February 19, 2026 Devo

I was working on my sermon for this Sunday earlier today. I’m launching a new series called “Before I Go.” It’s a series that focuses on some of the final thoughts that Jesus wanted to make sure He conveyed to His Disciples. This Sunday, I will be sharing from the story of Jesus washing His Disciples’ feet. There’s a verse in that story that can slip right by you, but it is the key to the resilience of Jesus. It’s John 13:3, which says, “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.” Don’t miss this. Why could Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, be humble enough to wash the feet of men He knew would abandon and betray Him? How could the most powerful being in the universe allow Himself to be ridiculed, spit upon, cursed, flogged, and crucified? He knew who He was and He knew His destiny. Spend some time with that one.
Why do we get so bent out of shape when someone says something ugly to us? Why do we care when we hear that someone has said something mean, something untrue, or something outright awful to someone else about us? It’s really simple. We forget who we are. When you KNOW who you are, the words of people don’t really matter. If I KNOW I’m a child of God, if I KNOW my sins are forgiven, if I KNOW that I can stand before God with an honest and open heart, why in the world would I give two cents about someone else’s misguided or ill-intended opinion?
And if I KNOW that God holds my destiny, why would I care about people who have it in for me? When I KNOW I’m just passing through, that heaven is my home, and that God is in charge of my life, why would I wring my hands about the oppression or persecution of people? Jesus KNEW who He was. He KNEW where He was going. Washing the dirty feet of scoundrels and putting up with evil men out to get Him couldn’t change that one iota. It won’t change it for YOU either.
That’s the essence of Isaiah’s words to us. People’s words and threats can rain down upon us all they want, but it will never change our identity as the people of God, nor will it change our future with our Heavenly Father. I love how Isaiah sums up how God will eventually squash all that noise. “As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.” Know who you are. Know where you’re going. That’s what makes you unstoppable. That’s God’s Word for you today.