Violence against Christians in Bhutan is on the rise. Buddhism is an essential part of Bhutaneseculture. - P108
Anyone who converts to Christianity is considered to bring shame upon their familyand is put under intense pressure to return to Buddhism. - P108
Bhutan‘s government does notofficially recognize any Christian churches, so gathering to worship is illegal. - P108
Pray for religiousfreedom in Bhutan. Pray that believers who have been disowned by their families will findlove and acceptance within new communities of faith.
- P108
The Zhuang are an ancient people who live in the Guangxi and Guangdong regions ofsouthern China. - P108
They practice a form of animism and revere many different spirits. In 1895,
the Christian Missionary Alliance began to work in Guangxi and established many churches,
but only a small number of Zhuang attended. Because of deeply rooted traditions, it is difficult for them to accept a new belief system. - P108
Pray that there would be a spiritual awakeningamong the Zhuang and that God would show them that He is more powerful than any spirit. - P108
As Jacob blesses Joseph, he reminds his son of his past hardships andhow God helped him overcome and prosper. - P112
Ultimately, it was Godwho allowed Joseph to rise to the position of power he is now in. - P112
Whenyou look back at your life, do not simply hurry past painful memories.
Rather, look for God‘s hand in them! - P112
In the midst of hardships, it isdifficult to see how God is working in our lives, but with hindsight, wecan see His fingerprints all over both the good and the bad times. - P112
Takesome time today to reflect on your life, even just this past year, and seehow God has been working. - P112
Jacob is a central character in the Bible. His life was far from perfectwhen God met him and was still profoundly flawed afterward. - P112
Heoften lived deceptively, acted selfishly, repeated his parents‘ mistakes,
and played favorites with his family. Yet, in the end, he dies full of faith.
- P112
Hebrews 11:21 even tells us that he died as a true worshiper of God,
not resting upon his own good deeds for his salvation but trusting inGod alone as the source of all blessing. - P112
No matter how bad a person‘spast is, God will not withhold salvation from them if they come to Himin sincere worship. - P112
As Jacob‘s story shows us, our only hope in life anddeath is in God alone. - P112
Dear Lord, thank you for the wise and gracious way in which You order mylife. - P113
My hope in this life and the life to come rests in You alone. - P113
Use me to helpothers cling to that hope as well. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P113
by all people in all places at all times throughout history. Most peoplethink that their future hope lies in hard work, good luck, or the rightconnections. In a nutshell, people tend to put their hope in themselvesor in other people.
- P113
In the Old Testament, God‘s people also had hope for the future;they looked forward to their redemption. - P113
From Adam until the timeJesus came, they had been on the lookout for the fulfillment of God‘spromise of their deliverance. - P113
Our future rests entirelyon God‘s sovereign providence and the promises He has given us inJesus Christ. - P113
As we look forward to His return, we every reasonto hope for-and expect-a bright future that He has in store for us. - P113
One thing that distinguished God‘s peo-ple from the rest of the world is that throughout history, they placedtheir hope on God‘s promises alone rather than the things they hadaccomplished, individually or collectively. - P113
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