April 13, 2026
Daily Devotion
"People always seek God's will in the outcome, but I seek Him in a long, endless process. People accuse me of being too fanatical, of employing impure people, and even of blurring the lines between missionary work and politics. But they have never heard the groans of a closed-off nation in the dead of night. If, in order to open that iron gate that has been tightly shut for a thousand years, I must resort to the ships of trade or the letters of politics, then let history judge my methods. My only fear is not being misunderstood by my contemporaries, but that when I stand before the judgment seat, the Lord will ask me: 'Why do you hesitate outside the door, and dare not enter?'"
— Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff
Source: A Record of Three Voyages Along the Chinese Coast
📖 Scripture Reference

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by our eyes.

💭 Reflection

Guo Shih-lieh chose to knock on the "thousand-year-old iron gate" amidst the dense fog, not because he saw a chance of victory, but because he heard the call of his mission. "By faith, not by sight" means remaining certain of God's sovereignty even during the "long process" when the outcome is unclear, or when misunderstandings and setbacks are encountered. We often seek God's will in favorable circumstances, yet doubt His absence when we are lost. However, true faith is often born in the darkness where the "end is not seen." Reflecting on ourselves, have we, like Guo Shih-lieh, hesitated outside the door of our mission out of fear of unknown risks?

🙏 Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for raising up servants as steadfast as Guo Shili in history, showing us the weight of faith. Lord, when life is shrouded in mist, when I hesitate because I cannot see the results, grant me vision beyond what I see. Remove my obsession with "results," and teach me to walk with You throughout the long process. Even if my methods are humble, and my feathers are damaged, as long as it is for Your use, strengthen my steps, so that I am not a hesitant outside the door, but a courageous knocker. May my life not be judged by the world, but by the day I stand before Your judgment seat without shame. Amen.

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