. Let us not speak whatever is on our lips. Let us ponder what to speak. We will be able to speak words that are necessary and edifying.
 
Lord, open my ears so that I may listen. Amen.

April 27, 2021 (Tuesday)
Learning

“Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
   but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
   and humility goes before honour.”

– Proverbs 15:32-33

Memory Verse: “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility goes before honour.” (Proverbs 15:33)
                           
We have to live with a desire to learn. The more we learn, the more we realize that there are so many things to learn. Fools do not appreciate learning because they don’t even know what they don’t know. The fear of the Lord gives us the desire to learn and that is the wisdom.
 
Lord, help me to come to you with a desire to learn. Show me your will. Amen.

April 28, 2021 (Wednesday)
The Blessed World

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face to shine upon us,
          Selah
that your way may be known upon earth,
   your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.
 
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
   for you judge the peoples with equity
   and guide the nations upon earth.
          Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.
 
The earth has yielded its increase;
   God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
   let all the ends of the earth revere him.”

– Psalm 67

Memory Verse: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” (Psalm 67:4)
                           
God loves all peoples. Extreme nationalism is not God’s will. Wealthy countries should help the countries in need. When we live our lives with the desire to share with each other, we will not be in want. God will bless us and all nations will experience the abundance God provides.
 
Lord, help countries to share their resources with each other. Amen.

April 29, 2021 (Thursday)
Wise Life

“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

– Ephesians 5:15-17

Memory Verse: “So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17)
                           
We have to be careful how we live. We can easily fall into the environment we are in. If we live mindlessly, we will be influenced by our circumstances and will lose the ability to discern God’s will. Let us meditate on God’s will every day. God will keep us safe and make our life meaningful and abundant. God will give us peace and joy. God will empower us to do what we ought to do.
 
Lord, please show me your will. Amen.

April 30, 2021 (Friday)
God’s Immense World

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

– John 14:1-3

Memory Verse: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
                           
God’s world is immense. There are many dwelling-places for us. The world we live in is not the whole world. We have to enter into God’s expansive world from our small world. Let us believe in God. Our life will become bigger. Take a deep breath. Do not worry about anything and leave ourselves in God’s hands. God will lead us into his magnificent world.
 
Lord, please open your world to me. Amen.

March 1, 2021 (Monday)
Be Good To Others

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

– Luke 6:36-38 

Memory Verse: “For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38)
                           
What we do for others will be what we will get. If we are merciful, we will get mercy. If we forgive others, we will be forgiven. If we give, it will be given to us. But if we judge, we will be judged. If we condemn, we will be condemned. If we don’t give, we won’t experience life’s abundance. With God’s mercy, let us be merciful to others.
 
Lord, be merciful to me. Amen.

 March 2, 2021 (Tuesday)
The Burden of Our Sins

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

– Isaiah 1:16-18 

Memory Verse: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
                           
We cannot forgive ourselves for our sins but we can let down our sins before God. Living with guilt leads us into deeper darkness. When we let our sins be known to God, God is merciful and he will forgive us. Even though our sins are like scarlet, God will make them white as snow. Let us come and leave our burdens before God. God will lift our burdens off our shoulders.
 
Lord, cleanse me from my sins. Amen.

 March 3, 2021 (Wednesday)
Life of Serving

“While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

– Matthew 20:17-28 

Memory Verse: “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:27)
                           
There is beauty in serving others. Serving is not about what we do; it is about who we are. As we live our lives, serving others, serving becomes our lifestyle. Let us live our lives with the desire to serve. It will shape within us a serving attitude. Then whatever we do, it will serve the needs of others. That is life of serving.
 
Lord, help me always be mindful of serving. Amen.

 March 4, 2021 (Thursday)
Trust in the Lord

“Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
   and make mere flesh their strength,
   whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
   and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
   in an uninhabited salt land.
 
 
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
   whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
   sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
   and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
   and it does not cease to bear fruit.”

– Jeremiah 17:5-8 

Memory Verse: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:7)
                           
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. Let us always trust in the Lord. God will give us necessary wisdom. With the wisdom, we can make important decisions in life. God will provide us with what we need. If we need health, he will provide it. If we need friends, he will provide them. If we need help, he will provide it. Let us not worry about anything, but trust in the Lord.
 
Lord, help me always trust in you. Amen.

March 5, 2021 (Friday)
Eternal God

“Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you endure;
   they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall live secure;
   their offspring shall be established in your presence.”

– Psalm 102:25-28 

Memory Verse: “You are the same, and your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:27)
                           
The earth and the heavens will perish. They will wear out like old clothing and pass away. Our enjoyable moments are only for a short while. Even in this short span of time, we waste our time, fighting, hating each other, and getting angry. Why do we waste our precious time and energy, doing such unnecessary things? God is always the same and he is eternal. Let us stand humbly before the eternal God. He will teach us how to live our lives.
 
Lord, help me live my life loving more. Amen.

March 6, 2021 (Saturday)
Forgiving God

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
   and passing over the transgression
   of the remnant of your possession?
He does not retain his anger for ever,
   because he delights in showing clemency.
He will again have compassion upon us;
   he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our sins
   into the depths of the sea.”

– Micah 7:18-19 

Memory Verse: “You are the same, and your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:27)
                         
Our sins are our weaknesses. They make us vulnerable. God does not use our sins to abuse and manipulate us. God loves us. When he sees our sins, he has compassion. Instead of condemning us, God treads our iniquities under foot and casts our sins into the depths of the sea. God does not let our sins come alive. God takes away the power of our sins. Let us praise God who binds our sins.
 
Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins. Amen.

March 7, 2021 (Sunday)
God’s Wisdom

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”

– 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 

Memory Verse: “For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25)
                           
People who think they are wise are actually foolish. The real wisdom is to know how little we know about God, ourselves, and our life. When we realize our own foolishness, we will seek the true wisdom. As we seek the true wisdom, God will grant us his wisdom. Through that wisdom, we will get to know God and knowing God is the greatest strength to us. With the strength that comes from knowing God, we can overcome any situation we face, how impossible it may appear to be.
 
Lord, please grant your wisdom to me. Amen.

 March 8, 2021 (Monday)
Longing Heart

“As a deer longs for flowing streams,
   so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
   the face of God?”

– Psalm42:1-2 

Memory Verse: “As a deer longs for flowing streams,
   so my soul longs for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)
                           
Longing for God is the beginning of our spirituality. As we seek God earnestly with a longing heart, a seed of faith gets formed within us. God values our longing heart and cultivates it to grow. As we seek God with a longing heart, God will show himself to us.
 
Lord, my soul longs for you. Help me feel your presence. Amen.

March 9, 2021 (Tuesday)
Forgiveness

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’ ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

– Matthew 18:21-35 

Memory Verse: “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35)
                           
When we cannot have our own sins forgiven, we cannot forgive others’ sins. We don’t like what our sins do to us. They make us feel guilty and also weak. We run away from the reality of our sins by turning a blind eye to them or coming up with our own convenient justification. These efforts will not do much good to us. We can be free from our sins only through forgiveness. When we are free from our sins, then we can forgive others’ sins.

Lord, forgive my sins with your mercy. Amen.

March 10, 2021 (Wednesday)
Doing What Is Right

“Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
   for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the broken-hearted,
   and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars;
   he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
   his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
   he casts the wicked to the ground.”

– Psalm 147:1-7 

Memory Verse: “Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.” (Psalm 147:1)
                           
God takes care of us when we feel small and insignificant. God wants only humility from us and it is all right to expose our weaknesses to him. He understands us. God wants us to be mindful of doing what is right. As we seek God’s justice, God will not only answer our prayers but also take care of all our needs. God will cast the wicked to the ground.
 
Lord, I seek your justice. Amen.

 March 11, 2021 (Thursday)
Be Conscious of God

“This command I gave them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.”

– Jeremiah 7:23 

Memory Verse: “Walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” (Jeremiah 7:23)
                           
We often live our lives without being conscious of God. Be mindful of God. Let us set aside time for God to speak to us before we make decisions. God will show us the way. Let us follow the way God opens up for us. When we pay attention to God in our silence, we will be able to hear God’s voice. Sometimes our decisions are confirmed and other times we may realize that our decisions are mistaken. Let us live with the consciousness of God.
 
Lord, speak to me, I will listen. Amen.

March 12, 2021 (Friday)
Loving Heart

“One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.”

– Mark 12:28-34 

Memory Verse: “’To love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength’, and ‘to love one’s neighbour as oneself’,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)
                           
The best offering we can offer to God is our loving heart. That is what God wants from us. Loving God and loving our neighbour are one and the same thing. When we have a loving heart within us, it will express itself, regardless of who the other person is or what it is that we do. Love flows out of our loving heart.
 
Lord, please fill me with your love. Amen.

 March 13, 2021 (Saturday)
Self-Respect

“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

– Luke 18:9-14 

Memory Verse: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
                           
Self-respect is different from exalting oneself. Exalting ourselves is a subtle way of disrespecting ourselves. It is a recognition that we don’t like what we see in us. If we don’t like what we see in us, instead of hiding it by exalting ourselves, let us accept who we are but pursue to go beyond where we are. God sees what’s in us, not what we show.
 
Lord, with brokenness, I come before you. Mould me in your image. Amen.

 March 14, 2021 (Sunday)
Gratitude

“For I am about to create new heavens
   and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
   or come to mind… Before they call I will answer,
   while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
   the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
   but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.”

– Isaiah 65:17, 24-25

Memory Verse: “For I am about to create new heavens
   and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
   or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
                           
God will give us new heavens and a new earth in the end. It is a place where there is peace. We will live in harmony there. People uplift each other, care for each other, and appreciate each other. Let us dream of new heavens and a new earth. Let us try to make that dream come true here and now. That is what pleases God. 

Lord, grant me a new heart. Amen.

 March 15, 2021 (Monday)
New Heavens and a New Earth

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”

– John 10:10-15

Memory Verse: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
                           
Jesus lived an abundant life. He didn’t live long. He didn’t have a beautiful house and a fancy car. In what way did he live an abundant life? He cared for others. He lived with love. He was quite sure of what he wanted in his life. He enjoyed spending time with people. He was happy and content. He had a strong sense of God’s presence. That was his abundance. 
 
Lord, thank you for love. Amen.

 March 16, 2021 (Tuesday)
Abundant Life

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”

– John 10:10-15

Memory Verse: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
                           
Jesus lived an abundant life. He didn’t live long. He didn’t have a beautiful house and a fancy car. In what way did he live an abundant life? He cared for others. He lived with love. He was quite sure of what he wanted in his life. He enjoyed spending time with people. He was happy and content. He had a strong sense of God’s presence. That was his abundance. 
 
Lord, thank you for love. Amen.

 March 17, 2021 (Wednesday)
Being Connected with God

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.”

– John 5:19-20

Memory Verse: “The Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19)
                           
Jesus lived his life, being deeply connected with God. That is the secret of life. When we are not deeply connected with God, we cannot bear fruit. When we are connected with God, our life becomes abundant. When we are separated from God, our life will become dry and fruitless. Having God fully in our consciousness is to be connected with God.
 
Lord, I desire to be connected with you. Amen.

 March 18, 2021 (Thursday)
We Will Never Perish

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

– John 10:27-30

Memory Verse: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
                           
Those who follow Jesus will never perish. We are his sheep. We are in God’s good hand. Nothing in the world can snatch us from his hand. God who is greater than this world is holding us tightly. Let us listen to the voice of the shepherd. Every day, let us pay attention to him. We will receive the power to overcome the world.
 
Lord, I pay attention to your voice. Amen.

March 19, 2021 (Friday)
Faith

“as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’”

– Romans 4:17-18

Memory Verse: “God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17)
                           
We believe not because we can understand everything that God does. God’s work is mysterious. Only through faith, we can accept God’s mysterious work. God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. We can never accept that with our logic. We can only accept that with faith that is hoping against hope. Let us look to God with faith.
 
Lord, grant me faith. Amen.

 March 20, 2021 (Saturday)
Nicodemus Who Was Born Again

“Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”

– John 7:45-52

Memory Verse: “Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’” (John 7:50, 51)
                           
We see Nicodemus today. Nicodemus once came to Jesus and asked him how to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus told him that he had to be born again. We see today Nicodemus who was born again. Everyone in the court tried to condemn Jesus but he alone spoke up to defend him. That is not possible without courage. When we are born again, we become courageous.
 
Lord, grant me courage. Amen.

 March 21, 2021 (Sunday)
Attachment

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.”

– John 12:24-26

Memory Verse: “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 7:50, 51)
                           
Jesus said those who love their life will lose it. Here, Jesus used the word “love” as attachment. That is not true love. Attachment to life creates fear within us. When we live with fear, we lose life. Hating one’s life means letting go of the attachment and leaving our life in God’s hands. That is when fear dissipates from us and we find life.
 
Lord, I leave my life in your hands. Amen.

 March 22, 2021 (Monday)
Condemnation

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

– John 8:3-11

Memory Verse: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
                           
When we clearly see sin within us, we realize that it is not easy to condemn others. When we don’t see sin within us, it enslaves us. People who are bound by their sins are trying to bind others also. They do that by condemning them. When they surrounded the woman caught in adultery and tried to stone her, they showed how enslaved they were by their own sins. Jesus clearly saw how sin worked in that particular situation. Jesus let them see their own sins and saved her from condemnation.
 
Lord, please forgive my sins. Amen.

 March 23, 2021 (Tuesday)
A Desperate Heart

“Hear my prayer, O Lord;
   let my cry come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
   on the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
   answer me speedily on the day when I call.
For my days pass away like smoke,
   and my bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
   I am too wasted to eat my bread.
Because of my loud groaning
   my bones cling to my skin.
I am like an owl of the wilderness,
   like a little owl of the waste places.
I lie awake;
   I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.”

– Psalm 102:1-7

Memory Verse: “Do not hide your face from me on the day of my distress.” (Psalm 102:2)
                           
When we go through suffering, we have a desperate heart that seeks God earnestly. When we lose everything, the only thing that is left in us is our desperate cry. When we call him with our desperate cry, God comes to us and answers us. In our suffering, let us seek God.
 
Lord, please do not hide your face from me. Amen.

 March 24, 2021 (Wednesday)
Being Free From Sin

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

– John 8:31-34

Memory Verse: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)

Everyone who commits sin is a slave and everyone whose sin is forgiven is free. We cannot have freedom by not committing sin but only by being forgiven. What we cannot do Jesus did for us. Jesus freed us from our sin.

Lord, help me live freely with forgiveness you have granted for me. Amen.

 March 25, 2021 (Thursday)
The Holy Sacrifice

“Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
   but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt-offering and sin-offering
   you have not required.
Then I said, ‘Here I am;
   in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do your will, O my God;
   your law is within my heart.”

– Psalm40:6-8

Memory Verse: “Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required.” (Psalm 40:6)
                           
God does not desire sacrifice and offering. God wants us to be the sacrifice and offering. God wants us to have an open ear and be able to hear God’s will. Living according to God’s will is to become the holy and pure sacrifice. Let us open our ears every morning. God will let us listen to his will. 
 
Lord, your servant is ready to hear you. Speak to me your will. Amen.

 March 26, 2021 (Friday)
A Righteous Life

“For I hear many whispering:
   ‘Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
   All my close friends
   are watching for me to stumble.
‘Perhaps he can be enticed,
   and we can prevail against him,
   and take our revenge on him.’
But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior;
   therefore my persecutors will stumble,
   and they will not prevail.
They will be greatly shamed,
   for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonour
   will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous,
   you see the heart and the mind;
let me see your retribution upon them,
   for to you I have committed my cause.”

– Jeremiah 20:10-12

Memory Verse: “But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail.” (Jeremiah 20:11)
                           
God is like a dread warrior. God fights for his righteousness. God will fight for those who live for his righteousness. Even if we get persecuted, let us not be discouraged. Let us keep on keeping on. God will be there for us. Let us only focus on seeking God’s righteousness. He will take care of us. He will fight our enemies for us. 
 
Lord, help me first seek your righteousness. Amen.

 March 27, 2021 (Saturday)
The Lord Is Our Keeper

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.”

– Psalm 121

Memory Verse: “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121)
                           
God keeps us safe. God has kept us safe all this time and will continue to keep us safe in the future. God is our shield, our fortress, and our refuge. When dangers come, God lets us know. When darkness comes, God shines the light for us. When despair hits us, God gives us hope. God keeps us safe.  
 
Lord, thank you for keeping me safe. Amen.

 March 28, 2021 (Sunday)
Let Us Live with Confidence

“The Lord God has opened my ear,
   and I was not rebellious,
   I did not turn backwards.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
   and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
   from insult and spitting.
The Lord God helps me;
   therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
   and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?”

– Isaiah 50:5-8

Memory Verse: “He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?” (Isaiah 50:8)
                           
We have to live with confidence. He who vindicates us is with us, who will condemn us? When God recognizes us, who will destroy us? Let us live with confidence. God will help us. God will give us the power to be able to overcome challenges of this world.  
 
Lord, thank you for your love. Amen.

March 29, 2021 (Monday)
Our Vulnerability

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
   until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”

– Isaiah 42:1-4

Memory Verse: “…a bruised reed he will not break,  and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” (Isaiah 50:8)
                           
It is God’s will that a bruised reed will not break, and a dimly burning wick will not quench. God does not give up his hope for us. We are like a bruised reed and a dimly burning wick. We are vulnerable. The good news is that God will keep us strong no matter how weak we may feel. Let us not lose hope.
 
Lord, thank you for taking care of me when I feel weak and vulnerable. Amen

 March 30, 2021 (Tuesday)
God’s Witnesses

“O God, from my youth you have taught me,
   and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and grey hairs,
   O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
   to all the generations to come.
Your power and your righteousness, O God,
   reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
   O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
   will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will bring me up again.”

– Psalm 71:17-20

Memory Verse: “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” (Psalm 71:17-20)
                           
We have seen God’s wondrous deeds all our lives. From our youth to old age, we have seen how God has been with us and done all the wonderful things for us. Let us keep that in mind and live our lives as witnesses. Our life is the evidence of God’s wonderful works and we are witnesses. Even when we go through many troubles and calamities, God will revive us again and bring us up again from the depths of the earth, as the psalmist said.
 
Lord, help me to live my life as a witness to your wonderful works. Amen.

March 31, 2021 (Wednesday)
Seek the Lord

“Let all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
   say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
   hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O Lord, do not delay!”

– Psalm 70:4-5

Memory Verse: “Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’.” (Psalm 70:4-5)
                           
Those who seek the Lord will rejoice and be glad in God. When we earnestly seek the Lord, we can overcome our suffering. All those things that intimidate us and trouble us will kneel down before us. When we seek the Lord, all things will work out for good and we will come out of darkness and from our sorrow.
 
Lord, I seek you every morning. Amen.

 February 1, 2021 (Monday)
Discipline of Life

“They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake. The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.”

– Mark 5:1-20 

Memory Verse: “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” (Mark 5:19)
                           
The demon possessed man had a lot of power but he had no control over the power he had; the

power controlled him. It had bound him. Jesus gave him the power that set him free. Let us meditate on what kind of power we have. Is it the power that controls and enslaves me or the power that frees me from the bondage?
 
Lord, grant me the power that sets me free. Amen.

February 2, 2021 (Tuesday)
Suffering in Life

“See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”

– Malachi 3:1-5 

Memory Verse: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3)
                           
God purifies us. Suffering we face in life is God’s instrument for our purification. Suffering cannot destroy us. It burns off all the unnecessary desires that are attached to us. When we face suffering in life, we realize what is really important to us. That is when our thoughts become purified. Suffering will only make us stronger. 
 
Lord, when I face suffering, help me not to be discouraged but to reflect on what is important to me. Amen.

 February 3, 2021 (Wednesday)
Hope for the Eternity

“As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust. As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”

– Psalm 103:13-18 

Memory Verse: “As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field.” (Psalm 103:15)
                           
Our days are like a flower of the field. Time passes and it withers and falls on the ground. When the wind passes over it, it is blown away. To frail mortals, God gives the hope for the eternity. God lets us know that his steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting. Let us live with this hope. God will fulfill our hope for eternity.
 
Lord, instead of living for the glory of this world that stays with us for a while and vanishes, help us live for your glory that is eternal. Amen.

 February 5, 2021 (Friday)
Money

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’”

– Hebrews 13:5-6 

Memory Verse: “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.” (Hebrews 13:5)
                           
We all need money and so money is very important to us. Money affects our whole life. Money gives us joy but it also burdens us with worries. Money is very important but if we love it and live our lives chasing after money, we will lose life. Let us believe that God will help us. Let us trust that God will keep us safe and provide us with what we need. Worries will be lifted up from us and we will find joy of life.
 
Lord, thank you for taking care of me and providing me with what I need. Amen.

February 6, 2021 (Saturday)
Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

– Psalm 23:1-6 

Memory Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
                           
God is our shepherd. How empowering it is to have the shepherd in our lives! When we are lost and we don’t know where to go, God shows us the way. When dangers of life strike us, God will protect us from them. When we are weak and tired, God will give us rest. When we go through the scary and dark path of death, the shepherd will be with us and lead us to the eternal home.
 
Lord, thank you for being my shepherd. Amen.

February 7, 2021 (Sunday)
Hostility

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”

– Colossians 1:15-20 

Memory Verse: “…through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)
                           
We have hostility within us. This hostility came from our fear. Because of this hostility, we have struggles, conflicts, and dividedness within us. Because of this hostility, we cannot have a peaceful relationship with God. Jesus took away the hostility within us through the blood of his cross. Through Jesus, we have peace with God, with the world, and with ourselves.
 
Lord, thank you for giving me your peace. Amen.

 February 8, 2021 (Monday)
Creation

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”

– Genesis 1:1-19 

Memory Verse: “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
                           
Let us meditate on God’s creation. God gave us the beautiful world as his gift. Expansive universe, beautiful stars, and precious sun and moon are God’s gifts, given freely to us. Let us live our lives deeply appreciating God’s beautiful gifts. Let us keep the beauty of this world in our heart. Behind the visible world, there is God’s invisible hand. When we meditate on God’s majestic creation, our small problems will flee away.
 
Lord, thank you for giving me this world as your gift. Amen.

February 9, 2021 (Tuesday)
Creation (2)

“And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
 So God created humankind in his image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.”

– Genesis 1:20-2:4 

Memory Verse: “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
                           
God created the earth, the sky, and the sea and filled them with all kinds of living beings. He also created male and female and put them in the midst. God created them in God’s image and blessed them. God blessed them so that they might take care of the beautiful creation. God blessed us so that we may bless the world around us. Let us keep God’s image within us and live our lives with understanding that we have God’s image.
 
Lord, thank you for blessing me so that I may bless the world around me. Amen.

February 10, 2021 (Wednesday)
Good and Evil

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’”

– Genesis 2:15-17 

Memory Verse: “…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Genesis 2:17)
                           
God told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don’t we need to know good and evil to choose good? But do we have power to choose good even though we know it? It may be important to know good and evil but we need power to choose good and resist evil. Let us ask God to give us the power.
 
Lord, grant me the power to choose good and resist evil. Amen.

February 11, 2021 (Thursday)
We Are Not Alone

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
   for out of Man this one was taken.’”

– Genesis 2:18-23 

Memory Verse: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone.’” (Genesis 2:18)
                           
When God created the world, he repeatedly said that it is good. But seeing that Adam is alone, he said it is not good. Then he created Eve. The creation of Eve does not mean merely that God created another human being. By creating Eve, God created relationship. We are not alone. We exist deeply connected with others. 
 
Lord, thank you for the relationships that enrich my life. Amen.

February 12, 2021 (Friday)
Where Are You?

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”

– Genesis 3:8-9 

Memory Verse: “But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 2:18)
                           
“Where are you?” This is a voice of God calling us. It is a voice of God searching for us. We do not seek God. We hide from God. That is when we hear this voice, “Where are you?” Sometimes God hides from us. That is when God wants us to search for him as he does for us.
 
Lord, thank you for searching for me when I hide from you. Amen.

February 13, 2021 (Saturday)
Being Connected

“Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn us back to dust, and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due to you. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.”

– Psalm 90:1-12 

Memory Verse: “…from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
                           
God is eternal and our life is only temporary. By God’s grace, our temporary life does not disappear into nothing but becomes connected with the eternity. As dots are connected to make a line, our temporal life has become a part of the eternal life given by God. Let us thank God for connecting us with his eternal Self. Otherwise we are like a grass that flourishes in the morning and fades and withers in the evening.
 
Lord, thank you for connecting me with you for I am all alone without you. Amen.

February 14, 2021 (Sunday)
Light of Glory

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

– 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 

Memory Verse: “For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
                           
Our life has to be radiant. When God shines his light upon us, our life becomes radiant. We have things that block God’s light. Let us trust God wholeheartedly. God’s light will come into our heart and will brighten our existence. With this light, we can defeat the darkness. May our life be full of light.
 
Lord, shine your light on me. Amen.

February 15, 2021 (Monday)
A Sign

“The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.”

– Mark 8:11-13 

Memory Verse: “Why does this generation ask for a sign?” (Mark 8:12)
                           
When we are anxious, we look for a sign. We want a visible proof. We want to see it and believe. The focus of our faith is on ourselves. It is not our conviction that gives us assurance. We are fragile and unreliable. Instead of asking for a sign, let us ask for God himself. God is our rock that is not shaken. We will have the assurance in our relationship with God.
 
Lord, thank you for being my rock. Amen.

February 16, 2021 (Tuesday)
Faith

“Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’”

– Mark 8:14-21 

Memory Verse: “Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?” (Mark 8:18)
                           
It is hard to believe. We do not have faith simply because we see miracles. Miracles do not bring about faith but faith opens our eyes to see miracles. When there is faith, our eyes and our ears will be opened up. We will see and hear different things with faith. Faith is not something we can acquire but a gift that is given to us. When we seek faith with humility, God will grant us the faith. 
 
Lord, please grant me faith for I am your humble servant. Amen.

February 17, 2021 (Wednesday)
God’s Grace

“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
   and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything”

– 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Memory Verse: “We urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1)
                           
God’s grace is not to be taken lightly. It is God’s power working in us. Because of God’s grace, we can serve God and carry on his ministry. Because of God’s grace, we can endure our suffering and hardships and maintain the beautiful character of faith. God’s grace is the living power for us. Without God’s grace, we cannot continue our journey of faith. Let us not accept God’s grace in vain.
 
Lord, grant me your grace for without it, I cannot survive. Amen.

February 18, 2021 (Thursday)
Life of the Righteous

“Happy are those
   who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
   or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
   and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
   planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
   and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
 
The wicked are not so,
   but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
   nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked will perish.”

– Psalm 1 

Memory Verse: “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6)
                           
There is life that withers away and life that is fruitful. Life that is detached from God will wither but life that is attached to God will be fruitful. Life of the wicked is dark. It is filled with jealousy, complaints and blame. Life of the righteous is bright. It is filled with thankfulness, hope, and love.
 
Lord, help me live an abundant life. Amen.

February 19, 2021 (Friday)
Honesty

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

– Psalm 51:10-12 

Memory Verse: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
                           
There is nothing that we can hide from God. God knows everything about us. When we come before God, we should be honest. When we try to hide things from God, our relationship with God becomes distant. God is merciful. When we come before God with honesty, God removes darkness from our heart and brings healing.
 
Lord, I come before you with honesty. Have mercy on me. Amen.

February 20, 2021 (Saturday)
Joy

“If you offer your food to the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
   and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
   and satisfy your needs in parched places,
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters never fail.”

– Isaiah 58:10-11 

Memory Verse: “You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)
                           
Joyful life can be found in satisfying the needs of those who are in need. The beauty of life is in taking care of each other, especially those who are poor and afflicted. God made our life that way because God wants all of our lives to be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. The real joy can be found, not in satisfying my needs but in seeing the restoration of joy of those who lost it because of life’s circumstances.
 
Lord, let me be your joy because your joy is my strength. Amen.

 February 21, 2021 (Sunday)
Mercy

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!”

– Psalm 25:4-7 

Memory Verse: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)
                           
God is merciful and patient. Without God’s mercy, we cannot survive a moment. Let us meditate on God’s mercy. God will let us know his ways. He will show us his paths for us to follow. When we follow paths God shows us, at the end, we will surely meet the road that leads to the eternal salvation.
 
Lord, I meditate on your mercy. Amen.

February 22, 2021 (Monday)
One of the Least of These

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

– Matthew 25:31-40 

Memory Verse: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
                           
Serving Jesus is serving those who are in need. Jesus is right where suffering is. Jesus cries with them, suffers with them, and stays with them. When we wipe away the tears of those who are in pain, we are wiping the tears of Jesus. When we comfort those who are hurting, we are comforting Jesus’ pain. God takes care of those who are underprivileged in our society. God wants us to do the same. 
 
Lord, help me be sensitive to those who are hurting. Amen.

February 23, 2021 (Tuesday)
Word and Well Being

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
   and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

– Isaiah 55:10-11 

Memory Verse: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
                           
The rain and the snow do not give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. But without the rain and the snow, there will be neither seed nor bread. It is the same with the Word that comes from the mouth of God. We may not see the effect of God’s word immediately. But without God’s word, our life will not enjoy its abundance. When life is not going well, meditate on God’s word. You will see its effect.
 
Lord, help me mediate on your word daily. Amen.

February 24, 2021 (Wednesday)
God’s Glory

“How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?”

– John 5:44 

Memory Verse: “How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?.” (John 5:44)
                           
When we seek human glory, we cannot meet God. We cannot know God’s will. We cannot do great things. We may feel good. We may feel like we are doing something important. We may even find life’s meaning but it has nothing to do with God’s will. Let us seek God’s glory. We will meet God. We will know God’s will. We will do great things. There may be persecution and suffering. We may even experience our own powerlessness. But God’s will shall be done.
 
Lord, help me seek your glory. Amen.

February 25, 2021 (Thursday)
The Golden Rule

“‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”

– Matthew 7:7-12 

Memory Verse: “‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
                           
Jesus taught us to do to others as you would have them do to you. This applies to everything we do, he said. In everything we do, we need to be considerate of others. Building up others is building up ourselves. When we show our kindness to others, the kindness comes back to us. Our effort, our sacrifice, and our love for others will never be forgotten.
 
Lord, help me be kind to others. Amen.

February 26, 2021 (Friday)
Anger

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool’, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

– Matthew 5:21-26 

Memory Verse: “‘I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement.” (Matthew 5:22)
                           
Anger destroys our relationships. If we have anger within us, we make others angry. Let us calm our anger down. We want our anger to be under control by God’s forgiveness and mercy. Anger will not disappear by letting it out or hiding it. Anger will be tamed only by God’s grace and mercy. Let our hearts be filled with God’s gentleness.
 
Lord, may your gentleness calm our anger. Amen.

 February 27, 2021 (Saturday)
Love

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

– Matthew 5:43-48 

Memory Verse: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
                           
Jesus told us to be perfect and he showed us how to be perfect. The way to be perfect is to love our enemies. We do not become perfect by being flawless but through the heart of loving our enemies, we become perfect. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is the essence of all ethics.
 
Lord, fill me with your love. Amen.

February 28, 2021 (Sunday)
Promise and Faith

“Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’”

– Romans 4:18-22 

Memory Verse: “Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said.” (Romans 4:18)
                           
Abraham believed in God’s promise. God’s promise becomes fulfilled through faith. God gave us his promise. Now we see a gap between God’s promise and our historical reality. We struggle in the gap. What fills the gap is our faith. Let us live with faith so that God’s promise may be fulfilled in our lives.
 
Lord, help me hold onto your promise through my faith. Amen.

January 1, 2021 (Friday)
God Our Parent

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”

– Galatians 4:4-7

Memory Verse: “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’.” (Galatians 4:6)

We are God’s children. We have great parent. God is our parent. God has made us, led us, and given us the eternal life as inheritance. Today is the first day of the new year. Let us live with confidence. God will be with us.

O Lord, thank you for making me your child. Amen.

Let us sing to the Lord a new song. A new song comes from a new heart. Let us remember all the marvellous things God has done for us. He has granted salvation to us. We will see God’s victory. All things of the earth will see God’s victory. Let all the earth break forth into joyous song and make a joyful noise to the Lord. 


O Lord, this year, I will sing a new song. Amen

 January 2, 2021 (Saturday)
Sing a New Song

 “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.”

– Psalm 98: 1-4

Memory Verse: “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory” (Psalm 98:1)

Let us sing to the Lord a new song. A new song comes from a new heart. Let us remember all the marvellous things God has done for us. He has granted salvation to us. We will see God’s victory. All things of the earth will see God’s victory. Let all the earth break forth into joyous song and make a joyful noise to the Lord. 

O Lord, this year, I will sing a new song. Amen

 January 3, 2021 (Sunday)
Let Us Shine

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

– Isaiah 60:1-3 

Memory Verse: “Arise, shine.” (Isaiah 60:1)
                         
Let us arise and shine. Even though darkness covers the earth, when God’s glory is upon us, we can shine the light. Let us come to the light. Let us come to God. God will shine his bright light upon us.
 
O Lord, please shine your light on me. Amen.

January 4, 2021 (Monday)
Come and See

“The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).”

– John 1:35-42 

Memory Verse: “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’” (John 1:39)
                           
In the gospel of John, the word “come” has a spiritual meaning. People come to God because they are called by God. Whoever comes to Jesus will be able to drink the living water. God will not chase away those who come to him. When we come to God, we will be able to see many things. We will be able to see what we didn’t see before. Let us come to the Lord.
 
O Lord, I come before you. Amen.

January 5, 2021 (Tuesday)
Love Conquers Death

“Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death.”

– 1 John 3:13-14 

Memory Verse: “We have passed from death to life because we love one another.’” (1 John 3:14)                      
 
If we don’t love, we abide in death. But when we love one another, we pass from death to life. It is love that overcomes and overpowers death. When we value each person and love him/her, life that is within us comes alive. In love, there is power to bring about life. Let us love one another.
 
O Lord, help me love with your love. Amen.

 January 6, 2021 (Wednesday)
Wisdom and Abundance

“Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.”

– Ephesians 3:8-12 

Memory Verse: “We have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.” (Ephesians 3:12)              
 
God has given us wisdom through church. Through this wisdom, we understand the abundance of life. Without wisdom, our life will continue in struggles and conflicts. Let us ask God for wisdom. God will grant the wisdom we need. Our life will become abundant and make other lives abundant.
 
O Lord, please grant your wisdom to me. Amen.

January 7, 2021 (Thursday)
Faith and Love

“And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.”

– 1 John 3:23-24 

Memory Verse: “All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them.” (1 John 3:24)
                           
God’s commandment is to believe in Jesus Christ and love one another. Faith and love are deeply connected. When faith and love are connected, God’s will shall be done. Through faith, we understand where the source of love is. Through love, our faith becomes manifested in loving care.
 
O Lord, help me live a life in harmony of love and faith. Amen.

January 8, 2021 (Friday)
Love

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

– 1 John 4:7-10 

Memory Verse: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God.” (1 John 4:7)
                           
Love belongs to God. Where there is love, there is God. We have to meet God through love. The God whom we meet through love will fill us with love. It is not that God has love but God is love itself. Whoever belongs to God will have that love. Let us be people of love.
 
O God of love, let me be filled with your love when I am in you. Amen.

January 9, 2021 (Saturday)
Love and Fear

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

– 1 John 4:17-18 

Memory Verse: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
                           
Love casts out fear. Love makes us bold. If we can overcome our fear, we can overcome any challenges we face in this world. It is courage that overcomes fear and it is love that gives us courage. Love is strong. When we have love, we will not perish.
 
Lord, help me find courage in your love. Amen.

 January 10, 2021 (Sunday)
The Light

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

– Genesis 1:1-5 

Memory Verse: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:3, 4)
                           
God created the heavens and the earth. God created the world by his word. God began the creation by creating light. He created the light in the midst of darkness and void. Jesus came to this world as the light. Let us come to Jesus who is the light. He will shine his light upon us.
 
Lord, shine your light on me. Amen.

 January 11, 2021 (Monday)
God’s Mercy and Grace

“But 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— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”

– Ephesians 2:4-9 

Memory Verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
                           
Jesus came to show us God’s mercy and grace. The fact that Jesus came to us is the very sign of God’s mercy and grace. Our salvation is possible because of God’s mercy and grace. It is God’s gift. It is not something that we can boast about. We can only be thankful.
 
Lord, thank you for your mercy and grace. Amen.

January 12, 2021 (Tuesday)
Precious Life

“Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
   you have crowned them with glory and honour, subjecting all things under their feet.’
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

– Hebrews 2:5-9 

Memory Verse: “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?” (Hebrews 2:6)
                           
Our life is precious. We are precious beings. We are not like a fog that appears for a while and disappears. God crowned us with glory and honour. People don’t treat others with honour and glory because they don’t know how precious they are. Let us enjoy our precious life. God will crown us with eternity.
 
Lord, help me remember that each life is precious. Amen.

 January 13, 2021 (Wednesday)
Knowing

“But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.”

– 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 

Memory Verse: “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10)              
 
It is dangerous to think that we know it all because it will block our minds from having deeper understanding. Without humility, we cannot have a deeper understanding about God, ourselves, and our life. Humility will guide us into deeper truth. The Holy Spirit works through our humility. The Spirit gives us the understanding that no human heart could even conceive. Let us not think that we know it all. Let us ask God to guide us into his deeper truth.
 
Lord, guide me into your deeper truth. Amen.

 January 14, 2021 (Thursday)
Confidence

“Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.”

– Hebrews 3:12-14 

Memory Verse: “For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:14)
                           
Sometimes we get disappointed. Sometimes we cannot see what is ahead of us. Sometimes we don’t have any confidence. That is exactly when we need to look up to God not to ourselves. If we hold our first confidence to the end, we will not merely endure difficult times but will be able to overcome them. Be firm. Believe in God.
 
Lord, I believe in you. Help me live with confidence. Amen.

 January 15, 2021 (Friday)
Being a Fool for Christ

“We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day.”

– 1 Corinthians 4:10-13 

Memory Verse: “We are fools for the sake of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 4:10)
                           
If we are a fool, who is that for? It is for the sake of Christ. We choose a foolish way neither because we don’t know how to take care of ourselves, nor because we don’t know what is beneficial to us. We choose a foolish way for the sake of Christ. Because of Christ, when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. Love makes us foolish.
 
Lord, I love you. Amen.

 January 16, 2021 (Saturday)
Live with Confidence

“Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

– Hebrews 4:14-16 

Memory Verse: “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness.” (Hebrews 4:16)
                        
The reason we can live with confidence is because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are weak but Jesus understands our weaknesses very well. We have a tendency to hide our sins because we are afraid of punishment. The more we try to hide our sins, the more powerfully our sins control us. When we bring our sins to the light, they lose their power. Let us bring our sins before Jesus who is our great high priest. We will find God’s grace and we can live with confidence in spite of our weaknesses.
 
Lord, thank you for your grace that empowers me to live my life with confidence. Amen.

 January 17, 2021 (Sunday)
Love and Knowledge

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”

– Psalm 139:1-4 

Memory Verse: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” (Psalm 139:1)
                           
God knows us because he has searched us. God knows us because he loves us. Love gives us knowledge. People who have love know something others don’t. Those who love God will know God and those who love their neighbors will understand them more. When love grows within us, our understanding will grow deeper.
 
Lord, help me seek your love rather than asking for more wisdom. Amen.

January 18, 2021 (Monday)
God Is with Us

“Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.”

– Psalm 139:7-10 

Memory Verse: “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)
                           
The psalm writer said we have no place to hide from God. God will be with us when we settle at the farthest limits of the sea. God will be with us when we are thrown into deep darkness. Let us hold unto this truth. No matter what situation we may face in our lives, if we believe that God is with us, we can be strong. To us, it is the surest truth that God is with us.
 
Lord, thank you for being with me. Amen.

 January 19, 2021 (Tuesday)
Anchor of the Soul

“We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

– Hebrews 6:19-20 

Memory Verse: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…” (Hebrews 6:19)
                           
Hope is the anchor of our soul. Hope makes our soul strong and solid. When we have hope, we are not shaken. Hope grows within us. We can grow our hope by trusting in God’s promise. Let us grow our hope. When life’s difficulties hit us, let us remember God’s promise rather than being afraid. Our hope will grow and our soul will become strong and healthy.
 
Lord, help me not to live by what I see but by my hope. Amen.

January 20, 2021 (Wednesday)
The Sabbath

“Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’”

– Mark 2:27-28 

Memory Verse: “The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)
                           
God gave the Sabbath for our sake. It’s the greatest creation of all of God’s creations. God blessed and sanctified us through the Sabbath. God blessed all his creations and made them beautiful through the Sabbath. Let us honor the Sabbath. God’s creation order will be restored.
 
Lord, thank you for the Sabbath. Please bless and sanctify me. Amen.

January 21, 2021 (Thursday)
Sin-Offering

“Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’”

– Psalm 40:6-8 

Memory Verse: “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)
                           
What God wants from us is not sin-offering we give. Repentance is to turn our heart towards God. When we turn our heart towards God, we will honour God’s will and put it in our heart. That is more precious than sin-offering. God wants our heart.
 
Lord, I give my heart to you. Amen.

 January 22, 2021 (Friday)
Beautiful Words

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

– Proverbs 15:1-4 

Memory Verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
                           
Words that come out of our mouth should be beautiful. With what we say, we can uplift others or stir up anger. What we say with our mouth shows what we have in our heart. Let us calm our heart and soften our tongue. From a humble heart, humble words come out. From a gentle heart, soft words come out.
 
Lord, please calm my heart so that the words that will come out of my mouth be edifying. Amen.

January 23, 2021 (Saturday)
Be Thoughtful

“The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

– Proverbs 15:28-29 

Memory Verse: “The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.” (Proverbs 15:28)
                           
Righteous people think deeply. They are looking for God’s will. Wicked people talk and act as they feel like. They are not looking for God’s will; they live by how they feel because that is the most important thing for them. Let us be thoughtful. Love comes from thoughtfulness.
 
Lord, help me not to be a wicked person who pours out what I feel but be a righteous person who is thoughtful. Amen.

January 24, 2021 (Sunday)
Believe in Jesus Christ

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

– John 3:16 

Memory Verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
                           
God wants us not to perish but have eternal life. That’s why Jesus Christ came to us. The way not to perish but to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ. To believe in Jesus Christ means to leave our life in his hand. It means not to live any longer in fear. It means to live day by day with confidence.
 
Lord, I believe in Jesus Christ. Help me live daily with confidence. Amen.

 January 25, 2021 (Monday)
Calling

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.’”

– Jeremiah 1:5-8 

Memory Verse: “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:8)
                           
Our existence is deeply rooted in God’s calling. Sometimes we lose confidence in life. We question our calling when faced with our weaknesses. That is when we need to seek God, not run away. As we seek God, we will be able to hear God’s calling again. When we find our calling, we find our life.
 
Lord, thank you for calling me and letting me do your work. Amen.

 January 26, 2021 (Tuesday)
Testing

“So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

– 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 

Memory Verse: “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
                           
 
Spiritual confidence is different from other kinds of confidence. It is confidence, not about ourselves but about God. When we are tested, we all become weak. The reason we have confidence even when we are tested is because we have faith in God who will not let us be tested beyond our strength and will provide a way out for us to overcome it. That’s why spiritual confidence and humility can go together.
 
 
Lord, thank you for giving me the power to be able to overcome tests. Amen.

 January 27, 2021 (Wednesday)
Listen

“’Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’”

– Mark 4:3-9 

Memory Verse: “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (Mark 4:9)
                           
We have to listen. If we don’t listen, we will not be fruitful. If we don’t listen, we cannot experience the abundance of life. If we don’t listen, we will not be able to enjoy the eternal life. If we don’t listen, we have no choice but to live locked up in darkness. When we listen, the light will shine our life, joy will spring up from within, and hope will arise from the horizon. Let us pay attention to God. God will let us hear what we need to hear.
 
Lord, your servant will listen. Please speak to me. Amen.

 January 29, 2021 (Friday)
Growth of the Kingdom of God

“He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’”

– Mark 4:26-29 

Memory Verse: “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” (Mark 4:26, 27)
                           
The growth of the kingdom of God happens in mystery. We neither know how it happens nor can we control it. Since the real change happens deep within us, we are often not aware of it. When we keep seeking the kingdom of God, it will be established within us even though we may not be aware of it.
 
Lord, I pray that your kingdom may be established within me. Amen.

 January 30, 2021 (Saturday)
Two Questions

“A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”

– Mark 4:37-41 

Memory Verse: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41)
                           
We have two questions in life. “Who then is this Jesus” and “Does he care?” We live our lives, answering these two questions. Who is Jesus to us? Is he the Lord that even the wind and the sea obey him? Does he care when we go through life’s storms? Do we have faith that Jesus will help us or do we fear? Let us live our lives, answering these two questions with faith.
 
Lord, help me experience peace and calmness when I encounter storms of life. Amen.

 January 31, 2021 (Sunday)
Discipline of Life

“Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed”

– Hebrews 12:11-13 

Memory Verse: “Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11)
                           
Discipline is not punishment. It is to train us to become stronger. There are times when we face difficulties of life. Let us not fear. It is time for us to be disciplined. When we persevere through this discipline, at first it is painful and unpleasant but, in the end, we will see fruitful results. We will become stronger.
 
Lord, help me welcome discipline with joy. Amen.

 December 1, 2020 (Tuesday)
A Beautiful World

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

– Isaiah 11:6-9

Memory Verse: “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)
                           
 
Jesus came to this world to give us peace and establish justice. The world Jesus envisioned was not the world where the powerful exploit the weak and thereby build the kingdom just for the powerful. The world Jesus envision was the world where the powerful and the powerless coexist and build a beautiful community for all people. Let us work together to build a beautiful world.
 
Lord, help me to see the beautiful world where people serve each other.  Amen.

 December 2, 2020 (Wednesday)
The Eternal Abundance

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death for ever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

– Isaiah 25:6-8

Memory Verse: “Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth.” (Isaiah 25:8)
                           
 
God makes our life abundant. God has destroyed death for ever. Temporary abundance doesn’t mean much; it will only make us feel empty in the end. Abundance finds its meaning in eternity. God not only makes our life abundant but he has also given us the eternity by destroying death for ever. Let us enjoy life’s abundance in God. 
 
Lord, I can find abundance only in you.  Amen.

December 3, 2020 (Thursday)
The Rock of Life

“‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’.”

– Matthew 7:24-27

Memory Verse: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
                           
 
Life should be built on the rock. When we hear the words of God and his words come into us, occupy our soul and control our life, that is when our life will be built on the rock. It is not by our will that we practice God’s words. It is by the power of the words of God within our soul that we can live out God’s words.
 
Lord, help me carve your words within my soul.  Amen.

December 4, 2020 (Friday)
The One Thing I Desire

“‘One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.”

– Psalm 27:4-5

Memory Verse: “One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
                           
 
Our greed is for what we can see, touch, and feel. And the satisfaction we get from our greed is our illusion that is with us for a while and vanishes. Let us think about what we really desire. It is to be with God. When we are with God, we will be able to find true satisfaction.
 
Lord, when I seek you, please open the door and accept me.  Amen.

December 5, 2020 (Saturday)
The One Thing I Desire

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.”

– Isaiah 30:18-19 

Memory Verse: “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you.” (Isaiah 30:18)
                           
 
Waiting means to desire deeply. God waits for us. God waits to be gracious to us. God waits for us to come back to him. Blessed are all those who wait for him. They will receive God’s grace and experience God’s mercy. 
 
Lord, I wait for you today. Thank you for showing your mercy.  Amen.

 December 6, 2020 (Sunday)
God’s Time

“But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”

– 2 Peter 3:8-9 

Memory Verse: “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
                           
 
God’s time is different from our time. We are controlled by time but time is in God’s control. God’s will be done not in our time but in God’s time. The reason God’s promise seems to be delayed is because it is good for us. God waits for the time when we are prepared.
 
 
Lord, I pray that everything will be completed in your time.  Amen.

December 7, 2020 (Monday)
Do Not Fear

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

– Isaiah 35:3-4 

Memory Verse: “Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!’” (Isaiah 35:4)
                           
 
Let us not fear. Let us not fear those who attack us. Let us not fear trials and challenges we face in life. God will fight for us and defend us. Fear makes us weak. God will strengthen our weak hands and make firm our feeble knees. So be strong and do not fear.
 
 
Lord, thank you for making me strong.  Amen.

 December 8, 2020 (Tuesday)
Compassionate Heart

“What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”

– Matthew 18:12-14 

Memory Verse: “So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’” (Matthew 18:14)
                           
 
It is God’s will to save one of these little ones that is lost. God leaves the ninety-nine on the mountains and goes in search of the one that went astray. This is our God, God who has compassion for the one who is lost. This compassion of God is the essence of our salvation. It is God’s compassion that has saved us. Restoring this compassion within our heart is what we should do as people who are saved.
 
 
Lord, thank you for not leaving me alone but embracing me in your arms when I am lost.  Amen.

 December 9, 2020 (Wednesday)
Confidence

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

– Isaiah 40:27-31

Memory Verse: “He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.” (Isaiah 40:29)
                           
 
God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. People make us tired. The world exposes our weaknesses. With the strength God gives us, we can restore our relationship with people and overcome the challenges we face in this world. Then we can love people and see the beauty of the world. God’s strength gives us confidence, the confidence to keep calmness in the storm.
 
 
Lord, thank you for giving me confidence through your power.  Amen.

December 10, 2020 (Thursday)
God Knows Us

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust. As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”

– Psalm 103:11-18 

Memory Verse: “He knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)
                           
 
God knows us. God knows that we are but dust. God knows our weaknesses, our darkness, and what is in our heart. There is nothing we can hide from God. God loves not because he doesn’t know us very well. He loves us because of his mercy, knowing all about us. Let us not take God’s love for granted. Let us always live with deep gratitude and respect for God’s unconditional love. 
 
 
Lord, thank you for your mercy.  Amen.

 December 11, 2020 (Friday)
God Is Our Way

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.”

– Isaiah 48:17-19 

Memory Verse: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)
                           
 
God leads our way. God leads us in the way we should go and shows us the way that makes our life abundant. People who live their lives, paying attention to God’s guidance will enjoy the abundance of life. When danger is in front of us, God will show us the way to escape the danger. When all our ways are blocked, God will open a new way for us. He will create a way in the wilderness and make a path in the ocean. Let God lead our lives.
 
 
Lord, thank you for leading my way.  Amen.

December 12, 2020 (Saturday)
A Blessed Person

“Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

– Psalm 1

Memory Verse: “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)
                           
 
Let us memorize Psalm 1 again. Let us think about what a blessed person is like and carve these words into our heart by meditating on them.
 
 
Lord, thank you for showing me the way to become a blessed person.  Amen.

December 13, 2020 (Sunday)
Holiness

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24

Memory Verse: “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
                           
 
It is God who sanctifies us and keeps us blameless. It is not something we can achieve on our own. Faithful God is with us and sanctifies us and keeps us blameless. God who began a good work within us will surely bring it to completion. Let us trust in God’s faithfulness. Let us leave ourselves in God’s hands.
 
 
Lord, thank you for sanctifying me and keeping me blameless.  Amen.

 December 14, 2020 (Monday)
God’s Guidance

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.”

– Psalm 25:4-8 

Memory Verse: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)
                           
 
When we are young, we don’t receive God’s guidance, thinking that we know it all. When we are old, we don’t receive God’s guidance, thinking that we have experienced it all. But we all need God’s guidance. Let us humbly wait for God. God will show us his ways and teach us his paths. Blessed are those whose life is guided by God.
 
 
Lord, thank you for teaching me your paths.  Amen.

December 15, 2020 (Tuesday)
Community

“But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

Memory Verse: “See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
                           
 
God gave us a community so that we can help each other. Through the community, we learn God’s words, pray and worship together, encourage, and challenge each other. Life of faith cannot be done in isolation. Through community, our faith grows. Through community, we learn to discipline ourselves to love others, practice patience, and seek to do good to all.
 
 
Lord, thank you for giving me a beautiful community.  Amen.

 December 16, 2020 (Wednesday)
When Life Is Entangled

“My eyes are ever towards the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”

– Psalm 25:15-18

Memory Verse: “My eyes are ever towards the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.” (Psalm 25:15)
                           
 
There are times when our life gets entangled. There are times when we are lonely and afflicted. When we experience troubles in life, our pride hits the ground. We confront that we are nothing but sinners. But that is also when our eyes turn towards the Lord. This desire is not something we can get when our life is comfortable. Only through suffering and hardship, this desire comes alive within us. Let us fix our eyes upon the Lord. He will untangle our entangled life.
 
 
Lord, thank you for forgiving me and breaking off the chains that bind me.  Amen.

 December 17, 2020 (Thursday)
A Righteous Life

“Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

– Proverbs 10:2-4 

Memory Verse: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 10:2)
                           
 
It is not wise to gain treasures of life by greed. They will not make our life abundant. The treasures will not profit. It is important to be diligent. But let us always keep in mind to be righteous. God will not let the righteous go hungry and will provide them with the abundance of eternal treasures.
 
 
Lord, help me live my life with diligence and with righteousness on my mind.  Amen.

 December 18, 2020 (Friday)
Our Faults

“Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice. Fools show their anger at once, but the prudent ignore an insult.”

– Proverbs 12:15-16

Memory Verse: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15)
                           
 
People who know their faults and yet are not consumed by them are strong people. We are afraid of seeing our own faults. We fear that they may oppress us and ultimately harm us. So we refuse to see them. Instead of trying to hide our faults, let us come to God with our faults. That is what God wants from us. When we do that, our faults will not have power over us. Then our faults will work for us and not against us, by making us humble and helping us be confident in spite of our weaknesses.
 
 
Lord, I come to you with my faults. Help me understand the depth of your forgiveness.  Amen.

December 19, 2020 (Saturday)
Emmanuel

“‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

– Matthew 1:23-25

Memory Verse: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” (Matthew 1:23)
                           
 
Jesus’ birth is Emmanuel. It is a sign that God has not abandoned us but he is with us. When God is with us, we can persevere through any challenges. Not only do we persevere through them but also, we will be able to overcome them. Let us live with joy and confidence. God is with us.
 
 
Lord, thank you for being with me.  Amen.

 December 20, 2020 (Sunday)

Life’s Mystery

“‘For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from he.”

– Luke 1:37-38

Memory Verse: “Let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
                           
 
Nothing will be impossible with God. Mary believed that. That’s why she left her life in God’s hands. God makes the impossible possible. For those who believe in God and leave their life in God’s hands, everything is possible. Let us believe in God and experience life’s mystery.
 
 
Lord, I leave my life in your hands.  Amen.

 December 21, 2020 (Monday)
Faith and Blessings

“‘In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

– Luke 1:39-45 

Memory Verse: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)
                           
 
God’s blessings come upon those who believe that God’s words will be fulfilled. They will be able to see the wonderful works of God. God values our faith. We may be small but our faith has a key to open God’s blessings. Let us keep our faith in all situations.
 
 
Lord, thank you for granting me your grace so that I may be able to see your blessings through my faith.  Amen.

December 22, 2020 (Tuesday)
Mary’s Magnificat

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.”

– Luke 1:46-56

Memory Verse: “Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48)
                           
 
Mary was inspired by God when she was pregnant with Jesus. Mary’s song described the life of the baby in his adult life. He would scatter the proud, bring down the powerful, lift up the lowly, fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich away empty. That is what God wants. God’ power is the power to help the weak. (Let us meditate on Mary’s Magnificat by reading a few times.)
 
 
Lord, humbly I receive the baby Jesus in my heart. Help me always to stand with the weak.  Amen.

December 23, 2020 (Wednesday)
In the Midst of Silence

“Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.”

– Luke 1:57-66

Memory Verse: “All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.” (Luke 1:66)
                           
 
Zechariah did not believe when the angel Gabriel spoke to him about the birth of John the Baptist. So, he became mute, unable to speak. Even though he could not speak, he saw everything that God was doing in his life. He had to only listen because he could not speak. Sometimes it is a blessing not to be able to speak. It allows us to see more clearly the wonderful works of God. Our difficult circumstances often allow us to see God more clearly.
 
 
Lord, help me listen to your words in silence.  Amen.

December 24, 2020 (Thursday)
The Glory of God

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
 
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
 
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

– Luke 2:8-20

Memory Verse: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” (Luke 2:14)
                           
 
To the shepherds in the field, it was a lonely night. Suddenly, the glory of God shone around them. The angels of the Lord surrounded them. They experienced the glory of God. Jesus came to this world to shine God’s glory to all of us who are lonely. We pray and wish that the light of God’s glory shine in this dark world. When God’s glory fills this world, there will be peace. When God’s glory fills our heart, there will be peace.
 
 
Lord, we pray that your glory may shine in this world.  Amen.

 December 25, 2020 (Friday)
The Birth of Jesus

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

– Matthew 1:18-25 

Memory Verse: “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
                           
 
Jesus is born today. Jesus did not come just for the time and place where he was born. His coming had the impact not only for those who lived in Judean and Roman territory 2,000 years ago, but for all humanity that exists beyond the limit of any specific time and space. Jesus came to save us from our sins. Now we are not slaves of our sins. We are freed from the power of sin. We are free from darkness and death sin brought to us. Bright light shines upon us. A new world is opened up for us.
 
 
Lord, thank you for saving me from my sin. Amen.

December 26, 2020 (Saturday)
Justification

“We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.”

– Galatians 2:16

Memory Verse: “A person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 2:16)
                           
 
Righteousness is not what we can see on the surface. It is not about what we do and say. It is about our inner person. We cannot achieve justification by what we do. Only when we believe in Jesus Christ, God sees us as being justified. Only God’s grace can save us.
 
 
Lord, thank you for seeing me as being righteous. Amen.

 December 27, 2020 (Sunday)
God the Light

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

– 1 John 1:5-10 

Memory Verse: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
                           
 
God is the light. The light exposes everything. When we come before God, God of the light exposes everything about us, including our sins. If we say that we believe in God and do not recognize our own sins, we are deceiving ourselves. When we recognize our sins and confess them before God, God will forgive our sins.
 
 
O Lord of Light, I come before you. Forgive my sins. Amen.

December 28, 2020 (Monday)
God’s Call

“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.”

– 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 

Memory Verse: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:28, 29)
                           
 
God did not call the rich, the powerful, and the privileged to do his work in this world. God chooses those who are poor, powerless and have no privilege to carry out his work. God wants to get rid of the prejudice and discrimination among people. He doesn’t want a situation where there are people who are oppressors and the oppressed. When people seek God’s power with humility, God will grant his power to them. 
 
 
O Lord, I come before you with humility. Thank you for using me to carry on your work in this world. Amen.

 December 29, 2020 (Tuesday)
Love

“Whoever says, ‘I am in the light’, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.”

– 1 John 2:9-11 

Memory Verse: “But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.” (1 Corinthians 1:28, 29)
                           
 
Love is neither a feeling nor action. It is not something we can achieve by our will power or our efforts. We cannot demand it or command it. When we come to the light, it fills our heart. Darkness moves away along with hatred and anger, and love takes control of our life. People who are in darkness cannot let love take control of their lives because hatred and anger still have power over them.
 
 
O Lord, I come to the light. Please fill my heart with your love. Amen.

 December 30, 2020 (Wednesday)
What Is Eternal

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.”

– 1 John 2:15-17 

Memory Verse: “The world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.” (1 John 2:17)
                           
 
It is foolish to love what is passing away. It only creates emptiness within us. The world and its desire are passing away. Let go of things that pass away. Trying to hold unto them is our greed and the greed takes away joy and satisfaction from us. Let us desire what is eternal and spend our time pursuing it.
 
 
O Lord, help me pursue what is eternal. Amen.

December 31, 2020 (Thursday)
The Word Became Flesh

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”

– John 1:1-4 

Memory Verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
                           
 
Today is the last day of 2020. It was a difficult year. We saw many deaths and along with death, we saw many tears. To all of us who live in the flesh, death and sorrow are an inevitable reality. The gospel writer John tells us that the word was in the beginning and the word became flesh. Now people who live in the flesh have hope. We can have eternal life because the word dwells within us. The life is the light of all people. Let us welcome 2021 in light.
 
 
O Lord, thank you for dwelling within me, in my flesh. Amen.