TeaTime Devotional October 17th, 2025

Written By:  Shanece Jordan

TAG ME BACK IN

Scripture:  Jeremiah 7:19 NKJV

“Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”

Testimony: 

Can I be real with you for a moment? There have been times I’ve felt ashamed—like I’d pushed God’s patience past its limit. I looked at my mistakes and thought, “Maybe I’ve left no room for His mercy to reach me.” I knew better, but I still ran. I wondered, “How could God keep tagging me in after I’ve ignored Him this long?” But then it hit me: God’s mercy isn’t like ours. It doesn’t run out; it runs over. I was the one closing the door, not Him. When Jeremiah says, “Is it not themselves, to their own shame?” that was me. I wasn’t breaking God—I was breaking myself. And still, He tagged me again. Grace caught up to me. Every time I sin, I step out from under God’s covering. The battle between my flesh and God’s will leaves cracks where destruction sneaks in. Playing games with sin has turned my blessings into brokenness—and it’s not God’s fault. It’s the consequence of me running from the One who’s been chasing me all along.

Edify: 

This verse stops me in my tracks. There have been moments when I thought I’d pushed God too far. Shame whispered, “You’ve gone beyond mercy.” I pictured God angry, tired, and done with me. But Jeremiah 7:19 reminds me that even when my sin grieves Him, His heart breaks for me, not against me. Sin doesn’t weaken God—it weakens my peace. Disobedience doesn’t make Him less holy—it makes me less whole.

And still, even in rebellion, His mercy waits—ready to tag me back in. The truth is, my sin never wounded God’s power; it only wounded me. And yet, His love keeps reaching, again and again.

Application:

Maybe you’ve been running too—thinking you’ve gone too far or that God’s done calling your name. But the truth is, His mercy hasn’t missed a step. He’s still reaching out, still tagging you back in. It’s time to stop hiding behind shame and step back into His grace. The same hand that disciplines is the hand that delivers. The same voice that confronts is the voice that calls you home. So, when God says, “Tag—you’re it,” He’s not shaming you. He’s reminding you: you still have purpose, you’re still chosen, you’re still in the game.

Homework:  Recognize where you’ve been tagging yourself out. Reclaim your identity.