Living in the Spirit
November 14, 2022
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, 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. Then 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. I 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. –Jeremiah 23:1-4
Most of the dark money ads that took over our media leading up to the election were designed to destroy and scatter the members of our democracy. Some of them presented their viewpoints in the name of God without regard to the harm they do, not only to the wellbeing of people, but in turning people away from the God that is love by characterizing God as a supporter of bigotry, lust for power, and greed. Jeremiah’s scripture above addresses God’s response to such an attack on God’s people.
Jeremiah’s warnings related to Judah’s exile to Babylon. Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos also addressed the people getting caught up in the idols of their day. It is frightening to read these prophets of the Hebrew Bible warning people that their lack of attention to what was going on about them was a major factor in their downfall. We today need to listen to their wise counsel for the same evil is afoot in our land.
Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard
beside the Syrian sea
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee*. Amen.
*The first and second verses of the hymn Dear Lord and Father of mankind by John Greenleaf Whitter see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.