February 1, 2026 Devo

February 1st, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.” – Isaiah 9:1 (NLT)
“Guiding Us Back to Glory”

Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t abandon us in our darkness? I sure am. It’s been one of my ongoing prayers of thanksgiving for some time now. While any one of us would have given up on ourselves in our determined disobedience, God does not. But here’s what’s so amazing. God doesn’t simply remain hopeful of our return to Him. He WORKS toward our return to Him. Let that sink in for a minute or two. He doesn’t just wait. He doesn’t just hope. He creates paths. He orchestrates intervention points. He makes A Way.
That’s what God is pointing out through the prophet Isaiah in our verse today. Israel had abandoned God. They were chasing after gods of their own making and following their own paths. They plunged themselves deeper and deeper into darkness until they were utterly and hopelessly lost. Now, because of their sin, they would be overrun by an enemy and taken into captivity. Once, they were the unstoppable People of God. Soon, the entire nation would become slaves.
But this verse lets them know something remarkable. God’s not done with them. He’s taken away His Hand of protection, yes. He’s allowing them to suffer the consequences of their sin, yes. And He’s not going to prevent them from being bathed in humiliation and shame. But what He IS going to do is to start planning and preparing to guide them toward glory. HIS glory. He’s once again going to make A Way where there seems to be no way.
Our verse today is a direct reference to the coming of Jesus. Where now the feet of sinful, rebellious people walk, His Holy Feet will tread. Where now there are blasphemous words spoken, His Voice will preach the Gospel. The very land that evil has overtaken will be reclaimed by the King of Kings. God didn’t just wait for His People to find a way back to Him. God MADE a way. He would guide them back to His Glory.
Do you hear how much God loves you in this? Do you hear how much He believes in you? Do you understand that God will never give up, never quit, and never let go of you? You may have wandered a million miles from where you are supposed to be, but God is already reaching His Hand, signaling for your attention, and trying to touch your heart. He loves you. He made you. And He will always keep working to guide you back to His Glory. That’s God’s Word for you today.