#012426

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Happy Birthday Giuk!!!🤍💙🤍

[gracefortheday]

ENTRY# 012426

JANUARY 24, 2026, SATURDAY Entry: 7:59am, Fairview QC

VERSE OF THE DAY: LAMENTATIONS 3:25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

SEEKING HOPE IN THE MIDST OF SORROW Lamentations is a book of sorrow, written in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction. The city lay in ruins. Grief covered the people like dust. But right in the middle of this lament, something remarkable happens: a word of hope.

Jeremiah, who scholars believe is the likely author of Lamentations, writes this verse not because everything was good, but because he knew God is good, even when life is not. This kind of hope is a deliberate choice to seek God's presence when things seem dark. It's trusting in His character when circumstances don't make sense.

The verse highlights two actions: hoping and seeking. Hope in God fixes our eyes forward, on what He will do. Seeking Him draws us inward into a relationship with the God who is already near.

Verse 26 continues the theme: "It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." The Hebrew word for "wait" here is "yachal" which carries the idea of hopeful expectation, it's not a passive sitting still-it's an active, trusting posture of the heart. In this context, waiting isn't doing nothing: it's doing the hard, soul-level work of trusting in God's timing even when answers feel delayed.

Waiting means continuing to pray, to obey, and to believe, even in silence or sorrow, because we know the Lord's salvation is worth the wait. Just as a farmer waits for the harvest after faithfully sowing seed, so we wait with purpose, believing God will bring restoration in His perfect time.

In his waiting, Jeremiah didn't deny the pain. He brought his pain to God. And in that place of honest dependence, he reminded himself-and now us- that God is still good, still, faithful and still worth seeking.

SHARE YOUR FAITH We can wait on and hope in the Lord-not because life is always good, but because God is always good. Sharing your faith can be as simple as sharing today's verse.

God, in times of heartache and confusion, help me to remember that You are still good. Give me the strength to wait on and hope in You-no matter what. I want to seek and follow You everyday. in Jesus' name, Amen.

God, You are worthy to be praised! When I look around me, I see hints of Your glory everywhere. When I look at the sky, I am in awe of Your greatness. And when I listen to nature, I am amazed at Your creativity. Nothing compares to You, and there is no one like You. Thank You for giving us glimpses of Your splendor! In Jesus' name, Amen.

PSALMS 8:4-5 What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

Process this passage again and consider how deeply the God of the universe care about you. When you're ready, talk to Him about anything concerning you.

HEBREWS 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God as set before us.

What is weighing you down right now? is there anyone you need to forgive? Is there anything you need forgiveness for?

Spend some time talking to God about what comes to mind.

DAILY BIBLE READING: EXODUS 9-11 MATTHEW 15:21-39 A PLAGUE AGAINST LIVESTOCK A PLAGUE OF FESTERING BOILS A PLAGUE OF HAIL So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the Lord, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. 35Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the Lord had predicted through Moses. A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS A PLAGUE OF DARKNESS DEATH FOR EGYPT'S FIRSTBORN THE FAITH OF A GENTILE WOMAN “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” 25But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. JESUS HEALS MANY PEOPLE They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. And they praised the God of Israel. JESUS FEEDS FOUR THOUSAND “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.” They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

ZEPHANIAH 3:14-17 JERUSLEM'S REBELLION AND REDEMPTION 14Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. 16On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! 17For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” INSIGHT Zephaniah, like most biblical prophets, has words of both scathing judgment and confident hope. He describes “the day of the Lord” (see Zephaniah 1:7) as one that would be ominous not only for gentile nations but also for those in Judah who were worshiping their gods. But the final lines of the book look beyond that judgment with some of the most precious sentiments one can imagine: a God who takes “great delight in you” and “will rejoice over you with singing” (3:17). In between these two phrases we read: “he will quiet you [or be quiet] by his love” (esv). The God of justice has an affectionate and sympathetic parental love for His daughter Jerusalem in the wake of her necessary discipline. We too can be assured that no one is too far from God’s love.

WITHIN GOD'S REACH Sentenced to fifty years in a maximum-security prison, a sixteen-year-old girl sat in solitary confinement. Due to her age, she remained separated from the other inmates. For nearly a year, she had no outside visitors. During an outreach and baptism held at the facility, the guards let a ministry leader enter the girl’s cell. She heard the gospel, surrendered her life to Jesus, and asked to be baptized. At first, the team considered using water bottles, but then the prison staff shut down the entire facility and led her to a portable baptismal pool. As God’s people prayed, she wept.

Though God promises to judge those who reject Him, He also extends mercy to those who repent. He restores and protects those who trust in His name (Zephaniah 3:10-12). Repentance leads to redemption, because God Himself “has taken away” the punishment we deserve (v. 15). Hope resounds in the prophet Zephaniah’s words about God: “He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (v. 17).

So we can share the gospel with compassion and confidence, especially with those who may feel they’re too far from God. No matter where we are, what we’ve done, or how alone, forgotten, or unworthy we may feel, God loves and pursues us. Every person is within God’s reach.

By: Xochitl Dixon

REFLECT AND PRAY When have you felt too far from God? How has His mercy toward you changed your compassion toward others?

Loving God, please help me care enough to see and share You with those who need You as much as I do. in Jesus' name, Amen.

HOW TO START GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS SHARE THE GOOD NEWS The purpose of our lives is to spread the Gospel of Jesus. Never be ashamed. Share why you love Jesus and what Jesus did for you on the cross. I know by experience that you will walk away from the conversation with deeper faith in Jesus, knowing more about what you have in Him. One of my personal verses inspires me to start Gospel Conversations: “And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ" (Philemon 1:6). In other words, sharing Jesus is a spiritual discipline. As you share the Good News with someone, you gain a deeper faith in Jesus! Wherever you are and whoever you're with, always be ready to explain why your hope is in Jesus!

What motivates you to start Gospel conversations with people you just met? How may we be praying for the ones in your life, who you are having Gospel conversations with?

ROMANS 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

1 PETER 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.