July 22, 2026 Devo

Some years ago, I had a friend who was really sharp. He had a great mind and, as an engineer, developed some pretty cool stuff. He was also a committed Christian, husband, father, and leader in the church. But something happened. Maybe it was the success. Maybe it was the desire for greater success. Or maybe he just got blinded to what was really important. Whatever it was, he lost his grip. He lost his grip on God. He lost his grip on his values. He lost his grip on his family. He lost his grip on the most important things in life and chased after the other “gods” this world entices us with. Wanting to “have it all,” he lost it all. For those of us who loved him, it was absolutely devastating.
That’s the heartbreaking warning God gives Judah in our passage today. God had a future for them. He had a land that “flowed with milk and honey” that was theirs. They had the promise of God’s protection and blessing upon them. They had a special relationship with God, unlike any people anywhere in the world. Then they lost their grip.
They stopped chasing after God. They stopped remembering all He had done for them. They lost their grip on the commitments they had made to Him. They lost their grip on the ingredients of living a blessed life. They let go of their grip on their covenant with the Almighty to become like the people in the lands around them. In doing so, they let God’s Promises and Blessings slip right out of their hands. It was incredibly foolish and horribly sad.
How’s YOUR grip? I’ve discovered that we don’t usually throw things aside that are important quickly. We just get busy, distracted, or drawn away a little bit each day. We slowly stop spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, and in worship. We slowly become more obsessed with our jobs, our hobbies, our interests, or other people, rather than our spouse or our family. We become more excited about being “liked” by a particular crowd than being favored by God. Most of us usually don’t just abruptly toss aside what we call our priorities. We just let them slide out of our hands. Get a grip.
Take a moment today to ask yourself the question, “What is really important to me?” Then ask this follow-up question. “Am I giving these important things the time, attention, love, and care that they require?” If you’re honest, you may find that you’re not holding on as tightly to some of these things as you once were. If so, take a moment to ask God to help you renew your commitment to the things that really matter. Don’t wait until you lose it all to wake up to what’s really important in life. Get a grip. That’s God’s Word for you today.