October 25, 2026 Devo

October 25th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him.” – Hosea 11:1-3 (NLT)
“Our Great Sadness”

Is there anything more heartbreaking than when our children or grandchildren decide to not follow the Lord? Especially when that path isn’t just about not serving Christ as Lord, but also when they begin making choices that we know are horrible. There is a helpless, gut-wrenching feeling as they destroy their lives, no matter how hard we plead for them not to. Sometimes they decide WE are the problem and distance themselves from us or even cut us out of their lives altogether. Our wayward children are our Great Sadness.
It’s hard not to feel like a failure when this happens. And no matter how hard we worked to teach them right, lead them right, and point them to God, we can easily start second-guessing ourselves. What could we have done differently? What if we had done this rather than that? There are a million “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s” that we beat ourselves up with.
But the truth is, no matter how good we are as parents or grandparents, our kids ultimately have to make their own choices and choose their own paths. There are no guarantees or magic formulas. If you don’t believe me, take another look at our passage today. God, who is the only Perfect Father who has ever existed, had kids who turned their backs on Him and went their own way. He gave them their identity. He rescued them from their oppressors. He protected them. He provided for them. He taught them. He guided them. He loved them as fully and unconditionally as is possible. But it didn’t matter. It was God’s Great Sadness.
I share this today for two reasons. One, go easy on yourself. All of us can look back and see things we maybe could have done better. Just like OUR parents could have done better. Give it to God and live in TODAY. Two, it’s okay to be sad for your kids, but never stop praying for them. Even if they are a long way from you and from God, they’re never beyond His Hand or the voice of His Spirit. God was broken-hearted for Israel, even outright angry with them at times. But His love never stopped, and He never gave up hope that they would return to Him. Let’s do the same. Whatever path our kids are on, let’s stay on our knees for them. We can’t choose for them, but we can pray for God’s Spirit to stay after them. And maybe one day, through God’s grace, our Great Sadness will turn into a Great Celebration. That’s God’s Word for you today.