Jeremiah 17:10-12
10 I the Lord test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.11 Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay,
so are all who amass wealth unjustly;
in midlife it will leave them,
and at their end they will prove to be fools.12 O glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,
shrine of our sanctuary!
When the proverbial partridge wasn’t sitting in the pear tree, at least once, it sat on some eggs that wasn’t its own. And that was not good.
The prophet Jeremiah used images to hold people accountable for their wayward ways. As the Lord searches our hearts, our actions are judged. Those who amass wealth unjustly are no better than a bird which moves in on another’s nest. In the end, ill-gotten gain is proven foolish. Be fair and just, it pays off in the long run.
Prayer
Help me, God, to see how the world works best as I watch all of your creatures for examples of purity in purpose. And help my life to be an illustration of how good life can be in following your will for my ways. Amen.
