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No Exemption for Anxiety

2026-07-07 in /by

Anxiety is a meteor shower of what-ifs. The sky is falling, and it’s falling disproportionately on you. Anxiety ain’t fun!

One would think Christians would be exempt from anxiety. But we are not. It’s enough to make us wonder if the apostle Paul was out of touch with reality when he wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.” Is that what he meant? Not exactly. He wrote the phrase in the present active tense—implying an ongoing state. As if to say, “Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually breathless and in angst.”

The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. Could you use some calm? Of course you could. We all could. We all could use a word of comfort. And God is ready to give it.

Pray About Your Problems

2026-07-06 in /by

The moment you sense a problem, however large or small, take it to Christ. “Max, if I take my problems to Jesus every time I have one, I’m going to be talking to Jesus all day long.” Now you’re getting the point.

An unprayed for problem is an embedded thorn. It festers and infects the finger, then the hand, then the entire arm. Best to go straight to the person who has the tweezers. We can only wonder how many disasters would be averted if we first go to Jesus. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything.” Tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

非你所建造

2026-07-06 in , /by

〈申命記〉 6:13 你要敬畏耶和華你的神，侍奉祂，指著祂的名起誓。

每次在公路上飛馳，我總忍不住要感謝那些造路的人，以及那些工程師們。不管是不是高速公路，每條公路可以讓大家如此暢通無止地奔馳，實在不容易！尤其細看那些捷運系統的連接，若不是非常細密的計算和謹慎的工作，很容易失之毫釐，差之千里。每一個轉彎和連接都是那麼完美，讓人不能不感謝。否則高速快鐵在上面運行，將是可等危險？

每次看到外子，我也是心裡充滿感謝。憑什麼，我的公婆千辛萬苦把他養育成為一個正人君子，而我就這樣把他接收到我的生活中，讓他成為照顧我的人？上帝很慷慨，在我們尚未懂得種樹時，祂已經讓我們享受到樹的各樣好處；在我們尚未能分辨美醜時，祂已經把閃爍的星星、柔媚的月娘掛在天上，讓玫瑰花芬芳撲鼻，讓悠揚的琴聲使我們在母腹中跳躍，這世上有哪一件美好，是我們的成就呢？有時感到很慚愧，發現自己每天生產最多的，竟是垃圾。天天都要倒垃圾。

經文護符匣Tefillin

2026-07-05 in , /by

〈申命記〉 6:5 你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華你的神。

假如你搬新家，或是新租了一個住處，傢俱和必需品之外，你一定得放什麼東西在新住處呢？對於比較敬虔的猶太人，在搬到新家的卅天之內，一定得在家裡的每一個門上擺設一個Mezuzah，一個放經文的漂亮盒子。當然，洗手間的門和廚櫃的門就不用放了。這個盒子裡裝有依照猶太人的誡律做成的羊皮卷，上面寫著兩處經文〈申命記〉六章4-9節：「以色列啊，你要聽！耶和華我們神是獨一的主。你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華你的神。我今日所吩咐你的話都要記在心上，也要殷勤教訓你的兒女。無論你坐在家裡、行在路上，躺下、起來，都要談論。也要繫在手上為記號，戴在額上為經文。又要寫在你房屋的門框上，並你的城門上。」

烈火焚山

2026-07-03 in , /by

〈申命記〉 5: 32 所以，你們要照耶和華你們神所吩咐的謹守遵行，不可偏離左右。

有人把對母親的看法做了簡單的註解：「3 歲時： 媽咪，我愛妳。10 歲時： 媽，随便啦。16 歲時： 我媽真的很煩。18 歲時： 想要離開這個家。25 歲時： 媽，妳當時是對的。30 歲時： 我想要去我媽家。50 歲時： 我不想失去我媽。70 歲時： 只要我媽還能在這，我願意放棄一切。」這些過程我都看過了，也經歷了，真是百感交集。難怪古人說，養兒方知父母恩。沒有做過父母，不知道父母的心腸。從思念父母的教導到回想神給以色列人十誡的心情，真有點類似。

神實在是盡其所能地將自己顯現給以色列人，祂甚至讓整座何烈山（西乃山）都著火了。一個非常奇特的景象，摩西看到的只是未被燒毀的荊棘，以色列人看到的是更大更壯觀的奇景。以色列人站在山下，山上有火焰沖天，並有昏黑、密雲、幽暗。

Gifts From the Father

2026-07-03 in /by

James 1:17 says, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Take this simple pocket prayer for you today: Dear Father, teach me to accept what you’ve given. I may not always understand the circumstances, but show me how they are blessings and give me gratitude for all your gifts. Rain your blessings on my friends and family today. Give them hope whatever they face. Thank you that your blessings never end. In Jesus name, amen.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

除祂以外，再無別神

2026-07-02 in , /by

〈申命記〉 4:39   所以，今日你要知道，也要記在心上，天上地下惟有耶和華祂是　神，除祂以外，再無別神。

這句經文是基督教的重心，也是猶太教的中心。世界上有很多人造出來的假神和邪靈，只有耶和華才是創造宇宙萬物，賜人生命的神。

在摩西給以色列人的訓言裡，他強調的就是神和以色列人的關係。神和人的關係，這就是《聖經》的主題。這世界上有一位真正的神，祂要和我們建立關係，免得我們被邪靈所騙，拜錯對象。神跟人的關係，就像神和以色列人的關係一樣，神先來找我們。所以在以色列人被奴役，毫無前途的光景下，神藉著摩西向他們顯現，帶領他們出埃及。但這不是毫無先兆的，神早就向亞伯拉罕預言，神揀選亞伯拉罕和他的後裔做神的子民；以色列人的一舉一動都在神的計劃之中。

曾經作過算命仙的葉明翰牧師說過一個被邪靈揀選的真人真事：陳寶桂女士在四十歲時婚姻失敗，又沒有兒女。在心情非常沮喪的情況下，有一天走過台北蘭州街，無意間看見了一家神壇，她就走進去要問神明，希望從神明得到一些指點。不料，當她在問神明的時候，神壇的主持人對她說：「神明要用你。」

Assembly Required

2026-07-02 in /by

Do you want to see a father’s face go ashen as he discovers three words on the box of a just-bought toy: some assembly required. What follows are hours of squeezing A into B, bolting D into F, sliding R over Z, and hoping no one notices if steps four, five, and six were skipped altogether. I’m convinced the devil indwells the details of toy assembly. Somewhere in perdition is a warehouse of stolen toy parts.

“Some assembly required.” Not the most welcome sentence but an honest one. Life is a gift, albeit unassembled. The pieces don’t fit. When they don’t, take your problem to Jesus. He says, “Bring your problems to me.” In prayer, state them simply. Present them faithfully, and trust him reverently.

幫助別人就是幫助自己

2026-07-01 in , /by

〈申命記〉 24:22 你也要記念你在埃及地做過奴僕，所以我吩咐你這樣行。

在〈申命記〉 24:10-22裡，神特別提到對窮人的看顧和幫助。神對窮人的眷顧，為何不賜給他們錢財或好運，讓他們都能脫離窘境，反而是希望別人在他們有需要時去幫助他們呢？神不是沒有能力，為何不讓世界變成一個均富的世界呢？假如這個世界裡，大家擁有的都一樣多，那麼會不會減少很多問題？

回想神起初造伊甸園時，祂的用意是想讓人都能享受祂的創造，但是一旦罪進入世界，人的貪念和罪性就顛覆了神原先的理想。神沒有立刻挪去人的貪念和罪性，但是祂卻讓人在這個充滿貪念和私慾的世界裡學習，讓人看到自己的罪性、神的完美，讓人明白自己的軟弱，若不倚靠神，人終會自己滅了自己。

我想，神要我們明白，人若不彼此幫助，就沒有希望。所以祂允許貧窮的存在。貧窮代表了人的軟弱，人的有限；某些人的貧窮反映出某些人的貪婪和榨取。

God, a Father to All

2026-07-01 in /by

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray? If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says that God is “a father to the fatherless. He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me! “Dear God. Remind me today that you protect me. Be my father and defender. Defend those who are weak and afraid and feel forgotten. Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

At any point you’re only a prayer away from help!