October 30, 2026 Devo

I always loved the story about the church that was looking for a new pastor. After they narrowed it down to two candidates, they decided to have both come and preach a sermon, and then they would pick. Both candidates came, and ironically, both preached on Hell! After deciding on the one to invite to be their pastor, one of the church members was telling his neighbor about the experience. “Well, if they both preached on Hell, how did you decide which one you wanted?” The church member smiled and said, “We picked the one who preached like he didn’t want us to go there!” Good choice.
Say this out loud: “God is FOR me!” Now, say it again with emphasis. It’s an important truth to keep in mind. When life gets hard or we find ourselves in over our heads, it’s easy to think that somehow God is against us. When we have a flat tire or a fender-bender accident, or, like me this week, find out you have to get a new transmission for your car, it’s easy to think, “God must hate me.” When we’ve drifted from God, gotten into some things that we shouldn’t have, and end up in trouble or suffering as a result of it, the shame can make us think that God no longer cares for us. But He truly does.
Take another look at our passage today. “Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” Drink this in for a moment. God’s people have messed up Big Time. Their sin is so rampant that God has to do something to get their attention and make them turn around. But notice how tender God’s heart is towards them. He doesn’t want to punish them. He doesn’t want them to suffer. He is “merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” God doesn’t want to hurt them. He wants to help them. He wants to come back where He can gather His arms around them and save them from themselves. God is FOR them, not against them.
Don’t let shame or fear keep you from coming home to God. Don’t let anger or disappointment keep you from seeking God and praying for His comfort and healing. When life gets rough, it may FEEL as if God is out to get you. But it only FEELS that way. No matter where you are or what you are going through, remember: God is for you. That’s God’s Word for you today.