January 8, 2026 Devo

When I was taking Driver’s Education in high school, we were forced to watch a film that depicted horrible accident scenes. Some were scenes of people who drove while intoxicated. Some were scenes of accidents where they weren’t wearing their seatbelts. Some were from accidents caused by drivers who were racing. If you were made to watch those films, you’ll remember. You can’t unsee carnage like that.
Why did they make us watch that horrible stuff? Why wouldn’t they just teach us the basic skills and rules for driving and spare us those awful films? It was because they wanted to make sure we understood a basic principle of life: Our actions have consequences. Cars are no joke. Yes, they can be fun, and driving can be a wonderful experience. But if you don’t respect the power and responsibility you have as a driver, you can cause great destruction, heartache, and death. They weren’t trying to just scare us. They were trying to wake us up to TRUTH.
That’s exactly what God is trying to do through Isaiah in these opening chapters. Choices have consequences. If the Israelites choose their own path, they take themselves out from under the protection of God, and they are vulnerable to being overcome by their enemies. If they choose to chase after gods of their own making, they will remove themselves from God’s blessing. If they continue in their sin, they will experience exile, death, and destruction. Isaiah’s descriptions of what will happen are as graphic as those high school Driver’s Ed films.
Our passage today sums up Isaiah’s pointed warnings. Faithfulness and disobedience both have consequences. Faithfulness to God and obedience to His Word lead to life and blessings. Disobedience and rebellion lead to death and destruction. God has gifted us with lives that have incredible power and responsibility. Be smart. Drive safe. And live in obedience to the Lord. Trust me, you don’t want to end up in someone’s Driver’s Ed film. That’s God’s Word for you today.