October 17, 2026 Devo

October 17th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” – Daniel 9:18 (NLT)
“Getting What You Don’t Deserve”

One of my favorite stories from the Bible is the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph grew up favored by his father and blessed by God. This made his brothers jealous. When an opportunity came, they sold their brother into slavery and told their father he had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph ended up in Egypt, where the Hand of God again protected him. Because of the gifts and blessing of God, Joseph ended up second in command in all of Egypt.
Some years later, there was a famine in the land, and Joseph’s family was starving. His brothers came to Egypt on their father’s behalf to buy food. Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. Think about it. Their lives were now in Joseph’s hands. He could have thrown them in prison and never let them out. He could have sent them home to die of starvation. He could have had them killed. But he didn’t.
After teasing them for a bit, Joseph revealed himself to them. They were terrified. They knew what they had done and what they had coming as a result. But rather than giving them what they deserved, Joseph was merciful to them. He fed them and sent them home to bring their father and their families back to Egypt to live under his protection, where they flourished and prospered.
Daniel reminds us in his prayer that this is how God deals with us. God doesn’t treat us as we deserve. If He did, we’d all be dead. But God, in His mercy, looks down upon us with compassion and love. Like Joseph with his brothers, God invites us to come to Him, live with Him, and bask in His gracious blessing and protection. As Psalm 103 reminds us, “He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”
If you’re in a tough place today, turn your face toward the Lord. Invite Him to look down upon you in the midst of your despair. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t talked to Him in a while. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been living life your way with no regard to His Word. It doesn’t matter if you’ve blown it Big Time. Cry out to Him with a humble and broken heart. God won’t give you what you deserve. He’ll give you what you don’t deserve. Mercy. That’s God’s Word for you today.