July 26, 2026 Devo

Do you like rollercoasters? I’ve found that I like them less the older I’ve gotten. My body doesn’t react as well to zooming up and down and being tossed side to side anymore. Call me an old fuddy duddy, but paying $50 to get on rides that make me throw up isn’t my idea of “fun.” Can I get an “Amen?”
Our emotions can be a rollercoaster. Jeremiah discovered that. It was “high” to know that God had called him to be a prophet to the people. In fact, it was probably overwhelming. But there were also deep lows that Jeremiah experienced. People rejected him. He got thrown in jail. He got sneered at and ridiculed. Our passage today shows the rollercoaster ride Jeremiah was on. He praises God in one verse and curses the day he was born in the next. When I read it, I laughed and thought to myself, “My friend, you need a therapist!”
But truthfully, we ALL experience that rollercoaster in our walk of faith. There are days when we feel God near and days when He seems a million miles away. There are miracles that we witness that blow our minds, and then times when God doesn’t answer that leave us brokenhearted. There are times we feel invincible and unstoppable in our walk with God. There are other times we feel powerless and weak. Up, down, back, and forth. For some of us, the highs and lows are higher and deeper, and maybe even more frequent. But the rollercoaster of emotions takes all of us for a ride eventually.
But our emotions don’t change the truth. They only change how we FEEL. God isn’t any closer when we’re “high” or further away when we’re “low.” He’s right here, right now, every minute of every day. We’re not more loved by God when He performs miracles than we are when He says, “No,” to us. Just like we don’t love our children more on Christmas morning with all the gifts than we do when we make them sit in “time out.” And the rollercoaster of emotions doesn’t change the fact that God is still on His Throne.
One last thing. God gave us these emotions, so He understands them. So it’s okay to shout, sing, or jump up and down when you’re on a high and you’re filled with joy. God gets it. But it’s also okay when you’re sad, disappointed, and brokenhearted. God gets that, too. Either way, God understands the ride you’re on and is right there beside you in that car through every mountain and valley. Just remember this one thing: The ride doesn’t change who He is, who you are, or what you mean to Him. He is still God, and He is still on His Throne. You are still His Child, and you are loved, whether you’re happy with Him or mad at Him. So wherever you are on this rollercoaster today, just keep holding onto God. Faith is not about feeling. It’s about believing. It’s about trusting. And it’s about staying committed. Regardless of what part of the ride you’re on. That’s God’s Word for you today.