希伯来书 13:15-21

2026-07-31

蜜蜂的祝福

“但愿赐平安的神，就是那……使我主耶稣，从死里复活的神……又藉着耶稣基督在你们心里行他所喜悦的事……” - 希伯来书 13:20-21

做养蜂人真是一个福份。我的希望是在这个过程中，植物、生物和神其他的创造都因此得益。在任何健康的关系中，祝福都是相向的。作为一个养蜂的人，我知道我得到的多过我付出的。我认识并且被蜜蜂的群体生活启发，它们认可和表彰每一个成员，一起作工和服侍，又能好好沟通，还有很多其他的优点。此外，我更能享受和与人分享蜜蜂所出产的香甜蜜糖，又为蜜糖能带来健康上的益处感恩。

《希伯来书》13章20-21节提到的祝福，清楚表明神的祝福临到我们，并且透过我们倾流出去。“平安”是指《圣经》中有关希伯来语“shalom”的教训——就是在与神和祂的子民同在的蓬勃滋养环境中，那种身体与灵魂得到的安康。我们因自己的任性成为破碎的人，我们十分需要被引领进入shalom。若要回复蓬勃和安康，便需要我们的大牧人的救援、滋养、保护和引导。

没有养蜂的人，蜜蜂或许还能应付得来，但如果人类没有牧者，问题就严重了。人类破坏和糟蹋了神的创造，又这样互相对待。唯有耶稣能担当“大牧人”的角色，祂拯救我们，又“在你们心里行他所喜悦的事”。这是多么美丽的祝福！你有没有在享受这福气，并且与人分享呢？

祷告

赐平安的主，求你装备我们，又藉着耶稣在我们中间工作，把祝福带进这世界，又把荣耀归给你。阿们。

Hebrews 13:15-21

FRIDAY, JULY 31

THE BLESSING OF BEES

Now may the God of peace, who . . . brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus . . . work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ. . . . —Hebrews 13:20-21

It has been a blessing to be a beekeeper. My hope is that— in the process—plants, creatures, and other parts of God’s creation have benefited. In any healthy relationship, blessings flow both ways. Being a beekeeper, I know that I have received more than I have given. I have learned about and been inspired by the bees’ life in community, recognizing and honoring all members, working and serving together, communicating well, and much more. In addition, I’ve been able to enjoy and share the sweet honey made by bees, and to give thanks for the health benefits it brings.

The blessing from Hebrews 13:20-21 reflects well the flow of God’s blessings to us and through us. “Peace” refers to the biblical teaching of shalom— physical and spiritual well-being in a flourishing, nurturing environment with God and his people. Shattered by our waywardness, we desperately need to be shepherded into shalom. Our great shepherd’s rescue, nurture, protection, and guidance are all necessary for our restored thriving and well-being.

While honeybees may do reasonably well without a beekeeper, human beings do not do well without a shepherd. People wreck and ruin God’s creation and one another. Only Jesus fills the role of “great shepherd,” coming to rescue us and to “work in us what is pleasing to him.” What a beautiful blessing! Are you experiencing and sharing it?

Lord of shalom, equip us and work in us through Jesus to bring blessing into your world and bring glory to you. Amen.

路加福音 24:1-12

1 七日的头一日，黎明的时候，那些妇女带着所预备的香料来到坟墓前， 2 看见石头已经从坟墓滚开了。 3 她们就进去，只是不见主耶稣的身体。 4 正在猜疑之间，忽然有两个人站在旁边，衣服放光。 5 妇女们惊怕，将脸伏地。那两个人就对她们说：“为什么在死人中找活人呢？ 6 他不在这里，已经复活了。当记念他还在加利利的时候怎样告诉你们， 7 说：‘人子必须被交在罪人手里，钉在十字架上，第三日复活。’” 8 她们就想起耶稣的话来， 9 便从坟墓那里回去，把这一切事告诉十一个使徒和其余的人。 10 那告诉使徒的就是抹大拉的马利亚和约亚拿，并雅各的母亲马利亚，还有与她们在一处的妇女。 11 她们这些话使徒以为是胡言，就不相信。 12 彼得起来，跑到坟墓前，低头往里看，见细麻布独在一处，就回去了，心里稀奇所成的事。

2026-07-30

春天

“为什么在死人中找活人呢？他不在这里，已经复活了！” - 路加福音 24:5-6

冬天过后，我在初春时察看我们的蜜蜂，令我想起在耶稣的坟墓中，那些天使问妇女们的问题：“为什么在死人中找活人呢？”经过一个漫长的冬天，很多蜂巢会变成“死群”了，对一个养蜜蜂的人来说，最大的希望是幸存的蜂后和工蜂能使蜂巢复活。

人类、动物、昆虫、植物和整个创造生命，都是循环性的。这个循环—出生、活着和死亡—是既愉快又邪恶、既明亮又阴沉的，然后又轮到下一代了。蜂巢复活能带来希望，但终局又已在眼前了。很多人会就此作罢，但我们也可以问：“难道就是这样无奈吗？”

那些曾经跟从耶稣的男男女女来到祂的坟墓，准备在死人中找死人。所以当他们面对耶稣已经从死里复活的意外时，自然是非常震惊！跟随耶稣的人开始明白，祂是今天、明天、直到永远都活着的。

跟随耶稣的人庆祝一个永存的春天。在耶稣复活后，《圣经》称祂为死了的人的“初熟果子。”作为祂的跟随者，我们能分享祂击败死亡的胜利。我们跟随耶稣出死入生，深信在祂里面，我们有复活的生命，可以永远相信这位复活和永活的救主！

祷告

创造的神，感谢你“藉着耶稣基督从死里复活，重生了我们，叫我们有活泼的盼望”（《彼得前书》1:3）。求你藉着你的圣灵活在我们里面、又使用我们把你活出来。阿们。

Luke 24:1-12

THURSDAY, JULY 30

SPRINGTIME

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” —Luke 24:5-6

When winter has passed and I check on our bees in the early spring, I think of the question the angels asked the women at Jesus’ tomb: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Many beehives become “dead-outs” after a long winter. The best hope for a beekeeper is that the hive will be able to be revived by the surviving queen and worker bees.

The lives of people, animals, insects, plants, and all creation are cyclical. The cycle—birth, life, and death--can be both delightful and vicious, and both bright and dreary. Then the next generation takes its turn. The revival of a honeybee hive can be hopeful, and yet there’s an end in sight. Many people settle for that, but we may also ask, “Is that all there is?”

The men and women who had followed Jesus went to his tomb expecting to find the dead among the dead. So it was shocking to be confronted with the surprise that Jesus had risen from the dead! As Jesus’ followers have come to know, he is alive today, tomorrow, and forever.

Jesus’ followers celebrate an everlasting spring. After his resurrection, Bible passages call him “the firstfruits” of those who have died. As his followers, we share in his victory over death. We follow Jesus from death into life, certain that in him we have resurrection life. We can trust the risen and living Savior forever!

Creator God, thank you for giving us “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Live in and through us, we pray, by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

诗篇 8

1 耶和华我们的主啊，你的名在全地何其美，你将你的荣耀彰显于天！ 2 你因敌人的缘故，从婴孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力，使仇敌和报仇的闭口无言。 3 我观看你指头所造的天，并你所陈设的月亮星宿， 4 便说：“人算什么，你竟顾念他？世人算什么，你竟眷顾他？ 5 你叫他比天使微小一点，并赐他荣耀尊贵为冠冕。 6 你派他管理你手所造的，使万物，就是一切的牛羊，田野的兽，空中的鸟，海里的鱼，凡经行海道的，都服在他的脚下。” 9 耶和华我们的主啊，你的名在全地何其美！

2026-07-29

“救救蜜蜂！”

“你叫（人）比天使微小一点，并赐他荣耀尊贵为冠冕。” - 诗篇 8:5

幸好今天有很多团体都在留意蜜蜂的健康状况。自从那CCD的警报（参考7月28日所说的）发出后，政府和养蜂人士采取了一些补救的行动，因此蜜蜂的数量大致稳定下来。但一个对这些传播花粉者更大的潜伏危机，正迫在眉睫，就是野蜂的数量正在减少。在全球开花植物和树木花粉传播的事上，这些野蜂负上百份之80的责任。失去蜜蜂对农作物、经济、野生动物和环境所造成的灾难性伤害，实在无法估计。

人类的贪婪和疏忽，使用杀虫药，以及危害蜜蜂之自然环境，所带来的破坏实在是举足轻重的。因此，全球都兴起了“救救蜜蜂！”的运动，这和以前的“救救地球！”及其他运动相仿。

按《诗篇》第8篇所说的，人类对蜜蜂和自己环境的破坏，实在是很讽剌的。作为按照神的形像被造的人类，有幸被委派去智慧地管理神的创造和祂的受造物，但当我们误用神的美好创造，便伤害了自己，甚至伤害了整个创造。

好消息是，在耶稣基督里一个完全的人已到来了，祂为我们恢复了真实护理神的创造的角色。让我们去学习，并尽我们所能，去护理我们所居住的世界吧。

祷告

主啊，全地和其中所有都是属你的。求你加力给我们，为着你的旨意和荣耀，去重修你的创造。阿们。

Psalm 8

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29

“SAVE THE BEES!”

You have made [human beings] a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. —Psalm 8:5

Thankfully, many organizations are tracking the health of honeybees today. Since the alarming announcement of CCD (see July 28), some corrective actions have been taken by beekeepers and governments. As a result, honeybee populations have mainly stabilized. However, a hidden disaster for pollinators is looming ever larger. Wild bee populations are dying off too. These other bees pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants and trees worldwide. The catastrophic cost of losing bees would be inestimable for farming, economies, wildlife, and the environment.

Human greed and carelessness play an outsize role in the use of pesticides and the ongoing habitat loss that threaten bees. As a result, “Save the bees!” movements have sprouted up around the globe. These campaigns are similar to calls to “Save the planet” and other efforts in past years.

In light of Psalm 8, humanity’s threat to bees and to our own environment is ironic. Human beings, made in God’s image, have the honor to care wisely for God’s creation and his creatures. But when we mismanage God’s good creation, we harm ourselves and all creation as well.

The good news is that the perfect human has come in Jesus Christ to restore us to our role of truly caring for God’s creation. Let’s learn and do what we can to care for the world we live in.

Lord, the earth and everything in it is yours. Empower us to restore your creation for your purposes and glory. Amen.

马太福音 24:1-14

1 耶稣出了圣殿，正走的时候，门徒进前来，把殿宇指给他看。 2 耶稣对他们说：“你们不是看见这殿宇吗？我实在告诉你们：将来在这里没有一块石头留在石头上不被拆毁了。” 3 耶稣在橄榄山上坐着，门徒暗暗地来，说：“请告诉我们，什么时候有这些事？你降临和世界的末了有什么预兆呢？” 4 耶稣回答说：“你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们。 5 因为将来有好些人冒我的名来，说：‘我是基督’，并且要迷惑许多人。 6 你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声，总不要惊慌，因为这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。 7 民要攻打民，国要攻打国，多处必有饥荒、地震， 8 这都是灾难的起头。 9 那时，人要把你们陷在患难里，也要杀害你们；你们又要为我的名被万民恨恶。 10 “那时，必有许多人跌倒，也要彼此陷害、彼此恨恶， 11 且有好些假先知起来，迷惑多人。 12 只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了。 13 唯有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 14 这天国的福音要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然后末期才来到。

2026-07-28

蜂群崩溃

“你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声，总不要惊慌，因为这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。” - 马太福音 24:6

大概二十年前，全球都响起了一个对各地的蜜蜂的庞大威胁警报。这被命名为蜂群崩溃症（CCD）的灾害，导至在2006到2007年之间，全球大约百份之十的蜜蜂死去。有人问：“这是否蜜蜂走向灭亡的开始？”CCD也被预测对农作物、人类和其他地球上的生物有灾难性的影响。虽然CCD的威胁近年已减少了一点，但那种恐慌和悬疑仍是存在的。

在耶稣传道期间，祂的跟随者对“世界的末了”感到忧虑，而耶稣对他们那些有关末世的灾难，和祂再来的担忧所作出的回应，是有点神秘，令人费解。战争、灾难、逼迫、假先知／救主，祂称这些持续不断的恐怖事件为“生产之难”。在耶稣的日子之前直到如今，很多的灾难和疾病陆续出现和消逝，CCD和新冠肺炎只不过是我们这个时代的新产品而已。

耶稣说：“因为这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。”所以我们要留意祂的话：“你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们。”我们要忠心跟随祂，彰显怜悯，传扬神国降临的好消息。

祷告

耶稣啊，感谢你救我们脱离魔鬼的迷惑和我们难以控制的焦虑。求你叫我们警醒，又充满信心地宣扬你是掌管着整个世界的。阿们。

Matthew 24:1-14

TUESDAY, JULY 28

COLONY COLLAPSE

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” —Matthew 24:6

About 20 years ago, a massive threat to honeybees everywhere on our planet was fearfully announced. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was named and blamed for about 10 percent of hives’ dying off in 2006-2007. “Would this be the beginning of the end for honeybees?” we wondered. The effects of CCD on crops were also forecast to be catastrophic for humans and for other life on the planet. While the threat of CCD has decreased a bit recently, the menace and mystery remain.

Back in the days of Jesus’ teaching ministry, his followers worried about “the end of the age.” And Jesus’ response to their concerns about end-time catastrophes and his coming again is somewhat puzzling and mysterious. Wars, disasters, persecutions, and false teachers/messiahs are ongoing terrors that he calls “the beginning of birth pains.” Since those days and long before them, disasters and disorders have come and gone. CCD and the COVID-19 pandemic are just a couple of new arrivals in our era today.

Jesus said, “Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” So we need to listen to his words: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” And we need to remain faithful in following him—showing mercy and bringing the good news of God’s coming kingdom.

Jesus, thank you for rescuing us from the devil’s deceptions and our wayward anxieties. Make us watchful and confident in proclaiming that you have the whole world in your hands. Amen.

以弗所书 6:10-18

10 我还有末了的话，你们要靠着主，倚赖他的大能大力做刚强的人。 11 要穿戴神所赐的全副军装，就能抵挡魔鬼的诡计。 12 因我们并不是与属血气的争战，乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这幽暗世界的，以及天空属灵气的恶魔争战。 13 所以，要拿起神所赐的全副军装，好在磨难的日子抵挡仇敌；并且成就了一切，还能站立得住。 14 所以要站稳了，用真理当做带子束腰，用公义当做护心镜遮胸， 15 又用平安的福音当做预备走路的鞋穿在脚上。 16 此外，又拿着信德当做藤牌，可以灭尽那恶者一切的火箭； 17 并戴上救恩的头盔，拿着圣灵的宝剑，就是神的道。 18 靠着圣灵，随时多方祷告祈求，并要在此警醒不倦，为众圣徒祈求；

2026-07-27

我们的争战

“我们并不是与属血气的争战，乃是与……管辖这幽暗世界的，以及天空属灵的恶魔争战。” - 以弗所书 6:12

在我们最近搬进的房子旁边，有一个樱桃园，我以为盛开的美丽樱花对我们所养的蜜蜂，将会是一个很好的花粉和花蜜的来源。因此，当有一天我见到一架拖拉机在园中行走，并向樱桃树喷杀虫药时，我非常震惊，我知道这些眼看不见的毒药会伤害蜜蜂。虽然园主说可以在蜜蜂晚上回巢时才喷杀虫药，但我知道蜜蜂仍会受到伤害。

蜜蜂要与很多看得见和看不见的敌人争战，包括它们要防御的杀虫药。这一代和其后几代的蜜蜂，会受到无法修复的损害，很多蜜蜂因此死亡，甚至整个蜂巢都被摧毁了。

在写给以弗所跟随基督者的信的结尾中，保罗提醒他的听众，我们主要的争战对象，是受魔鬼指使的隐形势力和强大的敌人。在我们周围和在我们里面，可以见到很多威胁我们的势力，但我们也需要留意那些隐形的和看不见的仇敌。我们一生都要“作刚强的人”，也要使用神所赐的全副军队，“倚赖他的大能大力”来保护和扶持我们。愿我们能忠心地抵挡魔鬼和它的诡计。

祷告

主啊，求你加力，使我们能使用你所赐的全副军装去抵御属灵的敌人。惟愿我们能与所有跟随基督的人一起，在耶稣里靠赖你站立得稳。阿们。

Ephesian 6:10-18

MONDAY, JULY 27

OUR STRUGGLE

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the . . . powers of this dark world and . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. —Ephesians 6:12

When we moved to our latest home near a cherry orchard, I imagined that the beautiful cherry blossoms would be a great source of pollen and nectar for our bees. So I was horrified one day to see a tractor rolling through the orchard and spraying insecticide on the cherry trees. I knew the unseen poison would likely harm the bees. The orchard owner offered to spray in the evening when the bees would be in their hives. Yet I knew the bees would be hurt.

Honeybees struggle with a host of seen and unseen enemies, including insecticides, from which they need to be defended. First and following generations of bees may be harmed beyond repair, bringing about the demise and death of many bees and even entire hives.

Toward the end of his letter to Christ-followers in Ephesus, Paul reminds his listeners that our main struggle is against invisible forces and powerful enemies directed by the devil. Legions of threatening forces can be seen all around and within, yet we must also be aware of the invisible and unseen foes. Throughout life we need to “be strong in the Lord.” And we must make use of every weapon God provides to defend and sustain us “in his mighty power.” May we serve God faithfully against the devil and his schemes.

Lord, empower us to use all the weapons you provide for our defense against spiritual enemies. Together with all Christfollowers, may we stand firm as we depend on you, in Jesus. Amen.

诗篇 13

1 耶和华啊，你忘记我要到几时呢？要到永远吗？你掩面不顾我要到几时呢？ 2 我心里筹算，终日愁苦，要到几时呢？我的仇敌升高压制我，要到几时呢？ 3 耶和华我的神啊，求你看顾我，应允我，使我眼目光明，免得我沉睡至死， 4 免得我的仇敌说“我胜了他”，免得我的敌人在我摇动的时候喜乐。 5 但我倚靠你的慈爱，我的心因你的救恩快乐。 6 我要向耶和华歌唱，因他用厚恩待我。

2026-07-26

熬过冰冷黑暗的日子

“我倚靠你的慈爱，我的心因你的救恩快乐。我要向耶和华歌唱，因他用厚恩待我。” - 诗篇 13:5-6

很多人时常会问一个有关蜜蜂的问题：“它们是怎样熬过严寒的冬天的？”答案是工蜂会紧紧地围绕着蜂后，它们用头对着在中间的蜂后，然后震动（颤抖）肌肉来产生热力给蜂后和自己。它们也会不断对调位置，使在外层的工蜂有机会转入内层取暖，不会变得太冷。它们储存的食物能供应它们继续维持下去所需的能量。

《诗篇》13篇主要问的是“主啊，要到几时呢？”这个问题反映出他们为到忍受敌人的攻击和胜利，而深感失望。在这段又长又黑暗的日子，诗人面对敌人的威胁和压迫，却没有得到任何舒缓，正在苦苦挣扎。

有时生命中的挣扎和挫折，也会令我们有这种感受。我也曾经这样怀疑过，是否因为我自己制造出来的问题，又或者也是因为要与我们的世界那些无情的邪恶搏斗，以致感到迷失呢？我们会同样的疑问：“我们怎样能熬得过呢？”

今天的最后的几节经文，为我们提供了一个极有帮助的答案。诗人回想主不朽的爱和恩慈，就怀着盼望向前，并且流露出有主的救恩的喜乐。愿我们认定，主每天都信实地维持和保护我们的生命！

祷告

主啊，当我们在那些寒冷和黑暗的日子中挣扎时，求你看顾我们，又赐亮光给我们的眼睛。求你引导我们信靠你和忠心称颂你。阿们。

Psalm 13

SUNDAY, JULY 26

SURVIVING COLD, DARK TIMES

I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me. —Psalm 13:5

A question many people ask about honeybees is “How do they survive the cold months of winter?” The answer is that worker bees form a tight cluster around the queen, with their heads pointed toward her in the center. Then they vibrate (shiver) their muscles to generate heat for the queen and themselves. They also shift positions constantly from the warm, inner core to the outer layers of the cluster so that the bees on the outside don’t get too cold. And their stored food gives them the energy to keep going.

The main question of Psalm 13 is “How long, LORD?” This question expresses deep dismay over having to endure the attacks and successes of an enemy. The psalmist seems to have wrestled with this enemy’s threats and advances for a long, dark time without relief.

Sometimes our struggles and setbacks in life can make us feel that way too. I have also engaged in this kind of wondering if I am lost in troubles of my own making and/or in struggles with the relentless wickedness in our world. A common question is “How are we going to get through this?”

A helpful response is in the psalmist’s closing lines. The writer recalls the Lord’s unfailing love and goodness and looks ahead with hope, expressing joy in the Lord’s salvation. May we recognize that the Lord faithfully sustains and preserves our lives each day!

Lord, look on us and give light to our eyes amid the cold, dark days of our struggles. Guide us to trust in you and praise you faithfully. Amen.

耶利米哀歌 3:19-27

19 耶和华啊，求你记念我如茵陈和苦胆的困苦窘迫！ 20 我心想念这些，就在里面忧闷。 21 我想起这事，心里就有指望。 22 我们不致消灭，是出于耶和华诸般的慈爱，是因他的怜悯不至断绝。 23 每早晨这都是新的，你的诚实极其广大。 24 我心里说：“耶和华是我的份，因此我要仰望他。” 25 凡等候耶和华，心里寻求他的，耶和华必施恩给他。 26 人仰望耶和华，静默等候他的救恩，这原是好的。 27 人在幼年负轭，这原是好的。

2026-07-25

在冬天的蜜蜂

“我们不至消灭，是出于耶和华诸般的慈爱，是因他的怜悯不至断绝。每早晨都是新的，你的诚实极其广大。” - 耶利米哀歌 3:22-23

去年十一月，当开始下雪时，我们所养的蜜蜂已为气候转冷作了几个月的准备了。我们所在的密芝根州，由于白昼渐短，气温逐渐下降，蜜蜂在夏天下旬时已开始贮藏蜂蜜和花粉，又在初秋时开始贮藏“蜂包”（一种花蜜、蜂蜜和酵素组成的混合物）。当室外温度下降至华氏55度（摄氏12至13度）时，巢里较强壮的蜜蜂便会接管喂养蜂后，为她做保暖的工夫，好让她能够渡过严寒和阴暗的冬季。

耶利米哀歌的预言诗是冷酷和阴暗的，神的子民正逐步走向被征服和被放逐的严寒中，巴比伦帝国凶残和冷血的军队快要到来了。神的子民的心已转冷，并没有得到任何缓刑的宣告，他们的叛逆和邪恶带来令人不寒而栗的后果，就像一个肯定会到来的严寒黑暗冬天。

今天的经文，是耶利米在巴比伦入侵带来的摧毁、重创，神的子民被大规模放逐时所写的哀叹，就像一道和煦的阳光。这些经文向我们保证，每天我们都可以有“耶和华诸般的慈爱”怜悯和信实，无论我们身处怎样严寒和黑暗的境况中，让我们都牢记这一点。

祷告

“你的信实广大，我神我天父。”在生命任何境况中，你一直都与我们同在和帮助我们。求你帮助我们信靠你。阿们。

Lamentations 3:19-27

SATURDAY, JULY 25

BEES IN WINTER

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23

By the time snow began to fall in November last year, our honeybees had been preparing for months for the transition to winter weather. With fading daylight hours and falling temperatures where we live in Michigan, the bees had begun storing up honey and pollen in late summer and “bee bread” (a mix of nectar, honey, and enzymes) in early autumn. When the temperature outdoors dropped to about 55°F (12-13°C), hardier bees in the hive started taking over feeding and warming the queen to keep her alive during the cold, dark days of winter.

The prophetic poetry of Lamentations is cold and darkening. God’s people at that time had been steadily approaching the brutal chill of being conquered and exiled. The armies of the cruel, cold-blooded Babylonian Empire were coming.

For God’s people whose hearts had grown cold, no reprieve was predicted. The chilling consequences of disobedience and wickedness were approaching as certainly as a bitterly cold, dark winter.

Today’s verses appear right in the midst of Jeremiah’s laments on the destruction, devastation, and mass deportation of God’s people during the invasion by Babylon. Like a ray of warm sunshine, these verses assure us that “the LORD’s great love,” compassions, and faithfulness are available to us each day. Let’s remember this in whatever cold and dark times we find ourselves in.

“Great is your faithfulness, O God [our] Father.” In all the seasons of life you have been here with and for us. Help us to trust in you. Amen.

以赛亚书 43:16-21

16 耶和华在沧海中开道，在大水中开路， 17 使车辆、马匹、军兵、勇士都出来，一同躺下不再起来，他们灭没好像熄灭的灯火。 18 耶和华如此说：“你们不要记念从前的事，也不要思想古时的事。 19 “看哪，我要做一件新事，如今要发现，你们岂不知道吗？我必在旷野开道路，在沙漠开江河。 20 野地的走兽必尊重我，野狗和鸵鸟也必如此，因我使旷野有水，使沙漠有河，好赐给我的百姓、我的选民喝。 21 这百姓是我为自己所造的，好述说我的美德。

2026-07-24

一件新事

“看哪，我要作一件新事，如今要发现，你们岂不知道吗？” - 以赛亚书 43:19

当儿子和我开始养蜜蜂时，我们特别关心的是怎样从蜂箱采蜜，又可以尽量减少在设备上的投资。解决的办法是采用一个原始的收成方法，我们将装满蜂蜜的蜂巢从蜂框上刮下来，然后将蜂蜜从蜂蜡中沥出。我们很满意蜂蜜的产量，但却不知道怎样处理用这个做法得出来一大堆的蜂蜡。

其实蜂蜡本身也是很宝贵的。很多养蜂者和拍YouTube短片的人，提出很多有关怎样把蜂蜡加工使用的信息。例如用蜂蜡做的洋烛，对家庭和敬拜的好处是家传户晓的。这些纯天然的洋烛是环保的，气味像清新的户外，又不会伤害空气的质量。另外一些粉丝又吹捧用蜂蜡作润唇膏的好处，说它能医治皮疹和暗疮。有些人甚至说蜂蜡能止痛，又能减轻发炎和降低胆固醇。

虽然这些好处有些是具争议性的，但我们都晓得，在神的创造中，没有任何一样是白费，或是要丢弃的。同样，在神眼中，任何人都可以被祂拯救、操炼，重新调较方向的。在以赛亚的年代，那些面对审判和灾难的人需要听这信息，我们今天也同样需要听这番智慧之言。神爱我们，永远与我们同在，祂会拯救我们，并且住我们里面，与我们一起，使用我们去作新事。

祷告

主啊，感谢你告诉我们，你拣选了我们，爱我们。求你引导我们去面对改变，欣然接受你藉耶稣赐给我们的新生命。阿们。

Isaiah 43:16-21

FRIDAY, JULY 24

A NEW THING

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” —Isaiah 43:19

When my son and I started beekeeping, we were especially keen on harvesting honey from our beehives. Minimizing our investment in equipment was also a goal. The solution was to use a primitive method of harvesting by scraping the honey-filled combs from our frames and draining the honey from the wax. Happy with the yield of honey, we wondered what to do with the pile of beeswax that resulted from this process.

Beeswax itself is a treasure. Beekeepers and YouTubers supply loads of information about processing and using beeswax. The virtues of beeswax candles for home and worship are well known, for example. These all-natural candles are eco-friendly, smell like the fragrant outdoors, and are safe for air quality. Many fans also tout the benefits of beeswax as lip balm and for treating rashes and acne. Some people even claim that beeswax can help relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol levels.

Some of these benefits might be debatable, but in God’s creation we often learn that nothing need be wasted or thrown away. Similarly, with God, anyone can be rescued, refined, and repurposed. People facing judgment amid catastrophe needed to hear this in Isaiah’s day, and we also need to hear this wisdom today. God loves us and is with us always. He will deliver us and do new things in, with, and through us.

Lord, thank you for telling us that we are chosen and loved by you. Guide us to face change and to embrace the new life you make possible for us through Jesus. Amen.

以西结书 2:9-3:4

9 我观看，见有一只手向我伸出来，手中有一书卷。 10 他将书卷在我面前展开，内外都写着字，其上所写的有哀号、叹息、悲痛的话。 1 他对我说：“人子啊，要吃你所得的，要吃这书卷，好去对以色列家讲说。” 2 于是我开口，他就使我吃这书卷。 3 又对我说：“人子啊，要吃我所赐给你的这书卷，充满你的肚腹。”我就吃了，口中觉得其甜如蜜。 4 他对我说：“人子啊，你往以色列家那里去，将我的话对他们讲说。

2026-07-23

吃蜂蜜

“又对我说：‘人子啊，要吃我所赐给你的这书卷，充满你的肚腹。’我就吃了，口中觉得其甜如蜜。” - 以西结书 3:3

我每天早晨，都习惯饮一杯用苹果醋调和一汤匙蜜糖的茶。我相信这种苦甜参半的饮料，会帮助消化又能对抗过敏症，而那一汤匙的蜜糖又能令我头脑清醒。

当以西结作先知时，他从神得到信息，去警告人有关巴比伦将会带来的毁坏。这是一个苦甜参半的信息，它预备神的子民去面对一场大灾害，他们将会失去自己的家园，而位于耶路撒冷的圣殿也会被摧毁。以西结的预言原是洁净和保存神的子民的良方。

这些人因为长期参与异教，又享用拜偶像的食物，所以他们不能接受这“能吃的书卷”的信息，他们也不肯听从先知的话。以西结能够传达这些信息，是因为他吃了、消化了，又将这“甜如蜜”的神的话语，深深地铭刻在心中。神的话语保守和激励他去传讲神的信息。

在过去的几千年间，神的话语藉着圣灵启示出来，然后被收集成为《圣经》，这些话语是真实和苦甜参半的。你会怎样做，来吃、消化，并将神的话语铭刻在你心中？神的话语有没有洁净和激励你，努力把祂的信息传给其他人呢？

祷告

主啊，求你保护我们，免受在外围的毒害环境所影响。求你把你的话语裁种在我们心中。求你拯救、洁净、和使用我们，去传讲你生命之道。阿们。

Ezekiel 2:9-3:4

THURSDAY, JULY 23

EATING HONEY

He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. —Ezekiel 3:3

My morning ritual includes a cup of tea mixed with apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey. I believe this bittersweet drink is good for digestion and fighting allergies. It seems also that a spoonful of honey may be good medicine that keeps my head clear.

In Ezekiel’s time as a prophet, he received messages from God to warn his people of the coming destruction from Babylon. The messages were bittersweet and meant to prepare God’s people for a great disaster, the loss of their homeland and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s words of prophecy were intended as medicine to purify and preserve God’s people.

For too long these people had been mixing with other religions and eating at the tables of false gods. So they could not stomach the messages of this edible scroll, and they would not listen. Ezekiel was able to bring the messages because he had ingested, digested, and internalized the “sweet as honey” Word of God in his heart and mind. The Word of God sustained and energized him to speak the Lord’s message.

God’s Spirit-breathed Word in the Bible, given and gathered over thousands of years, is true and bittersweet. What are you doing to ingest, digest, and internalize this Word? Is God’s Word purifying and energizing you so that his message can go out to others?

Lord, protect us from the sickening messages of the toxic world around us. Plant your Word in our hearts. Rescue, purify, and use us to speak your words of life. Amen.

箴言 25:11-16

11 一句话说得合宜，就如金苹果在银网子里。 12 智慧人的劝诫在顺从的人耳中，好像金耳环和精金的装饰。 13 忠信的使者叫差他的人心里舒畅，就如在收割时有冰雪的凉气。 14 空夸赠送礼物的，好像无雨的风云。 15 恒常忍耐可以劝动君王，柔和的舌头能折断骨头。 16 你得了蜜吗？只可吃够而已，恐怕你过饱就呕吐出来。

2026-07-22

找到蜂蜜

“你得了蜜吗？只可吃够而已，恐怕你过饱便呕吐出来 。” - 箴言 25:16

养蜜蜂的人通常是在夏末至秋初“找到”蜂蜜的。在那个时段，采花蜜和花粉的日子渐渐过去了。聪明的养蜂者会在蜂巢中预留多一些地方，利用蜜蜂那种囤积的本能去“哄骗”蜜蜂制造超过它们所需的蜂蜜。一个健全的蜂巢通常会造出超过蜜蜂在冬天所需的两至三倍的蜂蜜，养蜂的人便会留下蜜蜂所需用的蜂蜜，然后拿走多余的蜂蜜。

在今天所使用的蜂箱和可拆卸的蜂框中，去找蜂蜜并不困难，但要在郊野寻和收集这宝藏，便很具挑战性了。在过往的世代，人们学会怎样在空心的树、小洞穴里、偏远的悬崖、和在很多开花植物附近的保护区寻找蜂蜜。

虽然蜂蜜是甜的，但今天所读的《箴言》说我们“只可吃够而已”，而不要吃太多。不过度吃蜂蜜，或吃任何生活中的甜食，是有道理的。智慧呼吁我们保持一个健康平衡的生活方式。

可惜的是，这个世代迷惑人的歌曲是“愈多愈好”。寻找蜂蜜表明了在有益健康的范围内去享受生命中的美物，是智慧之举。

神的灵正在指引你当怎样在生命中设定范围呢？

祷告

主啊，我们为生命中的美事感谢你。求你引导我们去跟从你，得着智慧的心。奉耶稣祈求，阿们。

Proverbs 25:11-16

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

FINDING HONEY

If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit. —Proverbs 25:16

Late summer to early fall is usually the time when beekeepers “find” honey. At that time of year for bees, the days of gathering pollen and nectar are winding down. Wise beekeepers provide extra room in the hive, taking advantage of the bees’ hoarding instinct and “tricking” them into making more honey than they need. A healthy hive will often have two to three times as much honey as the bees will need for winter. The beekeepers then take the extra honey, making sure to leave enough for the bees to survive on.

Finding honey is not so difficult with the hive boxes and removable frames we have today. In the wild, though, it can be a lot more challenging to find and gather this treasure. Through the centuries people have learned to search for honey in hollow trees, small caves, remote cliffs, and other protected spots that are near abundant varieties of flowering plants.

While honey is sweet, our proverb for today tells us to “eat just enough” and not too much. It makes good sense not to overdose on honey—or on any of the sweet things in life. Wisdom calls us to a healthy balancing act.

Sadly, the siren song of our world today is that “more is always better.” But finding honey reveals the wisdom of enjoying sweet things in life within wholesome limits.

In what ways is the Spirit of God directing you to set wise limits in your life?

Thank you, Lord, for the sweet things in life. Guide us to follow you and to gain a heart of wisdom. In Jesus, Amen.

诗篇 119:97-104

97 我何等爱慕你的律法，终日不住地思想。 98 你的命令常存在我心里，使我比仇敌有智慧。 99 我比我的师傅更通达，因我思想你的法度。 100 我比年老的更明白，因我守了你的训词。 101 我禁止我脚走一切的邪路，为要遵守你的话。 102 我没有偏离你的典章，因为你教训了我。 103 你的言语在我上膛何等甘美，在我口中比蜜更甜！ 104 我藉着你的训词得以明白，所以我恨一切的假道。

2026-07-21

甘甜的蜂蜜

“你的言语在我上膛何等甘美，在我口中比蜜更甜！” - 诗篇 119:103

我其中一个最甜蜜的回忆，就是读故事给儿女及孙儿女听。那些小熊维尼的故事常令我咯咯地笑：多么有趣呀，一只熊喜欢吃蜂蜜？嗡嗡！嗡嗡！嗡嗡！

养蜜蜂前，儿子和我先去上课。在开始时，导师说大部份养蜜蜂的人的目的都是要得到蜂蜜，这也是儿子和我养蜂的主要目的。蜂蜜的甜味是备受称赞的，它的味道会因蜜蜂所采摘的品种而不同，常说吃当地出产的蜂蜜，还可以对抗过敏症。

《诗篇》119篇是《圣经》中最长的一章，让我们品尝神向我们说话的各种形式。神的话语以律法的形式绽放，给予我们生命的方向；他以神审判的形式盛开，来帮助我们分辨对与错；更以神自己的见证的形式开花，来激励我们去学效神的信实和真诚。

神话语最美丽的形式就是在“道成了肉身，住在我们中间”(《约翰福音》1:14）这句话中显露出来。耶稣基督自己就是这道，是完整的包装，神所有的应许都在祂身上应验了。

愿我们每一个人都相信和爱耶稣！我们每天都可以享用神的话语，就像享用最甜美的蜂蜜那样。

祷告

美丽的救主！宇宙的君王，求你帮助我们，在神所说的一切话语中都看见你—耶稣，你是帅领我们进入永生的那一位。奉你的名祈求，阿们。

Psalm 119:97-104

TUESDAY, JULY 21

SWEET HONEY

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Reading books to my children and grandchildren is one of my sweetest memories. And stories about Winnie the Pooh always make me chuckle:

Isn’t it funny,

How a bear likes honey?

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Before we became beekeepers, my son and I took a class. At the outset, the instructor noted that most people get into beekeeping for the honey. This was a major goal for us as well. Honey’s reputation for sweetness is richly deserved. The flavor varies with the nectar and pollen gathered by the bees. People often say that eating local honey helps to combat allergies as well.

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, savors God’s Word in its many forms. The Word blossoms as God’s law, providing us with direction. It blooms in the shape of God’s judgments, which help us to learn right from wrong. God’s Word also flowers in his testimonies to inspire us to be faithful and true, like God.

The most beautiful form of God’s Word was revealed when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). This Word, Jesus Christ himself, is the whole package—all of God’s promises are fulfilled in him.

May we all trust and love Jesus! Each day we can take in God’s Word like the sweetest honey.

“Beautiful Savior! King of creation,” in all the pages of the precious Word of God, help us to see you, Jesus, as the one who leads us into everlasting life. In your name, Amen.

哥林多前书 13

1 我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹一般。 2 我若有先知讲道之能，也明白各样的奥秘、各样的知识，而且有全备的信叫我能够移山，却没有爱，我就算不得什么。 3 我若将所有的赒济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有爱，仍然于我无益。 4 爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈，爱是不嫉妒，爱是不自夸，不张狂， 5 不做害羞的事，不求自己的益处，不轻易发怒，不计算人的恶， 6 不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理； 7 凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。 8 爱是永不止息。先知讲道之能终必归于无有，说方言之能终必停止，知识也终必归于无有。 9 我们现在所知道的有限，先知所讲的也有限； 10 等那完全的来到，这有限的必归于无有了。 11 我做孩子的时候，话语像孩子，心思像孩子，意念像孩子；既成了人，就把孩子的事丢弃了。 12 我们如今仿佛对着镜子观看，模糊不清，到那时就要面对面了。我如今所知道的有限，到那时就全知道，如同主知道我一样。 13 如今常存的有信、有望、有爱这三样，其中最大的是爱。

2026-07-20

出于爱

“爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒；爱是不自夸，不张狂。” - 哥林多前书13:4

在过去的年日，因为有那么多关于养蜜蜂的写作，很容易令人被细节分了心而看不到“大局”。论到养蜜蜂，主要是关于怎样维护蜂巢这个有生命的超个体。那位在1852年发明活框蜂箱的Langstroth牧师，建议我们可以从聆听蜂巢发出的嗡嗡声音得着灵感。如果上网搜索一下，你便会发现不少养蜂的人，将蜂巢的嗡嗡声比作一首交响乐曲。

是什么使蜂巢成为蜜蜂的和谐家园呢？我们可能认为蜜蜂能生存和蓬勃成长，是由于它们的优美品格，事实上，它们只不过是跟从神创造它们时，赋于它们的奇妙本能而已。

从保罗写给哥林多人的信中，我们可以看到跟随基督的人的群体生活。可惜他们的生活并不是常常相爱和睦的。事实上，教会往往都是不符理想的。群体的生活若要变得健康，是需要一种特别的动力的。若要按《哥林多前书》13章所记载的美德去生活，我们必须愿意无私地彼此相爱。

《哥林多前书》13章的记载，反映出神那种无私的爱，而跟随基督的人便是按着这位神的形像去重新被造的。在基督里，我们可以成为一个群体的一份子，在这个群体里“肢体彼此相顾”（《哥林多前书》12:25）。基督的身体是一个群体，在他里面的每一个肢体，都是以爱心在主和独一的救主里面，互相建立和互相关怀的。

祷告

主啊，感谢你，你是通往信、望和爱之路。求你帮助我们在你里面成长，使你身体里面的每一个肢体都能各按各职。阿们。

1 Corinthians 13

MONDAY, JULY 20

A WORK OF LOVE

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. —1 Corinthians 13:4

Over the years, so much has been written about beekeeping that it can be easy to be distracted by details and lose sight of the “big picture.” With bees, it’s primarily about maintaining the hive, a living superorganism. Rev. L. L. Langstroth, who invented the movable frame hive (1852), recommended listening to the “hum” of the hive for inspiration. A quick internet search shows that lots of beekeepers compare the hum of the hive to a symphony.

What makes the hive a harmonious home for bees? We might like to think that bees survive and thrive by way of virtues, but they just follow the wonderful instincts God provided when he created them.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we can see that the community life of Christ-followers is, sadly, not always loving and harmonious. In fact, sometimes the church is far from that ideal. A whole other dynamic is necessary for a community to become wholesome. Living by the virtues we find in 1 Corinthians 13 requires that we selflessly love one another.

The inspired text of 1 Corinthians 13 reflects the self-giving love of God, in whose image Christ-followers are being recreated. In Christ, we can be part of a body in which all “have equal concern for each other” (12:25). The one body of Christ is the community in which each member lovingly works to build up and care for one another in the Lord, the one and only Savior.

Lord, thank you for being the way to faith, hope, and love. Grow us to become mature in you as each part of your body does its work. Amen.

诗篇 118:1-14

1 你们要称谢耶和华，因他本为善，他的慈爱永远长存！ 2 愿以色列说：“他的慈爱永远长存！” 3 愿亚伦的家说：“他的慈爱永远长存！” 4 愿敬畏耶和华的说：“他的慈爱永远长存！” 5 我在急难中求告耶和华，他就应允我，把我安置在宽阔之地。 6 有耶和华帮助我，我必不惧怕，人能把我怎么样呢？ 7 在那帮助我的人中，有耶和华帮助我，所以我要看见那恨我的人遭报。 8 投靠耶和华，强似倚赖人。 9 投靠耶和华，强似倚赖王子。 10 万民围绕我，我靠耶和华的名必剿灭他们。 11 他们环绕我，围困我，我靠耶和华的名必剿灭他们。 12 他们如同蜂子围绕我，好像烧荆棘的火必被熄灭，我靠耶和华的名必剿灭他们。 13 你推我，要叫我跌倒，但耶和华帮助了我。 14 耶和华是我的力量，是我的诗歌，他也成了我的拯救。

2026-07-19

蜂群群集

“他们如同蜂子围绕我，好像烧荆棘的火，必被熄灭。我靠耶和华的名，必剿灭他们。” - 诗篇 118:12

蜂群群集的画面令你有什么感受呢？那些描绘人被蜂蜇刺至死的灾难和恐怖电影，会令观众过度地惧怕蜜蜂。

蜜蜂有时会在不寻常的地方筑巢。例如，我曾听过蜂群群集在一辆黄色科尔维特魟鱼汽车的挡泥板上面的事。难道它们被鲜艳的颜色吸引了？

我是在修剪树笆时，第一次遇见蜂群群集的。开始时，我听到非常响亮的嗡嗡声越来越大，我环顾四周，便见到蜂群群集在附近一根树的分杈上面。我知道蜜蜂只要不被骚扰，它们是不会伤人的，它们可能是与蜂后一起离开了一个过份拥挤的巢，当时它们的侦察蜂正在寻找一个理想的地方，来建造一个新的巢。

《诗篇》118篇的作者似乎对蜂群群集颇为熟识，他说被敌人围攻就像蜂群在他周围群集那样，你或许知道这是怎么一回事。身处一个看来无可药救、周围有令人沮丧和惊慌的境况中时，是会带来恐惧和焦虑的。

《诗篇》118篇指出，若要每天过着安稳的生活和有光明的前程，我们必须仰望主来得到解脱和拯救。我们的保证是“他的慈爱永远长存”，当感到不知所措时，让我们来仰望主吧！

祷告

主啊，当我们感到不知所措时，求你感动我们来信靠你，向你呼求。我们为你坚定的爱和丰盛的良善感谢你。阿们。

Psalm 118:1-14

SUNDAY, JULY 19

SWARMING BEES

They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down. —Psalm 118:12

How does the image of swarming bees affect you? Disaster and horror movies that picture bees stinging people to death will make some viewers overly fearful of bees.

Bees will sometimes try to nest in odd places. For example, I heard of a swarm of honeybees clustering on the fender of a yellow Corvette Stingray. Were they drawn to the car’s bright color?

I encountered my first swarm of bees while trimming a hedge. At first, I heard some buzzing that grew louder and stronger. Looking around, I saw a swarm of bees on a nearby tree branch. I knew that honeybee swarms are harmless as long as they are not disturbed. They likely had left an overcrowded hive with their queen, and their scout bees were looking for a choice location to start a new hive.

The writer of Psalm 118 seems to have been familiar with swarming bees. He said that being surrounded by enemies was like having a swarm of bees around him. Maybe you know what that’s like. Being in a seemingly impossible situation with frustrated or threatening people swirling around can arouse fear and anxiety.

Psalm 118 indicates that the way into secure daily living and a bright future is to look to the Lord for relief and rescue. Our guarantee is that “his love endures forever.” When we are feeling overwhelmed, let’s look to the Lord!

Lord, inspire us to trust in you and to cry out to you when we are feeling overwhelmed. Thank you for your steadfast love and abundant goodness. Amen.

马太福音 28:16-20

16 十一个门徒往加利利去，到了耶稣约定的山上。 17 他们见了耶稣就拜他，然而还有人疑惑。 18 耶稣进前来，对他们说：“天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。 19 所以你们要去，使万民做我的门徒，奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗， 20 凡我所吩咐你们的，都教训他们遵守。我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。”

2026-07-18

授粉蜂

“所以你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，奉父子圣灵的名，给他们施洗。” - 马太福音 28:19

8月下旬是我们采摘红莓的最好时段，这时红莓已成熟、变成红色和更鲜甜。与此同时，蜜蜂、熊蜂和其他种类的蜂，都在周围嗡嗡作声和传授花粉，它们正在进行日常的工作。蜜蜂收集花粉和花蜜，来建造它们的巢，又制造食物，就是供现在和整个冬天食用的蜂蜜。透过蜜蜂的工作，它们为任何开花的植物传播花粉，也为我们提供大量的水果、蔬菜、和绿叶植物。

蜜蜂不需要人吩咐它出去、收集和传授花粉，这是它们与生俱来的本能。这些都是神造它们时，指派的工作，好让植物和树木能茁壮生长，并且为所有生物—尤其是为我们人类—提供食物。此外，这些工作也帮助它们的蜂巢生存下去和茁壮成长。

作为跟随耶稣的人，我们都蒙差派去领人作门徒，邀请人来跟随耶稣。在神广阔的世界中，无论我们在何处工作和生活，我们都可以藉耶稣慈爱的信息来感动别人，这是耶稣的心愿。像传授花粉的蜜蜂那样，我们都可以触动迷失的人的生命，祈求基督的爱能够在他们里面结出信心的果子来。

你是否欣然接受这个使命呢？你为此采取了什么行动？

祷告

主啊，求你继续差遣跟随你的人，到各处传扬你慈爱和怜悯的信息。又求你使用我们的行为和言语，引领人到你那里。阿们。

Matthew 28:16-20

SATURDAY, JULY 18

POLLINATING BEES

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. . . .” —Matthew 28:19

Late August is the best time for us to pick our raspberries. That’s when the berries are turning ripe, red, and sweet. At the same time, honeybees, bumblebees, and other bees are buzzing all around and pollinating, doing their everyday work and living. The honeybees collect pollen and nectar to build their hive and produce food—honey to eat now and throughout the winter. As they go about their work, bees pollinate anything that has flowers. And for us their work produces fruit, vegetables, and foliage in abundance.

Bees do not need to be told to go out, gather, and pollinate. It’s programed into their nature. It’s all about doing what God made them to do so that plants and trees will thrive and provide food for all creatures, especially us humans. What’s more, doing what they do helps their hive to survive and thrive.

As followers of Jesus, we all are instructed to go and make disciples, inviting people to become followers of Jesus. Wherever we go about doing our work and living in God’s wide world, we can touch people with the message of Jesus’ love. This is the desire of Jesus’ heart. Like pollinating bees, we can touch the lives of lost people and pray that the love of Christ will produce the fruit of faith in them.

Have you embraced this mission? In what ways are you engaged in it?

Lord, keep sending your followers to bring your message of love and mercy everywhere. Use our deeds and words to draw people to you. Amen.

哥林多前书 15:50-58

50 弟兄们，我告诉你们说，血肉之体不能承受神的国，必朽坏的不能承受不朽坏的。 51 我如今把一件奥秘的事告诉你们：我们不是都要睡觉，乃是都要改变， 52 就在一霎时，眨眼之间，号筒末次吹响的时候。因号筒要响，死人要复活成为不朽坏的，我们也要改变。 53 这必朽坏的总要变成不朽坏的，这必死的总要变成不死的。 54 这必朽坏的既变成不朽坏的，这必死的既变成不死的，那时经上所记“死被得胜吞灭”的话就应验了。 55 “死啊，你得胜的权势在哪里？死啊，你的毒钩在哪里？” 56 死的毒钩就是罪，罪的权势就是律法。 57 感谢神，使我们藉着我们的主耶稣基督得胜！ 58 所以，我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固，不可摇动，常常竭力多做主工，因为知道，你们的劳苦在主里面不是徒然的。

2026-07-17

被蜇了！

“死的毒钩就是罪，罪的权势就是律法。感谢神，使我们藉着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。” - 哥林多前书 15:56-57

某个夏日，当我在我们的园子里时，突然被一只在我头上疯狂地嗡嗡作响的蜜蜂袭击。在惊慌中（错误的反应），我猛烈地挥动我的帽子，企图把它拍走。蜜蜂瞄准、并蜇刺了我的鼻子，当它绕着圈飞，然后再来蜇我时，我知道它不可能是其中一只属于我的蜜蜂，它们只蜇一次便会失去蜇刺，然后死亡。我庆幸只被蜇一次便脱了险。

你害怕蜜蜂吗？很多人都害怕。被蜂蜇刺是很痛的，如果你有敏感，被蜂蜇刺可能是危险甚至是致命的。被蜂连续蜇剌也可能会令人受不了，甚至引致死亡。

你害怕死亡吗？保罗在《哥林多前书》15章对跟随基督的人所说的话，目的是要平伏我们被死亡蜇刺的恐惧。保罗解释说，罪以那根导致死亡的刺蜇剌我们。当人按照己意行事时，他们的罪就像一根致命的刺，把毒素注入他们里面，最后导致死亡。罪和死亡的毒素唯一的解药，就是在耶稣里—因为祂为我们的罪牺牲并且复活、战胜了死亡。

我们可以信靠耶稣，天天活在祂复活的大能中，并且与人分享救恩和在祂里面得新生命的好消息。

祷告

亲爱的耶稣，你到来为我们的罪受死，为所有信靠你的人承受了死的蜇刺。感谢你向我们保证，藉着你复活的大能，使我们从罪恶和死亡中得释放，并且与你一同复活得新生命。奉你的名祈求，阿们。

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

FRIDAY, JULY 17

STUNG!

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 15:56-57

In our garden one summer day, I was suddenly assaulted by a bee buzzing furiously around my head. Panicking (never a good idea), I flailed furiously with my hat, trying to swat it away. The bee zeroed in and sunk its stinger into my nose. When it circled and then flew in to sting me again, I knew it could not be one of my honeybees. They lose their stingers and die after one sting. Thankfully, I was able to escape with only one sting.

Are you afraid of bees? Many people are. Bee stings are painful. And if you are allergic, bee stings can be dangerous and even deadly. Getting too many bee stings at once could overwhelm and cause death for anyone.

Are you afraid of death? Paul’s words to Christ-followers in 1 Corinthians 15 are aimed at calming our fears of being stung to death. Paul explains that sin delivers the sting that leads to death. When people go their own way, their sin is like a deadly stinger that shoots venom into them, resulting in death. The only antidote to the poisonous venom of sin and death is in Jesus—his death for our sins and his resurrection victory over death.

We can trust in Jesus and walk in his resurrection power each day, sharing with others the good news of salvation and new life in him.

Dear Jesus, you came to die for our sin, taking on the sting of death for all who trust in you. Assure us that in your resurrection power we can be free of sin and death and rise to new life with you. In your name, Amen.