April 15, 2026 Devo

As I read our verse for today, I sat with that last phrase for a little bit. “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Though those are wonderfully endearing words that the Lord speaks to us, it sparked several revealing thoughts within me. Can I share a few of those with you?
One realization that hit me is “I don’t always want the Lord’s help.” That’s a horrible truth to admit, but I know that it has been true for me. There have been times in my life when I’ve NEEDED God…to help me overcome, to help me change, to help me live up to who I ought to be. But in those times, I haven’t always WANTED His help. Areas I needed to address but didn’t want to address. Areas I needed to change but didn’t want to change. That’s why brokenness is such an important part of our journey. Brokenness has a way of opening the door of our hearts when we don’t want to open it.
Another thought I realized I’ve had before is, “I don’t always need God’s help.” Now, I never said this out loud and probably would have denied it if someone asked me if I’d ever felt this way. But I realized, as I sat with this verse, how often I’ve done things before, important things, without really seeking God or asking for His strength, wisdom, and guidance. Sometimes, when we’re pretty good at stuff, it’s easy to just do it out of our own strength. So we find ourselves preaching, teaching, and leading without truly seeking God’s help. We try to handle problems, have important conversations, and even counsel people without asking God to work in or through us. Or we go through tough times with our spouse or kids or other relationships, trying to navigate it on our own rather than pleading with God to bring the healing, understanding, and restoration that only He can bring.
My humbling realization today was that Isaiah reminds us that God is right there with us each day, holding our hand and ready to help in all the ways that we desperately need Him. He has the strength we need. He has the wisdom we need. He can give us guidance and insight that we don’t have. He can even intervene in supernatural ways. The problem often comes down to our WILL and our PRIDE. Today’s passage was a powerful reminder to me that many of the messes I make happen because I don’t invite God into the process. Maybe you can relate to this, too. God really is Our Helper. But we have to lay down our will and our pride and LET Him help. That’s God’s Word for you today.