August 18, 2026 Devo

My wife and I just got back from a wonderful week of vacationing. We were able to catch up with some great friends in Kansas City and St. Louis, as well as enjoy some beautiful scenery in the Wisconsin Dells and Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. We ended our week of traveling in Branson, Missouri, where we took in the “Sight & Sound” production of “David.” If you’ve not been to a Sight & Sound show, you really need to take one in. Their sets, singers, and portrayals of Biblical people and events are spectacular.
I’m sure it comes as no shock to anyone who knows me, but the production of David made me cry like a baby for a number of reasons. First, it’s an amazing reminder of how God looks at the heart of a person and not their outward looks or abilities. Second, it shows how God’s plans for us are more than what we could ever imagine. And third, David’s story reminds us that our failures, even great failures, don’t have to be the end. Out of the unthinkable sins of David’s adultery and having Bathsheba’s husband killed, God brought about brokenness, surrender, redemption, and restoration. The Sight & Sound folks did a magnificent job of portraying David's shame and humiliation being healed by the great grace and mercy of God. The tears flowed down my face at the truth that God offers to us all: Failure doesn’t have to be final.
Our passage today reminds us of that as well. Early in their exile for their disobedience and rejection of God, the Lord tells them of His plan for forgiveness, healing, and restoration. They may have thought that the Babylonian captivity was the end. But it wasn’t. God wasn’t done yet.
And God’s not done with YOU! No matter your failure, no matter your sin, no matter how long you’ve been on the run from God, He’s still willing and able to turn your life around. His grace is greater than all of your sin. His healing is greater than all of your woundedness. His ability to restore is greater than your ability to destroy. David threw away his right to be king and leader of Israel. The people of God brought complete ruin to Jerusalem and the Temple. But they learned what I hope all of us learn. In our darkest moments, God’s Light shines brightest. Because as long as we live and breathe, God’s not done yet. That’s God’s Word for you today.