Sometimes, one of my high school students would surprise me by announcing, “I’m eighteen now, an independent adult.”
“I’m not convinced that turning eighteen makes one an independent adult,” I’d respond. “I’ve come to find that I’m not independent at all. I can eat my food—compliments of farmers, delivery workers of every sort, and stores that supply the market for it. I certainly couldn’t provide my own clean water or sewage disposal. Even my shampoo. I rely on the significant work of many people. And I’m grateful for every one of them. What would you like to contribute to this wonderful community as you become an adult?”
Then we’d discuss how we also operate in the context of collective destinies. Not only do we reap what we sow individually, but we also reap what our nation sows. God calls us in the context of community, not in isolation, and we share that group’s heritage.
Baruch was not happy about that. He had faithfully served the prophet Jeremiah for years. When Baruch heard the disaster prepared for his rebellious nation, he cried out to God. He hadn’t joined in his nation’s wickedness. Why should he suffer with them?
In Jeremiah 45, God responded to Baruch. God’s judgment against Israel stood firm, but he told Baruch, “Wherever you go, I will let you escape with your life.”
Like Baruch, focusing on ourselves and our family is easy. We can forget we are part of a bigger community that God holds accountable for its choices and actions. Let’s pause regularly to pray for our nation to be a blessing to God and this world.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Henning_W.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Kim Robinson is a former schoolteacher who has taught in rural and central Oregon, Alaska, and with Mercy Ships in Africa. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a mom, grandma, writer, copy editor, and encourager of others.