June 24, 2026
— Wikipedia · Source: Wikipedia, "John Magee (missionary)"
Mark 1:35 The next morning, before dawn, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded place to pray.
In the catastrophe at Nanjing, John Magee stood his ground and risked his life to bear witness to the suffering. Where does such resilience come from? The passage takes us to Jesus praying in a solitary place before dawn. In the midst of chaos, we often face challenges wearily, forgetting to surrender in secret. True resilience is not about stubbornly clinging to life, but about retreating to the Father before dawn, like the Lord, surrendering sovereignty. Only by first surrendering our "self," trampled by God in the darkness, can we stand firm on the rock in the light.
Dear Lord, before dawn I come before You. Forgive me for often approaching life with my own zeal and experience. Lord, I surrender the time and anxieties of this day completely, surrendering myself utterly to You in secret. Be my sole source of strength today, granting me peace and security, so that I may live out the resilience and love of Christ before the world. Amen.