Hananiah, a rival “prophet,” swore that within two years Judah would be free from Babylon’s
power. He mocked Jeremiah’s austere message. In this case, Jeremiah said the false prophet
would die—and two months later, he did. Jeremiah did not give detail about how he would die,
and we don’t know. The stark fact spoke for itself: Jeremiah, not Hananiah, was right.

• In 2011, false prophets seldom bill themselves as “prophets.” Still, few of our choices of which way to live have a neon sign pointing to “God’s path.” A strong relationship with God, though, makes it easier to become attuned to God’s desires for our life. Choose one step you will take this week to make your relationship with God stronger
• Other people have a great impact on the ways that we think, feel and respond to issues. Over the long term, it became clear that those who let Jeremiah influence them were much wiser than those who followed Hananiah. Who are the people who have the most influence over you? Are their lives and choices in tune with God’s values?