Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s awesome to be here with you today.
Today is September 25.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

We carry so much around every day — financial worries, relational stress, anxiety about the future, and the pressure to succeed.
Now is the time to set those things down for a few minutes and enjoy some time with Jesus.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, You cried with Mary.”
As you exhale, pray: “You see my tears.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
(John 11:28–37, NLT)

Notice

What hits you most?
Is there a phrase that jumps out to you?
Hold that phrase gently before the Lord.

Reread

Hear this passage again — and notice what Jesus does.

Meditate

Mary falls at Jesus's feet. "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." The same words Martha spoke. The same disappointment. The same grief.
And then something happens that stops you cold:
"When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled."
Jesus doesn't stay detached. He doesn't remain clinical or distant. He feels something. Deeply. A deep anger wells up within Him. He is troubled.
And then: "Then Jesus wept."
Two words. But they change everything.
Jesus cried. The God who created the universe. The one who holds all things together. The one who knows the end from the beginning and knows that Lazarus will rise again in just moments. Jesus wept.
He wept because He saw Mary's pain. He saw the grief of the people around Him. He saw death's destruction. And He felt it.
This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture, because it tells us something radical about God: He is near to those who cry. He cries with us.
We often think of God as distant. Removed. Above it all. Untouched by our pain. But Jesus shows us something different. God enters into our grief. God feels our sorrow. God cries with us.
The people standing nearby understood: "See how much he loved him!" They recognized that Jesus's tears were evidence of His love. You don't cry for someone you don't love.
But some questioned: "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" They still didn't understand that Jesus's power isn't about preventing pain. It's about entering into it. It's about standing with us in our darkest moments.
When you cry, Jesus cries with you. When you grieve, Jesus grieves with you. When you hurt, Jesus hurts with you. You are not alone in your pain. God sees your tears. God feels your sorrow. God is close to you.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
How does it change things to know that God doesn't stay distant from our pain—He enters into it?

Respond

Jesus, You see my tears. You feel my sorrow. You are close to me. Help me believe that. Help me feel Your presence in my pain.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Sit With Sorrow
Today's habit is an act of honest grief.
Jesus didn't rush past Mary's tears. He sat with her in her grief. He cried with her. Today, you're going to do the same—you're going to allow yourself to grieve what needs grieving, and you're going to invite Jesus into that sorrow.
Spend 20–30 minutes on this exercise:
Part 1: Name Your Grief: Identify one loss, one disappointment, one sorrow that you've been carrying.
Write it down. Name it specifically.
Part 2: Let Yourself Feel It: Now sit with it. Don't rush past it. Don't try to fix it or spiritualize it. Just feel it.
If tears come, let them. If anger comes, acknowledge it. If confusion comes, sit with it. Don't try to make it go away.
Part 3: Invite Jesus In: Finally, invite Jesus into your sorrow. Not to fix it immediately. Not to explain it away. But to sit with you in it.
Pray: "Jesus, I'm grieving _________________. I've been trying to be strong. I've been trying to move on. But I'm not ready. I'm still hurting. Thank you for crying with Mary. Thank you for not staying distant from pain. I'm inviting You into my sorrow. Sit with me. Cry with me. Help me know that I'm not alone in this."
Then sit. Grieve. Let Jesus be present with you in your sorrow.
This is not weakness. This is honesty. This is the kind of faith that brings tears to the eyes of Jesus.

I have two asks of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today and check out the review of this podcast on Elevate Society?
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.