Navigating Today's Turbulence
I’ve been listening to the Bible this year; Jeremiah is the most recent book I finished. While listening, a passage grabbed my attention because of how relevant it is to believers today. Jeremiah 14:14 (ESV) says, “And the Lord said to me: ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.’”
The prophets were telling the people God said, “Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.” The odd thing is this is the type of prophecy we embrace, right?
Despite its acceptance, The Lord did not give this word, and He would not allow anyone to come in His Name falsely. Jeremiah was hearing God’s voice, and he told the people the truth about The Lord’s impending judgment. Israel had a bad habit of getting miraculously saved by God, turning their back on Him, ignoring His commands, worshipping idols, losing the prosperity and protection of God, then crying out to God for salvation. God did not deserve this treatment and had to serve notice to His people.
When Jeremiah gave them the truth about the impending judgment from God, how do you think the people responded? They did not want to hear it and called him the liar and threatened to kill Jeremiah. The message did not feel good, so they rejected it. Nevertheless, they received the judgment prophesied by Jeremiah.
Fast-forward to 2016. We live in an emotionally charged society that wants what “it” wants, when “it” wants it, how “it” wants it. Messages that contradict these wants get discarded, chastised, hated, etc., and we are bombarded by messages/agendas. We hear from politicians, celebrities, the pulpit, the news, and many other sources.
Much of the time these prominent figures use their celebrity-ism and popularity to justify what they are saying. People are buying in without measuring the “message” to truth. What alarms me is how eccentric and diabolical the messages are. These messages are creating divides in a country whose foundational strength is unity.
There are several matters where I cannot find a public view that I fully agree with, and I’m sure your mind is already racing with all of the people whose messages you find sickening. But I’m not here to pull apart these messages or sway you to one side or the other. Instead, I would like to point you in a different direction…the direction of wisdom. If we all seek true wisdom, we will not have great divides. We will have unity.
Wisdom is repeatedly different than what feelings initially dictate. Feelings will justify stances and blind support while wisdom will inspect a message and its validity. Wisdom not only cares about the individual; wisdom cares about the whole. Wisdom will not use superficial measures like skin color, popularity, or financial status to dictate validity. Wisdom will not have believers maliciously attacking other believers. Wisdom is not reactive because wisdom is secure. Wisdom goes deep. Wisdom can get past the words and hear the heart. Wisdom is available to all who seek it. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV).
Wisdom will give you exactly what you need to navigate today’s turbulence whether it is who to support politically, what to believe from the news, or how to deal with personal situations. Seeking God is the only way to find true wisdom, the only way to know the truth you need to know.
May God bless you and keep you, giving you His wisdom, as you journey on!
Adrienne Pluss, A NEW ME Blog Contributor
Contact info: adriennepluss@yahoo.com
Get ready to embrace “A NEW ME: Transparently, Abundantly.”
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