Verse from Exodus

Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. Exodus 16:12

Her fans knew her as Nightbirde. Singer-songwriter Jane Kristen Marczewski won a following in 2021 on a popular TV talent show. In 2017, she’d been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. In 2018, she went into remission. She started touring, but months later the cancer returned, giving her little chance of survival. Amazingly she recovered and was declared cancer-free. But on February 19, 2022, Nightbirde died.

During her difficult journey, she blogged, “I remind myself that I’m praying to the God who let the Israelites stay lost for decades. They begged to arrive . . . but instead He let them wander, answering prayers they didn’t pray. . . . Every morning, He sent them mercy-bread from heaven . . . . I look for the mercy-bread . . . The Israelites called it manna, which means ‘what is it?’ That’s the same question I’m asking . . . . There’s mercy here somewhere—but what is it?”

The exodus story reveals much about God’s mercy. First, His mercy was promised to the Israelites. “You will be filled with bread” (Exodus 16:12). And second, His mercy may surprise us. “They did not know what it was” (v. 15). Mercy often doesn’t look like what we think. But it’s mercy nonetheless. For the Israelites, it looked like morning manna. For Nightbirde, she wrote of the gift of a blanket from a friend, and her mother’s hands.

Verse from Philippians

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure . . . think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Lap after lap, Katie Ledecky was in a familiar spot during the 1500-meter freestyle race at the 2024 ParisOlympics. For some fifteen minutes, she was far ahead of the rest of the swimmers and alone with her thoughts. What was Ledecky thinking about during the long race? In an interview conducted immediately following her gold-medal-winning performance in which she set a new Olympic record, Ledecky said she was thinking about her training partners and saying their names in her head.

Distance swimmers aren’t the only ones who need to focus their minds on the right things. We as believers in Jesus also need to guard our thoughts throughout our faith journey.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “rejoice in the Lord,” not be “anxious about anything, but pray about everything (Philippians 4:4, 6). The result? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps put our worries and troubles in perspective.

Paul also encouraged believers: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (v. 8).

As we go about our day, let’s be aware of our thoughts. When we see God’s hand in our life, we can count our blessings and worship Him.

Verse from Lamentations

See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed. Lamentations 1:20

In Lamentations 1:20-22, the prophet Jeremiah expresses the rawness and weightiness of lament even in the choice of his words. It’s the consequence of something so powerful or heartbreaking—where something of value has been lost—that it prompts uncommon expression. Jeremiah exclaims, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (v. 20). 

The situation was such that it generated “groaning” (v. 21). Lament is the appropriate language of those who have personally come to grips with their pain and the conditions that caused it. As we grapple with pain, God invites us to express our honest, prayerful, and worshipful lament to Him

Verse from 2 Chronicles

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Anita Bailey’s heart was warmed when she got this social media message about her son Jalen: “I was a greeter today at [church] and a young man with a child in his arms came up to me and put his arms around me. . . . I stared for a second, then I recognized him and said, ‘Jalen!' We embraced and chatted briefly. What a fine young man!” The greeter knew Jalen in his rebellious days when Anita and her husband, Ed, had felt powerless to save their son from the consequences of his unwise choices, which had resulted in twelve years in prison for him.

Though the Baileys felt powerless, they were not prayerless. And neither was King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. When harassed by a menacing coalition of enemy forces, he called a prayer meeting (vv. 1-4). “Our God, will you not judge them?” he prayed. “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 12).

Have you ever felt powerless or clueless in the face of circumstances that were out of your control? Why not call a prayer meeting—either alone or with others? That’s what Jesus did in the face of His coming crucifixion (Luke 22:39-44). Prayer space is the sacred place where the petitions of powerless people are offered to our almighty God in the name of Jesus.

Verse from 2 Timothy

“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭

In 2 Timothy 1:6-14, Paul’s advice to Timothy was in no way arrogant, nor was it given flippantly. He wrote out of his own deep suffering. In fact, he was imprisoned at that moment and understood that he’d soon be executed. “The time for my departure is near,” he wrote (2 Timothy 4:6). And yet the apostle was forward-looking. Just as Jesus gave instructions to His disciples the night before His crucifixion, so too Paul focused on developing the faith and ministry of his younger protégé Timothy, who would carry on the work. 

“Fan into flame the gift of God,” he urged him (1:6). “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (v. 8). Paul didn’t fear death because he anticipated “the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (v. 10). We can also stand strong when our faith is tested.

Verse from John

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6

We all long for what’s real, but sometimes the truth isn’t attractive to us. Close to the time of His death, Jesus declared, “I am . . . the truth” (John 14:6). His disciples were wondering how they could get to the Father’s house that Jesus spoke so longingly about (vv. 2-3). They failed to see that Jesus standing in front of them was the answer. They struggled to understand that He would bring victory through His own sacrifice.

Isaiah prophesied that the coming Messiah would have no beauty or majesty, “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Much of what Jesus said was so challenging and unexpected that it turned religious people against Him (John 11:45-48). Yet He gave an open invitation to know the truth and find real life. “If you really know me,” said Jesus, “you will know my Father as well” (John 14:7). In the midst of an airbrushed and unrealistic world, we can embrace that beautiful, raw truth today

Verse from Mark

The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14

Jesus said those words as “people were bringing little children” to Him so He might “place his hands on them” and bless them (vv. 13, 16). But “the disciples rebuked them,” thinking Jesus too busy or important. That troubled Him (vv. 14-15).

Children are naturally humble and dependent. To receive God’s kindness to us in Christ, we too must turn from pride and admit our need for Him in everything. As we do, He exchanges this world’s hopelessness with the promise of life with God forever. And that should make us smile.