The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Rejecting Weapons of Deception

The prophet Jeremiah expresses his painful experience of grief and desolation as he is separated from his own clan by their unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah describes his internal tension between his longing to weep for his people (Jer 9:1) and his need to leave them (v. 2). Verses 3–5 speak of the people’s rejection of Jeremiah and of God because Jeremiah speaks God’s warnings to them. This rejection causes trust to be broken within families or clans and among friends. The language of lost trust, deception and betrayal is repeated throughout the verses. This breakdown of relationships is compared to warfare, where the people make their tongues and mouths like a bow to shoot their arrows of lies. Such weapons can harm someone even at a far distance. Jeremiah himself lives amidst this deceit.

Jeremiah 9 reminds us of how God’s upside-down kingdom reveals hidden truths amidst the lies of society. It highlights how words can be used as a deceptive weapon against others. It also reminds us of the high cost when someone feels called to speak up against these lies. Jesus was not only a peacemaker but also a truth speaker, undoing the lies of power and privilege. His own hometown of Nazareth rejected him (Jn 4:44), and he angered many religious leaders. Eventually he was crucified on a Roman cross. Jesus’ death and resurrection offer a vision of hope that rejects the weapons of deception.

Taken from the NIV Upside-Down Kingdom Bible.