Jeremiah 24:1-10

I've had a hard time finding direction of where to go and what to do with the Psalms these last days of Lent, so I decided to turn to my daily devotional for some guidance on readings everyday. This means that I probably won't be reading a psalm every day, but I think I will focus on the Hebrew bible (Old Testament for those who haven't gone through seminary classes and thought about what we call the Old Testament) readings as my daily (*cough*) devotional reading and reflection.

"Behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord."

You'd think that by now Jeremiah would know what God is up to whenever God speaks to him. Almost chapter after chapter, the Lord presents Jeremiah with object lessons which are in no way at all subtle. Earlier in the book, God even makes Jeremiah literally go buy a new pair of underwear, wear it without washing it, bury it the ground, and after "many days" dig it up just so that God could make a point about the corruption going on in the land. But no, Jeremiah yet again has to endure another painfully obvious object lesson from God. That painfully obvious object lesson holds some much needed truth and grace for us in our lives, though. In this lesson, God compares the people who have been uprooted and exiled from their homes as good ripe figs. In that, God says that those people are people that God will care for, strengthen, and return their homes to them. The others, the bad figs....well, I'm not sure what to do with what God says about them.

There are times when I don't know if I am a good fig or a really bad fig that cannot be eaten at all. There are times where I am good and times when I am bad. The only thing I can do is simply trust in the Lord that God is steadfast in love and mercy.