August 27, 2026 Devo

On May 9, 1864, during the Civil War, Major General John Sedgwick was inspecting the Union Army troops at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse in Virginia. As he rode among them, he was trying to give encouragement and calm their fears. Seeing that many of the men were hiding from the Confederate sharpshooters, he scolded them, saying, “What are you dodging for? They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance!” Moments later, a Confederate sharpshooter using a long-range Whitworth rifle shot him right under the left eye, killing him instantly. I don’t know about an elephant, but I guess they sure could hit a big-headed man!
Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” It’s a truth that we’ve seen played out over and over again in almost every area of life. But why? Why is pride so dangerous? There are probably many reasons, but let’s focus on just one today: Pride makes us careless. And carelessness leaves us vulnerable.
Superior teams get beat in sporting events because they don’t take their opponents seriously. Marriages fail because couples take each other for granted and don’t continue to cultivate the love they have for each other. Christians fall because they believe they’re beyond temptation, above being deceived by the Enemy, or don’t really need to spend time in God’s Word, prayer, or in the community of faith. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Paul said, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” When we stop being careful and start becoming careless, we open ourselves up to all kinds of trouble. Trouble that sometimes has disastrous results.
Take another look at our passage today. “Not a king in all the earth—no one in all the world—would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem. Yet it happened…” Pride led the people of God to become careless about their faith and their obedience to God. That carelessness opened the gates for the Enemy.
Please hear my heart today. Be careful. Things that matter, like our walk with God, our marriages, our parenting, our ministries, need to be protected, cultivated, and nurtured. They are too important to leave exposed or unattended. The people of God during Jeremiah’s day never believed Jerusalem could be sacked. But it was. And General Sedgwick could’ve learned an important lesson from his men who were taking cover. The Enemy is a better shot than we know. Be careful. That’s God’s Word for you today.