August 12, 2025 Devo

A young man stopped by the church today looking for a Narcotics Anonymous group. They don’t meet here anymore, so I got online to tell him where the closest group was. He was a nice kid. I don’t know what his home life was like growing up, but I do know that somewhere along the way, he believed a lie. That lie is that stimulation would meet the aching needs of his life. But, of course, it didn’t. He discovered what many addicts do. The siren call of drugs is just another “black hole” that can suck you in and take everything you hold dear. What you hoped would satisfy you only leaves you with an ever-increasing thirst.
There are a lot of things like that in the world, aren’t there? Fame is one of them. Social media created a stampede for people who longed to be famous. That’s why you can find videos online of people doing the most insane and stupid things. They want to be “known.” And they are. For all of about 15 minutes. And then their lives sink back into obscurity. Even the attention you get is just that. Attention. Not real relationships. One YouTuber who amassed millions of followers described the emptiness of a social media life this way. He said, “I have a million followers and not one single friend.” That is an absolutely haunting statement.
The same could be said about the superficial stimulation we seek through money, power, or holding some prominent position. In the Ecclesiastes writer’s words, “It’s all chasing after the wind.” None of it matters, none of it lasts, and none of it satisfies.
What we’re really seeking is TRANSFORMATION, not stimulation. And THAT is what God promises for those who seek Him. That’s why I love the psalmist’s words today. The psalmist reminds us that a single day of living in the grace and peace that God offers is better than a thousand days elsewhere, no matter how stimulating it is. Because long after the stimulations wear off, God remains. Why choose the rush of a drug or excitement when you can experience the ongoing exhilaration of living a changed life? Why settle for a crowd of fickle fans when you can have a forever family? In God, I am fully accepted, fully loved, and never alone. In God, my life has purpose, meaning, and significance. In God, I don’t have to try to be someone else. I am more than enough through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Forget stimulation. Choose transformation. That’s God’s Word for you today.