Sunday Devotional 2026: Empty
Have you ever asked, “Why do I feel so empty?”
At the End of My Bed
It was one o’clock in the morning, and I was sitting on the end of my bed.
I had just come home from a night with my friends in Fort Worth, Texas. We had gone out to eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory, wandered around Sundance Square, and spent the evening doing the kinds of things we did most Saturday nights.
Nothing terrible happened. Nothing dramatic or stupid. We were just hanging out and having fun like we did every Saturday night.
But that night felt different.
I came home, sat on the edge of my bed, and in the quiet of the night, one thought hit me hard:
Why do I feel so empty?
Then another question came right behind it:
Is this all there is to life? Just hanging out, having fun, going places, doing the same things over and over again?
That was the night I sensed God speaking to me. Not in an audible voice. Not with sound in the room. But with a deep, powerful impression I could not ignore:
I have something more for you. Bigger plans. A better life. All you have to do is follow Me.
This week at Sunset Lake, we told the story of Israel and their journey out of Egypt. You can read it in the book of Exodus.
Imagine being a slave your whole life. Your father was a slave. Your grandfather was a slave. Your great-grandfather was a slave. It was all your family had ever known.
But Israel was not just a nation of slaves. They were God’s people. His treasured possession. God had chosen them for a purpose. He wanted to bless the whole world through them.
But after years in Egypt, they forgot.
They forgot who they were.
They forgot what they were made for.
They had even forgotten the name of their God.
And I wonder if, in the quiet of the night, some of them asked the same kind of questions I was asking:
Why do I feel so empty?
Is this all there is?
Was I made for something more?
Have you ever asked questions like that?
Have you ever wondered if God has bigger dreams for your life than you can even imagine?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God “has set eternity in the human heart.” That means God placed something deep inside you that longs for more than popularity, more than fun, more than success, and more than just getting through another day.
That empty feeling is not always a bad thing.
Sometimes emptiness is God’s way of reminding us that we were made for Him.
You are God’s child. You are loved. You matter. You were made for a life that has meaning now and lasts forever.
You can chase popularity, attention, comfort, success, or approval from other people. But none of those things can fill the place in your heart that was made for Jesus.
That night, sitting on the end of my bed, I decided to stop running and start following Jesus.
It was the best decision of my life.
And maybe tonight, God is inviting you to hear the same thing:
I have something more for you. Follow Me.
Questions to Talk About
Have you ever had a moment when something fun still left you feeling empty afterward? What was that like?
Why do you think people sometimes try to fill their emptiness with popularity, entertainment, achievement, or approval?
The Israelites forgot who they were and what God had made them for. What are some things that can make us forget who we are as God’s children?
What do you think it would look like for you to follow Jesus this week — at home, at school, with friends, or at camp?
Simple Prayer
Jesus, thank You for loving me and calling me Your child. When I feel empty, help me remember that I was made for You. Show me the life You are inviting me to live, and give me the courage to follow You. Amen.
