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
How we love and honor those who tell us what we want to hear!
Here in the United States we like to hear the gospel of prosperity, the promise of peace or a call for political change in Washington. Alas, God's messengers often have the much harder task of speaking of what God has revealed and this may come across as "bad news."
Jeremiah had such a message. He called for repentance, for a turning back to God. The popular preacher of that day was a man named Hananiah. His message glossed over the sin of the people and promised a quick end to their distress. This is what the people wanted to head. But Jeremiah could not compromise. Israel would have to suffer much longer. Time, he said, would reveal whose message was true. Repentance is never easy, nor is waiting for God, but it is the true way.
Prayer
Help us to trust and wait patiently for you, O Lord. Amen.