Jeremiah 23:1-6 (NRSV)
Read Jeremiah 23:1-6 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 23Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Verse 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Verse 3Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. Verse 4I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. Verse 5The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Verse 6In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."
Devotion
We all most likely have heard, at one time or another, the old Yiddish proverb, "Man plans, and God laughs." Based on the reading from Jeremiah, I think a better way to say that could be, "Man tries and fails. God picks us up and gives us hope." Sure, my slogan isn't nearly as poetic and will not fit on any bumper stickers, but I think it does tell the truth of the faith we confess.
Jeremiah reminds us of the shepherds that have destroyed God's people and calls those shepherds (the leaders, kings, etc.) out for their action. Man tries, but man fails. Due to our own sinfulness and brokenness, our ways will never be the better way, unless God's will is truly done.
But the story does not end there. No, the Lord has the last word and his word is one of hope and promise: "I will attend to you. I will lead you. I will provide for you the true shepherd." And in the end, God picks us up again, and again, and again. For that we boldly say, "Thanks be to God that the Lord is our righteousness."
Prayer
Our good shepherd, lead us to a life that turns to your ways before our ways, a life that seeks justice for all and proclaims the promise that God is good. Amen.