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,
– Hebrews 2:5-9
‘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.”
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,
– 1 Corinthians 2:9-11
‘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.”
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.
Leave a Reply