August 25, 2026 Devo

Have you ever said something or done something to someone, and they pulled away from you? Sometimes it’s a spouse. Sometimes it’s a friend. Sometimes it can be a person at work. If you have, you may have discovered that it creates a bit of a “cloud” in that relationship. Your spouse stops speaking to you or responds with short answers and sharp tones. Your friend stops calling or always seems to be busy when you want to do something with them. Your co-worker avoids you, or, at least, avoids eye contact with you. The relationships can feel foggy, uncertain, and distant.
So how do you deal with those “cloudy” relationships? You do the hard, humble thing. You confess what you did with a contrite and empathetic heart. You take ownership of what you said or did without blaming them. You tell them how sorry you are and how badly you feel for hurting their feelings. Most of the time, if you do it well and with the right heart, something magical happens—the cloud lifts. And sometimes, you actually end up with a relationship that is more real, more honest, and with a greater closeness than you had before.
It’s the same with God. Jeremiah describes God in our passage today as “hidden in a cloud.” What is he talking about? He’s talking about the fact that sin and disobedience have separated them from God. God is still there. God still sees, hears, and cares. But the closeness, the connection, and the intimacy are missing. Why? Because their prayers are about everything, but not the ONE THING God wants to talk about. God doesn’t play games. He doesn’t pretend as if everything is okay when it is not. Sometimes, we just want to ignore things in our lives that aren’t right with God and try to go on with Him as though there’s nothing wrong. But God is not fooled or okay with it. That’s why we sometimes feel disconnected or as though God’s not really hearing our prayers. It’s not that He doesn’t care. He’s just trying to get us to deal with what needs to be dealt with so He can draw near to us again.
The great news is we can lift the cloud. Confession draws us near to God. When we come to Him with humble and contrite hearts, the cloud lifts, and He pulls us into His Grace. God wants our relationship with Him to be real. He wants it to be honest. He desires intimacy, not pretension. That’s why James tells us, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Time to lift the cloud. That’s God’s Word for you today.