Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Ah, sword of the Lord! How long until you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard, rest and be still!”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, August 30, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
We need rest from war. At the present, there are 20 wars going on with casualties of more than 1,000 in the past year, and many more with lower death counts. These aren’t like the wars Jeremiah is talking about, of course—the conflicts surrounding him were about God stepping in and crushing those who would overrun Israel (in this case the Philistines). Jeremiah, while tired of war and begging God to be done with it, nonetheless accepts that it’s necessary, or at least unavoidable.
Possibly these wars between Israel and its neighbors were just as unnecessary as the wars raging in our modern context. Jeremiah certainly yearned for the “sword of the Lord” to “rest and be still.” And so we yearn today for senseless conflicts to end, and for all people to commit themselves to the flourishing of others, rather than seeking to dominate and exploit. I do not believe for one moment that God takes sides or is in any way involved in our human wars. But I still pray that any and all swords would put themselves into their scabbards, rest and be still.
Where is God in the midst of all the senseless bloodshed happening in our world today?
