Devotion: When the Illusion Shatters

 

Devotion: When the Illusion Shatters

Scripture: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” – Psalm 118:8

When my parents passed, I expected grief to be my greatest burden. I expected the ache of loss, the quiet void where their voices once were, the longing for just one more conversation. What I didn't expect was the second loss—the loss of the illusion I had been living in for so long.

I had trusted that family would step up, that friends would be there, that those who once claimed to love me would walk with me through the darkest season of my life. Instead, I found myself alone, betrayed by expectations I hadn’t even realized I held. The people I thought I could rely on were nowhere to be found, and I suffered for it.

For a time, I wrestled with the heartbreak of it all. How could I have been so blind? How had I lived so long believing in a foundation that crumbled the moment I needed it most? My world felt like a house of cards blown apart by grief, leaving me exposed to a truth I never wanted to see.

But in that desolation, one thing remained unshaken: God.

He was the only one who didn’t leave. He was the only one who didn’t falter. When everyone else stepped away, He stepped in. And in that breaking, in the revealing of what was false, God led me to something real.

The loss of illusion is painful, but it is also a gift. Because now, my trust is no longer misplaced. My heart is no longer tethered to false securities. I have learned to lean on the only One who is truly faithful. The only One who sees, knows, and holds every shattered piece of my heart in His hands.

If you have felt this same loss—if you, too, have seen the illusion fall away—know this: God was never part of that illusion. He was the only reality all along. And though it hurts now, what He is building in you will be stronger, truer, and more unshakable than anything you’ve ever known.

Prayer:

Lord, I have been wounded by disappointment, by the loss of trust, by the realization that those I counted on were never truly there for me. But through it all, You have remained. Thank You for being my refuge when others failed me. Heal the broken places in my heart and teach me to trust wisely—not in the illusion of people’s promises, but in the unchanging truth of Your presence. Amen.

Reflection:

• Have you experienced a loss beyond grief—one that revealed hard truths about people in your life?
• How has God shown Himself to be faithful when others were not?
• In what ways can you rebuild your trust—not in people, but in the God who never leaves?