May 28, 2026 Devo

May 28th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone! Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’” – Isaiah 51:13-16 (NLT)
“Our Destiny Belongs to the Lord”

Have you ever felt trapped? It’s funny how often I hear people use that word to describe their circumstances. I remember a guy talking with me some time ago using that word to describe his job situation. He had been trying and trying to get promoted to a higher level, but to no avail. He had become really discouraged. Finally, he decided to look for another job. One became available that he applied for. He so desperately wanted to get out of the job he was in that he BEGGED God to let him get it. He didn’t. And he plunged into despair.
He called me after the new job fell through and wanted me to tell him why God didn’t give him that job. I told him that I wasn’t privy to that kind of information. It was above my pay grade. But I did assure him that God knew where he was, how he felt, and what he needed. I prayed with him and simply asked God to guide, lead, and comfort him. I didn’t hear back from him until about six months later. That’s when he called to tell me that God had opened the door for him to get his “dream job.” It was a better job, a better environment, doing what he loved, for more money. He decided that maybe God knew what He was doing after all!
We sometimes forget that though people and circumstances can cause us distress and difficulty, only God controls our destiny. Read that last sentence again. What God says to His People in our passage today is an understanding that can help us rest and trust in His leading and His process. We don’t have to be afraid or discouraged. The same God who can free His People from Egypt and free His People from the Babylonians can free us as well. God is greater than the people who may be against us, greater than the circumstances that surround us, and greater than the chains that may bind us. My friend felt as if he was trapped in his job. He was wrong. He discovered that what we call a “struggle” is just a stepping stone that God uses to get us to where we need to be. People may control our jobs, but only God controls our destiny. That’s God’s Word for you today.