With Us in Weariness
Read: Matthew 11:25-30 You will find rest for your souls. (v. 29) Are you physically tired, or even extremely fatigued? Are you emotionally or spiritually exhausted? Are you weary of
Nancy Boote January 10, 2026
Have you ever felt abandoned, unseen, or unsure if anyone truly understands what you’re going through? In life’s hardest moments, it can feel like we are left to carry the weight alone. But the good news of the gospel is that we are never alone. Jesus is with us—always.
This devotional reading plan explores the many ways Jesus’s presence meets us in the real struggles of life. We will see him sit with the grieving, calm the fearful, forgive the guilty, and bring healing to the sick. We will also notice Jesus’s own humanity—his tears, his anger, his moments of agony—and discover that he knows what it is to walk through suffering. Each day reminds us that no matter what we face, Jesus comes alongside us. He is Immanuel, God with us.
The promise Jesus gave to his disciples still stands for us today: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). His presence doesn’t erase hardship, but it transforms it. It assures us of his love, strengthens our hope, and brings peace that passes understanding.
If you are carrying a burden today, take heart: you don’t have to walk alone. Through this series, may you find renewed comfort and confidence in the truth that Jesus is with you—always.
This series was written by Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America. Nancy lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. She serves in a variety of leadership positions within the denomination. Besides being a wife, mother, and grandmother, Nancy enjoys taking prayer walks, hiking in nature, mentoring, and has a heart for justice matters.
Read: Matthew 11:25-30 You will find rest for your souls. (v. 29) Are you physically tired, or even extremely fatigued? Are you emotionally or spiritually exhausted? Are you weary of
Read: John 11:32-37 Jesus wept. (v. 35) As humans the deep sorrow of grief will be part of all of our lives. We know that death is a part of
Read: Mark 11:15-19 He overturned the tables . . . (v. 15) In Brené Brown’s book Atlas of the Heart, the author defines anger as “an emotion that we feel
Read: John 17:20-26 I in them and you in me . . . (v. 23) Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, prayed, “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind
Read: Luke 22:39-46 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. (v. 44) The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines agony as experiencing “intense pain of mind or body.” Other similar words are
Read: Matthew 26:14-16; 47-50 Friend, do what you came to do. (v. 50) Betrayal is never pretty. When someone who was loyal to you turns against you, it hurts. You
Read: Matthew 28:16-20 I am with you always. (v. 20) Has there been a time in your life when you wished you sensed Jesus’s presence with you? I felt Jesus’s
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. She serves in a variety of leadership positions within the denomination. Besides being a wife, mother, and grandmother, Nancy enjoys taking prayer walks, hiking in nature, mentoring, and has a heart for justice matters.