²¹ “I have not sent these prophets,
    yet they run around claiming to speak for me.
I have given them no message,
    yet they go on prophesying.
²² If they had stood before me and listened to me,
    they would have spoken my words,
and they would have turned my people
    from their evil ways and deeds.
²³ Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
    “No, I am far away at the same time.
²⁴ Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
    Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
    says the Lord.

²⁵ “I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. ²⁶ How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. ²⁷ By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal.

Jeremiah 23:21-27

Dear God, verse 24 was the verse of the day for Bible Gateway, but I wanted to bring in at least the verses around it. Of course, this is you talking about the false prophets in Jeremiah’s time who were selling the people what they wanted to hear. They were doing it for all the wrong reasons. Acceptance. Influence. Notoriety. Power. Maybe even money. I wonder how many of them took their own hopes and simply ascribed them to you and then told the people, “Jeremiah’s wrong. God loves us. It’s all going to be okay.”

There are people speaking on a national level right now who I don’t trust. I guess it goes back to what Paul said in Galatians 5 about evaluating people based on their fruit. If I see someone claiming to speak for you but their fruit is “^19b sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ^21a envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these,” then I reject them. But if I see “^22b love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23a gentleness, and self-control,” then I am more likely to give them credibility.

A couple of weeks ago, I remembered this song from Steve Camp. It basically talks about believing in the wrong people. It made me wonder what he’s been up to lately, and, frankly, I was disappointed to see that nearly 35 years later it seems like he and I would disagree on who is to be trusted and who isn’t.

Father, I am fallible. I make mistakes. I can have bad judgment. I can believe in the wrong people and even the wrong things. I can defend the indefensible and ignore atrocities. Please forgive me. Please, Holy Spirit, help me and teach me. Help me to be what you and the people whose lives my life touches be blessed by you working through me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen