September 20, 2026 Devo

Our Celebrate Recovery folks are doing a “Cardboard Testimony” today. That means that while a song is being played, they will each walk across the stage with a cardboard sign that tells the issue that they have struggled with in their life. Then, they will flip the sign over, and it will declare the healing or freedom that they have now found in Christ. It is a powerful, almost overwhelming, time of visual testimonies.
If you sat with these participants, you’d find that all of them have a story. For some, a story of woundedness. For others, a story of failure. For still others, a story of grief, shame, or feelings of low self-esteem. Though all of their stories are different, there is one common denominator for most of them. For at least a period of time in their lives, their struggle was a secret.
It’s not easy to be open and vulnerable about the demons we wrestle with in the dark. They are memories we don’t want to remember. They are sins we’re too ashamed to confess. They are addictions that we’re too afraid to admit. What’s interesting is that all of these things that our Celebrate Recovery people are dealing with are the exact same things WE ALL deal with. The only difference between them and us is that they have found the courage to admit theirs. Ours are still secret.
Notice in our passage today the great relief the king experienced when his “secret” was made known. His dream had him filled with anxiety. He knew it meant “something,” but he didn’t know what. He was filled with anger and fear. His troubled heart was not going to know relief until his dream and its meaning were brought into the light. That’s when he knew the truth. And the truth set him free.
“We’re as sick as our secrets.” Have you heard that cliché? It’s true. Our secrets will make us ill in body, mind, and spirit. They will fill our lives with dread, fear, anxiety, and self-loathing. Our secrets are the Enemy’s weapons that he uses to keep us prisoners within ourselves. And his chains are strong. But let me tell you something the Enemy doesn’t want you to know. God knows your secret. He stands ready to bring your life healing, grace, and freedom. Find a safe, godly person. Find a safe group like Celebrate Recovery. Find a counselor or a pastor and find the relief that King Nebuchadnezzar and our folks with cardboard signs found. You’re as sick as your secrets. It’s time to get well! That’s God’s Word for you today.