Jeremiah 28:5-9 (NRSV)
Read Jeremiah 28:5-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; Verse 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. Verse 7But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. Verse 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. Verse 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet."
Devotion
Where’s God at work in your world? It’s an important, difficult and perhaps presumptuous question – but it demands a response.
Consider the events of 594 B.C. Standing in the house of the Lord before the occupied people of Judea, two prophets, both seeking the best for their land, proclaimed contradictory words in their attempt to answer that question.
Jeremiah, in deference to prophetic tradition, recognized Nebuchadnezzar as the Lord’s servant. Hananiah, claiming the inheritance of a chosen people, urged insurrection.
The conflict left no room for polite indecision. Judea resisted, and by 587 B.C., Hananiah was dead, the temple destroyed and the Babylonian captivity complete. Why? Hananiah made the people “trust in a lie” (verse 15).
God’s on the loose. Through the eyes of faith, world history and the details of daily life testify to the mighty acts of God.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that you created and still sustain all things. But where are you at work in my world? Teach me the dance of discernment. Give me the courage to name your presence in my home, workplace, community and congregation. Amen.