Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Bible in a Year: Job 23-24 | Matthew 14

Recently, I went through a really tough season. I lost my job and was struggling to find a new one. My dad became very ill and eventually passed away. I prayed a lot and studied the Bible. It was winter, and I was feeling isolated and depressed. One day, I decided to bundle up and take Tucker, my adorable aussie-doodle, for a walk. The fresh air started to revive me. It was freezing, but the sunlight was so bright and radiant. The light reminded me of how God’s light shines through our heartache. 

Unfortunately, we will all experience heartache, just as Jesus promised, but he also promised us peace.

John 16:33
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Jesus knows how we feel because he experienced loss, betrayal, and severe pain. I love this verse because it fills us with hope and reminds us that when we experience challenges, we are not alone. We were never meant to handle these tough times on our own.

We can live differently. We can choose to trust God during our pain. We can choose to look for his blessings in the midst of the heartache. We can choose to pour our hearts out to God in prayer, surrendering our pain to him, and trusting him to handle it. Because praising and thanking God for his blessings during our heartache starts to heal us.

And as we take our eyes off ourselves and our problems, we can continue to heal by serving others. We can look for ways to help and encourage others who are experiencing heartache, to remind them they are not alone in their suffering either. 

When we use our spiritual gifts to serve others, it re-energizes us and fills us with hope and joy. It reminds us that our loving God makes everything work out for the good of his people and his perfect plan.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Questions: 
What are you struggling with now?

When trouble comes, how do you handle it?

How can you use the heartache you experienced to help someone else?

Next Steps: 
Pray and surrender your pain and hurt to God. Ask him to help you.

Meditate on Romans 15:13 (NIV):
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Listen to the song “Lemonade” by Forrest Frank and The Figs.

Prayer: 
Jesus, I praise and worship you. I am so grateful that you understand my pain because of the trials and sorrow you experienced. You chose to go through all that pain to save me. I can’t even imagine how the King of kings could sacrifice so much for me. Help me, Lord, to trust you and increase my faith during tough times. Help me to serve others and bring glory to you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Ephesians 1:5
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

This post was written by Marsha Raymond, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.