{"id":1165,"date":"2022-06-30T22:58:01","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T05:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hoc6.org\/english\/?page_id=1165"},"modified":"2026-04-04T09:27:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T16:27:56","slug":"lent","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/hoc6.org\/english\/blog\/lent\/","title":{"rendered":"Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Day 40<\/h2>\n

April 4, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

You Are Not Alone in the Tomb<\/span><\/h3>\n

This lent we\u2019ve been blessed by so many stories of God at work in the midst of suffering.\u00a0 But when we go through dark seasons, perhaps we still wonder whether he\u2019s going to do that in our case.\u00a0 What if the battle will simply be lost?\u00a0 What if we\u2019re too far gone, and we feel it\u2019s already been lost?<\/span><\/p>\n

In the isolation of the pandemic, I lost something I felt I could never get back.\u00a0 Through months alone I became convinced that there was no help in this world — that nobody with the ability to help could possibly relate to what I was going through.\u00a0 By God\u2019s grace I never lost my trust in Jesus or my will to press on for Him, but as far as this world was concerned, I basically gave up.\u00a0 As I hardened myself under the pressure to meet my psychological needs from within, I told myself I\u2019d never think of myself as owing anything to anyone again.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the spring of 2023, I was on a plane and had forgotten to download music for the flight, so I only had a few auto-downloaded songs, one of which was Charity Gayle\u2019s \u201cThank You Jesus for the Blood\u201d.\u00a0 Listening to that song for the first time I was caught by the line \u201cYou took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin.\u201d\u00a0 I had often thought about Jesus in my place on the cross, fighting the fight for me, bearing the punishment I deserved.\u00a0 But I had never really reflected deeply on Jesus laying in the tomb on my behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

I reflected on the tombs I had made for myself in the years prior — the places I felt were beyond God\u2019s healing, the parts of my walk with him where I wasn\u2019t just ready to give up, but had already done so.\u00a0 The tombs were those places where I had accepted his absence.\u00a0 But he was there. He entered the places where the fight had already been lost, where self-pity or sin had gotten the final word.\u00a0 He occupied my tomb for me, made it his own, so that he could do for me what I could never do: open it up and get out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The image of Jesus in the tomb is one we don\u2019t dwell on for long — sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter, it sits in a brief window that doesn\u2019t get a lot of attention on its own.\u00a0 But it has become a precious image to me, an image of the extravagant love of God that laid still in the grave on our behalf, meeting us there to prove that we are never beyond his hope.\u00a0 \u201cHaving loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end\u201d (John 13:1)<\/span><\/p>\n

As we prepare for Easter, I encourage you to spend a moment reflecting on the silence of that image.\u00a0 We begin Lent with Ash Wednesday, remembering that we are dust and to dust we shall return.\u00a0 At the end of Lent, we are again brought to an image of silence and dust.\u00a0 But this time we are not alone there, and this time it is not the end of the story.<\/span><\/p>\n

By: Matt Thomas<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Day 39<\/h2>\n

April 3, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

D<\/span>eliver Me from My Enemies<\/span><\/h3>\n

Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood.
\n\u2014Psalm 59:1\u20132\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
\n\u20142 Thessalonians 3:2\u20133
\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have an enemy? Maybe enemy is a strong word but I\u2019m sure we all have people who may be annoying or dislike. Perhaps when someone cuts you off on the road, that unknown stranger becomes your nemesis for the minute you share the road with them. Or maybe you have people in your life that may want the worse for you for whatever reason. I hope that\u2019s not the case but I\u2019m sure some us may have encountered such people. For myself, I don\u2019t think I know anyone that I would elevate to an enemy level but there have been people in my life that were difficult to forgive\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

When I think of someone who had many enemies, I think of King David. Thinking about his life, David seems to always have enemies around. David had to fight Goliath, an enemy of the Israelites. King Saul was jealous of David and tried to kill him numerous times. David conquered many nations to build the Israelite kingdom \u2013 I would imagine they were not fond of David. Even David\u2019s son, Absalom rebelled and tried to seize the throne. David seemed to rarely have a time of peace!<\/span><\/p>\n

In the midst of all of these enemies, however, we also meet a silent enemy \u2013 the enemy of sin. We see this in the story of Bathsheba, where the \u201cman after God\u2019s own heart\u201d, commits adultery with Bathsheba and murders Uriah. This leads David to write Psalm 51:<\/span><\/p>\n

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

During David\u2019s reflection, we see how he acknowledges and confesses that only God can deliver him from sin. David understands that even at birth he is a sinner and only God can cleanse and blot all of his iniquities.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same way, we must also come before God to deliver us from the enemy of sin. We now know that Jesus came into this world, lived a sinless life and died on a cross to deliver us from sin. And now, whoever believes in the blood of Jesus, can we also be delivered from sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, let\u2019s reflect on how Jesus\u2019 sacrifice. Let us always remember that only through Jesus can we be delivered from this enemy \u2013 it is not through our works but through our faith we are saved.<\/span><\/p>\n

By: Daniel Chen<\/p>\n

\n

Day 38<\/h2>\n

April 2, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

To the End<\/span><\/h3>\n

What would your last meal be?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

We have all been there. Someone asks this question in a group, forcing us to share details of ourselves to people we barely know.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Or Mandy asks us to share this with each other on Sunday when we walk around greeting each other. (It\u2019s definitely happened!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you wonder what Jesus would say?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, we don\u2019t have to wonder, we know Jesus had unleavened bread and wine for his last meal. And most likely he had some roasted lamb, bitter herbs, charoset, the typical things for a Passover feast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
\n\u2014John 13:1<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019s last meal was the Passover feast with the disciples, the people he loved to the end. He broke bread and shared wine with the disciples, ushering in the New Covenant. He washed the disciples’ feet where he taught them one last lesson; love and serve one another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I wonder what Jesus was feeling during his last meal. Definitely a lot of mixed emotions, right? A last meal with his dear friends right before he was going to die, friends who were with him since the beginning of his ministry, friends who would all soon run and abandon him, one who would deny him three times before the rooster crowed, and one who had already set his betrayal in motion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And of course, he knew all of this before they did it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, he still chose to eat with them and to wash their feet, imparting one last humbling lesson with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, soon, he would be betrayed, thrown into jail, put on trial, and forced to carry the cross to his death the next day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day that represents the eve of Jesus\u2019s death on the cross. Let us pause and think about Jesus and how he chose to spend his final meal with the people he loved to the end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, even though we were not there with Jesus in the upper room. We see ourselves in the disciples, the flawed and human people who Jesus loved so dearly. The people who left him at his darkest time. We have all been there. Running away from him. Denying him. Abandoning him. And yet, you have given us so much grace when Jesus gave his life for us on that old rugged cross. We know you love us to the end. Please help us to love you until the very end as well. Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

love you to death<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

By: Dorcas Chang<\/p>\n

\n

Day 37<\/h2>\n

April 1, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Thirsting in a Parched Land<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

“I remember the days of old. I meditate on all that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands. I spread out my hands to you, my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.”
\n<\/em>\u2014Psalm 143<\/em>:5\u20136<\/em><\/p>\n

In the opening of this Psalm David is not just tired. He is being hunted. He describes an enemy who pursues him and crushes his life to the ground. Historically David spent years running for his life in caves and deserts while powerful men tried to kill him. This was a literal high stakes survival situation. When he says his spirit is fainting and his heart is numb he is describing the final stages of a soul that has been in flight mode for too long.<\/p>\n

While most of us are not running from literal soldiers we are often pursued by modern enemies. These enemies might be crushing debt, a toxic work environment, a broken relationship, or the constant pressure of impossible expectations. Your brain does not know the difference between a physical hunter and a psychological one. Both trigger the same alarm system. When you are chased by these enemies for months or years you end up in the state of burnout that David describes. You feel like you are living in darkness and your heart goes numb as a way to protect itself from the constant threat.<\/p>\n

The secret to breaking out of that mental prison is found in verse 5. David makes a deliberate choice to look away from the people chasing him and look back at his history with YHWH. He says: I remember the days of old. By intentionally meditating on what God has done in the past David provides his brain with evidence that his current enemy is not the end of the story.<\/p>\n

This shift in focus leads to a powerful transformation in verse 6. David moves from feeling numb and crushed to feeling a deep thirst. He compares his soul to a parched land.<\/p>\n

When you are in a state of burnout your heart often goes numb because it is trying to protect itself from feeling any more pain. It is a biological shutdown. But a numb heart cannot feel God\u2019s presence. David\u2019s solution is to intentionally create a thirst.<\/p>\n

A desert does not stay dry forever. It only looks that way because it is waiting for the rain it has seen before. David remembers the rain of God\u2019s help in his past. He is able to wait with expectation in the present. He spreads out his hands not in defeat but in a request for the God he knows will answer. The memory of the days of old is the spark that turns a cold numb heart into a thirsty one. When you start to thirst for God again it is a sign that your heart is coming back to life. You are no longer just a victim being chased; you are a seeker waiting for the Rain.<\/p>\n

This thirsty waiting is what happened on the Saturday between the death of Friday and the life of Sunday. It was the ultimate parched land day. The followers of Jesus were in the same dark room that the Psalmist describes. Their spirit was fainting and their heart was numb with grief. All they had left was memory. They had to remember the bread they broke and the miracles they saw while they waited in the silence for the rain of the Resurrection.<\/p>\n

Take a moment to name what is pursuing you today. What is the thing that makes you feel like you are being hunted or crushed? Acknowledge that you are currently in your own personal Saturday. The noise of the pursuit has gone silent and all you have is the wait. Use this time to search your history. Think about a time when a different enemy was chasing you and God sustained you. Visualize one specific moment where the rain fell in your past. If you are in silence today, let that memory move your heart from feeling numb to feeling a thirst for the Sunday that you know is coming.<\/p>\n

The Gospel Tip: The Proof Folder:<\/p>\n

When you are being pursued by stress your mind struggles to find proof that you will survive.<\/p>\n

Do This: Open a new note on your phone or find a small notebook. List five times in your life when you were at a dead end but things eventually worked out. Include the small details of how help arrived. Whenever you feel your heart going numb or your spirit fainting read through these five stories. It acts as a physical Safety Signal that tells your nervous system that while the pursuit is real the outcome is in God’s hands.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Pray Together<\/p>\n

Blessed are you, our Father in Heaven. I thank You for the hope of the Resurrection. I admit that I am currently in a season of silence and my heart feels numb from the pursuit of this world. Today I choose to look away from the things chasing me and look back at the days of old. I remember Your faithfulness on the cross and I remember Your power in my own life. I spread out my hands to You in this parched land. I am thirsty for Your presence and I believe that the same God who brought life on Easter morning will bring rain to my desert today.<\/p>\n

In the name of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n

\n

By: Dean Chao<\/p>\n

\n

Day 36<\/h2>\n

March 31, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Remembering God\u2019s Faithfulness<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cI remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2014Psalm 143:5<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

How many times has God answered our prayers?\u00a0 Do we dare to even try counting?\u00a0 I did not make a practice of writing down prayers God answered until I was 39 years old, at the suggestion of Pastor Theron.\u00a0 At the time I thought I was too old to start.\u00a0 I thought if I was going to write down a lifetime of answered prayers I should have begun much sooner.\u00a0 However, seeing the benefits of getting these written down before my memories fade I began the task.\u00a0 What was my first entry?\u00a0 Music class with Miss Mathews.\u00a0 The story I shared at the beginning of Lent.\u00a0 When I read through my entries they do not fit together neatly, they are quite an assorted mix.\u00a0 The common thread is that they glorify God for His continued goodness through a variety of life situations.\u00a0 Remembering God\u2019s faithfulness in the past serves as a reminder of His faithfulness for future challenges we have yet to experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our prayer meetings on Wednesday nights we have seen so many prayers answered.\u00a0 I will share one example.\u00a0 This happened on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.\u00a0 Jeremy told us to pray for whatever is on our hearts.\u00a0 I was suffering from allergies, and completely without thinking, I prayed for rain!\u00a0 As I was praying for rain, my brain began to ask myself what I was doing; there is no rain in the forecast and it has not rained for nearly a month, which is why everything is so dry.\u00a0 Further, the Bible warns us not to put God to the test.\u00a0 However, testing God was not my intent, and rain truly was what was on my heart.\u00a0 I trust God understood my heart was not to test Him.\u00a0 In a miraculous turn, even though there was no rain at all in the forecast, by Friday morning they mentioned on the radio there is a possibility of rain.\u00a0 At 2:30pm it started to rain, not just a little bit, it really began to dump!\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 I took a photo of it from the window, and added it to my journal of prayers answered!\u00a0 Considering all the silly things being photographed for social media, why not photograph and praise God\u2019s wonders?<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favorite Bible verses is the concluding verse in the Gospel of John.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2014John 21:25<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Was John picturing a vast library?\u00a0 There is a scene in the movie <\/span>Beauty and the Beast<\/span><\/i> where Belle is shown a library filled with countless books going up to the ceiling.\u00a0 I believe what John is talking about is far greater, not a library, no, more like a printing press!\u00a0 A stream of endless books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our stories of God\u2019s goodness may be simple or subtle, and may even go quietly unnoticed by the world.\u00a0 But these are our stories!\u00a0 Our witness that God is alive, in our midst, in our day!<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer:<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear God, May we never forget your faithfulness to us.\u00a0 Give us the courage to share our story with those who are lost.\u00a0 May we be your instruments to the world.\u00a0 Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

By: Chris Thomas<\/p>\n

\n

Day 35<\/h2>\n

March 30, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The Enemy\u2019s Pursuit<\/span><\/h3>\n

Hear my prayer, O Lord;<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 give ear to my pleas for mercy!<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!<\/em>
\nEnter not into judgment with your servant,<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 for no one living is righteous before you.
\n<\/em>For the enemy has pursued my soul;<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 he has crushed my life to the ground;<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.<\/em>
\nTherefore my spirit faints within me;<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 my heart within me is appalled.
\n<\/em>\u2014Psalm 143:1-4<\/em><\/p>\n

Lately, I\u2019ve been feeling both tired yet restless. After I finish what I\u2019m working on for the day, I feel unable to summon energy for pressing chores and errands, but I\u2019m not tired enough to collapse in bed. I sit in front of a screen and watch something and tell myself that I am merely resting before I do the chores, but I never even move towards them. \u201cGive me fifteen minutes and then I will surely do it\u201d, I tell myself.<\/p>\n

An hour passes where I am as described in verse 3, scrolling my mouse is the only effort I show, sitting in the dark and postured in my seat like I am dead. I know in my heart that I\u2019m wasting my time and I\u2019m not getting true rest, yet I still return to what\u2019s easy and convenient day after day. I want to return ownership of my life, not to my enemy, but to my master. How do I break that cycle of seeing what I want to see, instead of the truth?<\/p>\n

We must first approach God with humility. We are a servant in need of aid and healing; no one is righteous before him. Once we open our hearts this way, we can then ask for him to help us escape the pursuit of our enemy. For me the enemy is the me of yesterday, the person that was unwilling to repent or change, or admit wrong. I want to be a person that is able to say: \u201cI admit I need accountability, and discipline from God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taken from Hebrews on discipline:<\/p>\n

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined\u2014and everyone undergoes discipline\u2014then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.\u00a0<\/em>No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. \u201cMake level paths for your feet,\u201d so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
\n\u2014<\/em>Hebrews 12:7-8,11-13<\/em><\/p>\n

Are we afraid to struggle before we grow? That we might struggle in pain without seeing change? I know that I am. I can recall so many times I\u2019ve put in time and effort, yet felt the result wasn\u2019t what I wanted because of things I couldn\u2019t control. And I often felt like that meant that I was a failure; My worn down spirit was crushed.<\/p>\n

But the scripture is healing to our soul. God knows what you struggle with and shows you verses that speak to you the most when you feel downtrodden. I really appreciate these verses from Hebrews, that he would know that I need them most when I am weak willed, or ashamed of how feeble I am. He sees that my enemy is behind me every day, constantly in chase. I need God\u2019s help to outrun my enemy. I want to chase after God\u2019s will, the life that God has planned for me, and the discipleship offered to me.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray:<\/p>\n

Dear God,<\/p>\n

I have been struggling with a relentless enemy. Please hear me when I say that I have been trying to face them. You can see that I am weak, but I want to be able to stand up against them. I will undergo your training to be able to face hardship. Please let your word speak volumes to me, so that I can gather strength when I need it most. Your discipline is a shepherd\u2019s staff that I will learn to use more often, something I can lean on when I am unsteady. I ask that you can help me to rebuild my spirits every day.<\/p>\n

In Jesus name I pray,<\/p>\n

Amen<\/p>\n

By: Andy Lui<\/p>\n

\n

Day 34<\/h2>\n

March 28, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Plenteous Redemption<\/h3>\n

The Overflow of Grace
\nPsalm 130 – Plenteous Redemption \u2013 Trusting in the “overflowing” grace of Christ.<\/p>\n

The Magnetism of Steadfast Love
\nThe Psalmist begins with “waiting for the Lord,” but it is the nature of the One he is waiting for that changes everything. We often think our imperfections are reasons to hide, but in the light of Psalm 130, we see that our brokenness is actually the canvas where God\u2019s steadfast love is most vividly displayed. If our lives were perfect, we might admire God\u2019s power, but we would never fully know the depth of His heart. It is only through the lens of our own need that we truly grasp what it means to be loved by God. It is only through the brokenness of ourselves and of this world can we truly see and understand God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n

Love as the Catalyst for Change
\nAs a Christian, the realization of this love is what transforms us. We don’t change our lives to earn His affection; we change because His affection has caused us to desire Him. Because of His steadfast love, we are weak in our knees and bow down at His mercy. It is God\u2019s steadfast love that leads us to true repentance and worship. True repentance isn’t just an action of “stop doing that”; it is a response to being loved so deeply that we no longer want to do anything that grieves God, the one who has redeemed us. His love is a “plentiful” source that gives us the strength to change our actions and walk in a new direction.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Redemption
\nIn verse 7, we see that with God, there is “plentiful redemption.” This isn’t a limited resource. Because God knows we cannot achieve perfection on our own, He paid the ultimate price on the cross. His sacrifice proves a profound truth: Our imperfect lives are worth saving. He didn’t wait for us to get better to buy us back; He paid the price while we were still broken and ready to give up. True repentance is our natural response to this kind of love. It\u2019s more than just feeling guilty; it\u2019s a shift in direction. When we truly understand God\u2019s steadfast love, it will naturally lead us to repentance. This repentance leads us to acknowledge our sin and intentionally change our actions to honor the One who redeemed us.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” <\/em>
\n\u2014Psalm 130:8 <\/em><\/p>\n

Because His redemption is “plentiful” (overflowing), there is no sin too deep for His grace to reach. We don’t just receive “enough” grace to get by; we receive an abundance that transforms our character and our future.<\/p>\n

Reflection
\nIf you truly believed that God\u2019s love for you is \u2018steadfast\u2019\u2014meaning it is based on His unchanging character rather than your shifting performance\u2014how would that change the way you approach Him when you fail?” The Lord is calling you to surrender yourself to Him. Bow down and worship the Lord Almighty. It is Him and only Him who can love you for who you are, just as you are.<\/p>\n

Prayer
\nHeavenly Father, I thank You that Your love is not a reward for my perfection, but a lifeline for my brokenness. I confess that I often try to hide my flaws, forgetting that they are the very places where Your grace shines brightest. Lord, let Your steadfast love be the gravity that pulls me toward true repentance. I don\u2019t want to just be sorry for my sin; I want to be so overwhelmed by Your kindness that I am empowered to turn away from it and walk in Your ways. Thank You for the ‘plenteous redemption’ found in Christ\u2014a debt paid in full so that I can live in freedom. In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen.<\/p>\n

Reflection Song: Absolutely<\/a><\/p>\n

By: Kelsey Chen<\/p>\n

\n

Day 33<\/h2>\n

March 27, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking for the Morning<\/h3>\n

\u201cOut of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
\n<\/em>Lord, hear my voice.
\n<\/em>Let your ears be attentive
\n<\/em>to my cry for mercy\u201d
\n\u2014Psalm 130:1-2 NIV<\/em><\/p>\n

I love running cross country. It is a fun three to six miles per day and it helps me relieve stress. Additionally, cross country keeps my ego in check. It is a humbling experience to be running into a strong headwind, with achy legs and chest, and knowing that I cannot do this alone. Cross country brings me closer to Christ, because it constantly reminds me that my physical and mental strength is, well\u2026 weak. Most of my 5k and longer races tell the same story. In one race, I went too fast off the starting line, I was doing really well in mile 1. My only problem was that it was a 3 mile race. Maybe I had not drunk enough water. I felt really achy. Oh, maybe I did not stretch enough either. I am going to blame the really strong headwind. There is no way I am surviving this. I have nothing left. Oww.. my chest aches, ow.. oww.. owww, I am so so tired. Just one more step, just one more step, ugh there\u2019s too many more steps. I hope I do not fall into this lake.<\/p>\n

And I still had two miles left to go!<\/p>\n

Nooooooooooooooooo.<\/p>\n

That felt like absolute darkness to me.<\/p>\n

My times of darkness in cross country are the times I feel most close to Christ, because He is merciful and can make the darkness possible to bear. There is nothing I have or can do except bring it all to Him in prayer. I prayed that I could feel his presence and power with me as I finished these two miles. After a few steps, I felt some of the Sunday worship songs start filling my mind. Through the Sunday songs, I felt his presence and power surround me. The peace and hope from the songs helped give me strength and perseverance to reach that finish line and end the race! I love Sunday church songs because singing them is when I feel closest to Christ.<\/p>\n

Dear Lord, I pray that in my darkness, I will bring my struggles to you. I know that you will show mercy and deliver me from those troubling times because you are more than a million times greater than my darkness. Amen.<\/p>\n

By: Mabel Thomas<\/p>\n

\n

Day 32<\/h2>\n

March 26, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

My Soul Waits<\/span><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve always thought of myself as a pretty patient person\u2026 that was until I had kids. Children will really test your patience \u2013 its almost like their goal is to figure out the exact limit of your patience. I really admire the teachers that might be reading this post for the holy patience to endure many children on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

Patience, however, is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We are taught throughout Scripture to be patient (James 5:7-11) and we see Jesus and God as examples of patience (2 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 Peter 3:20).<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean patience is easy though. But it is an important discipline to learn.<\/p>\n

In 2023, I realized I had made a major mistake in my previous tax returns costing me a lot in extra taxes paid across many years. I filed for amendments for all of the years and received refunds fairly quickly for most of them. The one year that I had difficulty with was\u2026 2020 (COVID). The IRS states it can take up to 20 weeks for refunds but even after 20 weeks, my refund was nowhere to be found. After some point, I figured that maybe it was lost but one thing I remember doing was praying everyday that I would receive my refund. I did this every day as part of my daily prayer for one and a half years\u2026 until I finally did receive a direct deposit into my account.<\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it have been great if I got the refund sooner? Maybe. Were there times where that money might have helped a lot? Probably. But in my life, I\u2019ve realized that God\u2019s timing is strangely perfect. There were times in my life where I felt financially pinched and God came through. There were times in my life where I felt like God closed doors that should have been open but everything worked out at the end. I don\u2019t know if you all have stories like these but I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your life. Reflect on times in your life where patience was rewarded by God. Reflect on times in your life where maybe you thought you knew better but God had better plans. Reflect on where you are now and how you got to this place.<\/p>\n

Its fitting that we have been recently studying the story of Joseph during Sunday service. Joseph is a great example for us to follow. Throughout his life, Joseph did nothing wrong\u2014he excelled at what he did, he made the right decisions and he was a blessing to those around him. However, his life just kept getting worse and worse to the point of ending up in a dungeon. That\u2019s pretty rough. It was Joseph\u2019s patience, however, that saved his family\u2019s lives. Through Joseph\u2019s struggle and patience, was he finally lifted to one of the highest positions of power to save his family from famine. Let us be encouraged by Joseph\u2019s story\u2014God will be faithful to bless the patient.<\/p>\n

By: Daniel Chen<\/p>\n

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Day 31<\/h2>\n

March 25, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fear of God<\/h3>\n

The Desperate Cry
\nPsalm 130 begins in the trenches of the human soul. The Psalmist isn’t just asking for a favor; the Psalmist is pleading for God to hear his voice. He recognizes a fundamental truth: if God kept a running tally of our failures, none of us would remain standing.<\/p>\n

The Weight of All Our Sins
\nVerse 3 poses a chilling question: ‘If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities… who could stand?’ Imagine a life where every missed mark and hidden thought was etched into a ledger you had to carry. We often talk about ‘bearing our cross,’ but if we had to bear the true weight of our own sins, we wouldn’t even be able to lift it. The gravity of our debt would pin us to the ground.<\/p>\n

The Fear That Draws Us Near
\nIf we had to bear the full weight of our sins alone, the shame would be paralyzing; we would never be able to look up, let alone face the Lord. There is a tension in the Christian life: God is infinitely approachable, yet because we are so aware of the gravity of our sin, we often hesitate. We struggle to admit our wrongs because we know they are shameful.<\/p>\n

However, the “fear of the Lord” mentioned here isn’t the fear of a hiding criminal; it is a respectable, holy awe.<\/p>\n

We know that God is fundamentally good and that His love for us is unchanging. Therefore, the “fear” we feel is actually the weight of His mercy. It is the humbling realization of what it cost Him to forgive us. We don’t hide from Him in terror; we bow before Him in reverence, knowing that the only reason we can stand at all is because of the grace He so freely gives.<\/p>\n

The Great Exchange
\nThis is where humility sets in. We are not standing because we are strong; we are standing because Christ took the weight. The pain and heaviness that should have been on our backs was transferred to His. Our gratitude stems from knowing the cross He carried was heavy with our story, so that our story could be defined by His grace.<\/p>\n

The Purpose of Forgiveness
\nThe Psalmist reminds us that God doesn’t forgive us so we can be complacent. He forgives us ‘that you may be feared.’ This isn’t a heart-pounding terror, but a breathtaking awe. When we realize the magnitude of what we\u2019ve been released from, the only natural response is a life of deep, holy respect and worship to the Lord Almighty.<\/p>\n

Questions for Personal Reflection
\nIf you were to stand before God today based solely on your own actions this week, how would you feel? Is there a specific “iniquity” you are still trying to carry or hide, rather than handing it over to the One who already bore it?<\/p>\n

Psalm 130:4 says forgiveness leads to “fear” (reverence). Does the fact that you are forgiven make you feel “casual” about sin, or does it leave you in a state of wonder at the cost of that grace?<\/p>\n

Prayer
\nHeavenly Father,<\/p>\n

I come before You acknowledging that if You kept a record of my sins, I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. The weight of my own failures is a burden too heavy for me to lift, let alone carry. Thank You for the Great Exchange\u2014that the heaviness I feel was placed on the shoulders of Your Son, Jesus.<\/p>\n

Lord, forgive me for the times I let shame keep me at a distance. Help me to remember that You are approachable not because I am good, but because You are merciful. May the reality of Your forgiveness strike a holy awe in my heart today. Let me live in a “respectable fear” that isn’t afraid of Your anger, but is completely overwhelmed by Your love. Teach me to stand tall in Your grace.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n

Song for Reflection: Oceans<\/a><\/p>\n

By: Kelsey Chen<\/p>\n

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Day 30<\/h2>\n

March 24, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

No Record of Sins<\/h3>\n
\n

Often when I think about sin, I also think of a record book: tallies of failure, memories of past mistakes, or a sense that what we\u2019ve done will always define us. It\u2019s easy to imagine God as someone who keeps a careful record, marking every mistake we\u2019ve made and holding it against us. However the Bible reveals a very different picture of who God is and how He deals with our sin.<\/p>\n

In Psalm 130, the writer asks, \u201cIf You, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?\u201d However the very next verse proclaims hope: \u201cBut with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You.\u201d God\u2019s forgiveness is not partial or hesitant. He chooses not to keep a record of our iniquities.<\/p>\n

Throughout Scripture we see that God\u2019s mercy is not about overlooking sin casually, but about removing it completely. In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. When the prodigal son returns burdened by failure and shame, the father does not review his mistakes or demand an explanation. Instead he runs to him and embraces him, restoring him fully. The son immediately receives his father\u2019s forgiveness and is welcomed back to his family.<\/p>\n

We can apply this parable to our personal lives too. Because God does not mark our iniquities we are able to stand in humility, worship, and thankfulness. We become grateful for the mercy and love that God has shown us throughout our sinful lives.<\/p>\n

Prayer:
\nDear God, thank You for not keeping a record of our sins. We are grateful for Your mercy and for the freedom to stand before You forgiven and loved. Help us to live in gratitude and walk in your grace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By: Winfield Zhang<\/p>\n

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Day 29<\/h2>\n

March 23, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of the Depths<\/h3>\n

Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord!<\/em>
\nLord, hear my voice!<\/em>
\nLet thy ears be attentive<\/em>
\nto the voice of my supplications!<\/em>
\n\u2014 Psalm 130:1-2 RSV<\/em><\/p>\n

A while back, I was presented at work with a difficult problem. It had open-ended criteria and was unlike anything I had built before. There was no clear path and no existing solution to follow. For weeks, it gnawed at me. I would spend my days building, testing, and scrapping ideas at work and then go home and lie awake at 2am with the same unresolved questions still turning in my head. On the outside, everything looked fine. I showed up and did my job and everything else normally. But underneath, it was pulling me down further with every passing day. The worst part was the isolation of it. I really got the sense that no one around me could fully grasp what I was carrying, and that I had no one to hand it to. I felt alone under the weight of it as a result of that.<\/p>\n

That feeling of drowning privately while the world moves normally around you is exactly what Psalm 130 is reaching for when it speaks of the depths. The word in Hebrew refers to the deep waters of the ocean, which may at first glance seem a bit odd to use as a metaphor. However, the deep waters were a source of dread to many ancient peoples, including the Israelites, and God used them to great effect in many of the Bible stories we know from the parting of the Red Sea to the most dramatic with the flood. But even there, given the weight of this place that we have been placed in, the passage tells us we are not to be afraid, and we have God to lift our voices to. Jonah knew this place in the most literal sense imaginable. He was swallowed whole, sealed in darkness, surrounded by water on every side with no visible way out. And it was there, at the absolute bottom of it, that he prayed. Jonah 2:7 states:<\/p>\n

“When my soul fainted within me,<\/em>
\nI remembered the Lord;<\/em>
\nand my prayer came to thee,<\/em>
\ninto thy holy temple.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Eventually, almost out of exhaustion more than anything else during my struggle, I turned to God in prayer. He didn’t hand me the answer on a silver platter and I didn’t expect Him to. But something shifted in the act of bringing it to Him. The weight became something I was no longer carrying entirely alone, and slowly, I found my way through. There are moments in life that are simply too heavy, too tangled, or too raw to bring to another person. Not because no one cares, but because some things resist being put into words. They just sit there, beneath the surface, out of sight. Yet the depths are never beyond His hearing, and what we cannot say to anyone else, we can still bring to Him. Isaiah 43:2 states the following:<\/p>\n

“When you pass through the waters I will be with you;<\/em>
\nand through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;<\/em>
\nwhen you walk through fire you shall not be burned,<\/em>
\nand the flame shall not consume you.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Are you in the depths right now? We don’t have to pretend everything is fine when the fire is all around us. God’s invitation to cry out is not reserved for crises that look dramatic from the outside. It extends to the parent lying awake over a child they don’t know how to reach anymore. To the person managing a chronic illness that has no clean ending, just another day of enduring what others can’t see. To the one quietly absorbing financial pressure, keeping the fear off their face while the numbers don’t add up. To anyone sitting in a room full of people while feeling entirely alone inside it. These are the depths too. And if you look around, your brother or sister next to you may be underwater in ways you cannot see. So like the writer of Psalm 130 suggests, let us cry out and pray to God now.<\/p>\n

Lord, I admit that I am in the depths due to issues that have dragged me under. Yet, despite that, I am thankful for you always being there for me through the despair and hopelessness. Please help me to call out to you, to trust you, and for me to know that you are there for me even in such places. I pray that for me and others like me, you are able to grant wisdom, mercy, and peace. I hope that through that, you are able to liberate us from this weight that has been dragging us down and that we are able to overcome. Thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.<\/p>\n

By: Simon Lui<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Day 28<\/h2>\n

March 21, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

A Universe is Inside of You<\/h3>\n

Deep calls to deep<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 at the roar of your waterfalls;<\/span>
\n<\/span>all your breakers and your waves<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 have gone over me.
\n<\/span><\/em>\u2014Psalm 42:7<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The first time I heard the phrase \u201cdeep calls to deep\u201d was in a song at church in my youth. I can\u2019t remember the song but those words \u201cdeep calls to deep\u201d resonated deeply with me before I knew what those four words meant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Deep calls to deep.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I imagined the never ending depths of an ocean, <\/span>the night sky reaching out as far as the eye can see,\u00a0<\/span>and galaxies stretching out beyond my imagination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A black hole calling out to another black hole,\u00a0<\/span>a humble black hole asking the grand black hole . . . what is inside of me?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLonging,\u201d the grand black hole said to me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first time I felt longing was when my mother died. I wanted to fast forward through life and see her once more. I wanted time to hurry up so I could cross this earthly divide.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have never wanted to see someone so much the moment I couldn\u2019t anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And this is the lesson that the grand black hole taught me in death, that longing happens in the heartbreak, in the broken dreams, in the space where my unmet desires seem like they will never be fulfilled,\u00a0<\/span>where time feels still and I fear I will never see my mother again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For we know that <\/span>the whole creation <\/span>has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
\n\u2014Romans 8:22<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

I am not the only one longing, all of creation is groaning. <\/span>We want justice for all the tears we cried, the blood that we shed, the wars that we started.\u00a0<\/span>We want things to be made right.\u00a0<\/span>You see, we never wanted to lose paradise, so why must we suffer because of one man’s mistake?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou thought you were calling out to me and I wasn\u2019t answering, isn\u2019t that right? \u201d the grand black hole whispered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh.<\/span><\/p>\n

How arrogant of me to call myself the humble black hole.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And this is the second lesson the grand black hole taught me. <\/span>He is the one calling out to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God longs for us. Why else did He send Jesus?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s love is deeper, it\u2019s calling to us, since before we were born, it was there all along, wrapped up in the wind that swirled around in Eden, etched in the stars in the night sky that Abraham looked at, <\/span>in the warmth of the sunlight that filled my house in the days after my mother passed\u00a0<\/span>and on that rugged cross, where hope met eternity through death, the most sorrowful, painful, ugly and and beautiful thing to ever happened to us.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s love is deeper still, deeper than ever. It\u2019s calling to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Friends, as we prepared for Easter, have you searched inside yourself to find this longing? You are a black hole, a universe is inside of you. No one can ever understand this universe fully, not even you. Only God understands the universe He created inside of you. This universe was meant for Him and only Him. Don\u2019t give it to anyone else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you travel deep enough, you will find what you\u2019ve been searching for.<\/span><\/p>\n

God is calling. What are you waiting for?<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you going to go deeper?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Father and Child song – <\/span>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0z83ZtnywSY&list=RD0z83ZtnywSY&start_radio=1<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

By: Dorcas Chang<\/p>\n

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Day 27<\/h2>\n

March 20, 2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

The Constant in the Chaos<\/span><\/h3>\n

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.<\/em>
\n\u2014Psalm 102:25-26<\/em><\/p>\n

The Cry of the Weary (Psalm 102:1-11)
\nPsalm 102:1-11 begins in deep distress, describing a physical and emotional burnout that feels incredibly modern. He uses vivid imagery to describe his frailty:<\/p>\n