Daily Devotion

“Marie Monsen (1878–1962), a Norwegian Lutheran missionary who arrived in China in 1901 and served there some thirty years, was a catalyst of the Shandong revival of the early 1930s. According to Paul Hattaway, her question "Have you ever really been born again?" burned throughout many parts of China; held up to the searching light of God's Word, many professing Christians realized that Christianity had merely been pasted over their lives as a veneer, and that they had never been thoroughly converted to Christ nor forsaken their sins. A Lutheran missionary recalled that her plan was first to destroy the false security of church members, exposing the "patches" the unsaved hid behind to persuade themselves they were saved, and then to speak of sin, one sin at a time.”

Paul Hattaway · Paul Hattaway, HENAN: Inside the Greatest Christian Revival in History, excerpt "Marie Monsen: The Mother of the House Churches" (asiaharvest.org); biographical details from BDCC, "Monsen, Marie"

Scripture

Jeremiah 6:14-15 They hastily heal the wounds of my people, saying, ‘Peace! Peace!’ But there is no peace. Do they feel shame for their despicable deeds? No, they feel no shame or remorse. Therefore they will stumble among those who have fallen, and they will fall when I bring them to justice, declares the Lord.”

Reflection

Marie Monsen's searching question and Jeremiah's stern accusations serve as a merciless mirror, reflecting the "veneer" of piety that masks our lives. Often, we deceive ourselves with frequent religious activities and superficial peace, while indulging in hidden sins within, gradually becoming numb to the Holy Spirit's rebuke, and even losing our sense of shame. This perfunctory healing cannot conceal the inner decay. True revival and healing must begin with tearing away the facade and confronting the judgment of the holy law. Only by puncturing the false sense of security, allowing hidden evil to be fully exposed, can life, in profound shock and repentance, welcome true healing from God.