Daily Devotion Wednesday Wisdom | January 21, 2026
It’s Wednesday, and time for your daily devotion. There’s a difference between the righteous and the unrighteous. Joseph is an example of one who is righteous before God; however, his brothers proved to be the opposite. In today’s daily devotion, realize the unrighteous are marked with a sense of apathy.
Let’s Have Lunch
In Genesis 37:24, after casting Joseph into an empty pit with no water, verse 25 says that “they sat down to eat bread.” They had just stripped off Joseph’s coat and thrown him into a pit. Then they casually sat down and had lunch. They tore Joseph’s coat and dipped it in blood so their father would believe Joseph was dead, and they carried on with their lives. In your daily devotion, see that apathy never makes your heart grow cold or uncaring.
Surrounded by Wickedness
Chapter 38 follows Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, who goes to visit a friend and, while there, sees a woman whom he marries. They have three sons. The eldest is killed because he’s wicked. As custom requires, his wife is given to the next oldest brother. But he’s wicked and is also killed. Judah tells her to wait until his third son grows up. However, he doesn’t intend to honor his promise.
Judah shows no remorse concerning Joseph, who was seventeen when he and his brothers betrayed him. Then he raises evil sons. Proverbs 12:21 says, “The wicked shall be filled with mischief.” In other words, evil people’s lives are troubled. In this daily devotion, know that in every life there’s trouble, but the unrighteous don’t have God’s direction.
You Reap What You Sow
In the process of time, Judah’s wife dies, and he and his friend go to a sheepshearing event. When his daughter-in-law hears he’s there, she devises a plan. Covering her face, she pretends to be a prostitute. After being with her, he pledges to send her a kid from his flock. She requests his signet, bracelets, and staff as collateral, and he gives them.
When he sends his friend to retrieve his goods, he can’t find the prostitute. Judah has rid himself of Joseph, but his household is marked by evil, and his daughter-in-law has tricked him. Proverbs 5:22 says, “He shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” In your daily devotion, note that what happens to the unrighteous may not be by chance.
Punishing Others
About three months later, Judah is told his daughter-in-law is pregnant. He angrily condemns her: “Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.” There’s nothing that suggests he’s repented of what he’s done to Joseph. He’s oblivious to his own sins but quick to judge others. God’s people should always be quick to judge themselves and straighten up their act when wrong.
As Judah waits for her execution, she sends him his signet, bracelets, and staff, saying she’s pregnant by the man who owns them. Judah then recognizes his guilt and calls her more righteous than he. Calling off her death sentence, he cuts off his relationship with her. In today’s daily devotion, realize some separations are for the best, as being connected with some people never brings anything good.
Let God Lead
Today’s daily devotion reveals that staying apathetic and uncaring toward others won’t lead to a good outcome. Judah lost a wife, two sons, and his reputation. Proverbs 11:5 says that “the unrighteous fall by their own wickedness.” In Wednesday’s daily devotion, say that repentance and salvation lead to righteousness. In your daily devotion, determine to let God lead; following His direction is the best way.
