Jeremiah 8:10

10 Therefore I will give their wives to others,
And their fields to those who will inherit them;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is given to covetousness;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 8:10 NKJV

Another look at the spiritual condition of Judah in the days of Jeremiah is given in this text. God justifies His punishment of the people because of their basic dishonesty and covetousness. This is not the only reason God will give through His prophets as justification for the fate of His people, but it is a basic sign of their character and way of life that shows their utter lack of desire to do what is right. Covetousness is a foundation of much evil. I desire the things that someone else has and I kill, lie, cheat, and do anything to acquire them from that person instead of earning them on my own. In the culture of Judah, family and land were two of the things held in highest regard by the people both common and great. God warned that because of their dishonesty in dealings for both their wives and their fields, He would take both away and give them to others. How often do I think I need something that someone else has and plot and scheme and maybe even lie or cheat to try and attain them, only to lose not only the thing I work to get by dishonest means, but also lose things I had before I started. For a time perhaps it will appear that I am getting ahead, then caught by my own traps, I lose all that I hold dear. Truth is God's ideal for me, truth in the things I do and say and even in the things I think. Lies are like the sand of Jesus' story, not a foundation worth building a life on. Lies are always shifting and moving and are unsteady. Often lies only serve to fool oneself more than they fool others around you. It is better to build ones character on the truth of Jesus, rock solid without worries about remembering the last thing you said or did and trying to come up with yet another explanation to avoid the troubles falling on you. God wanted His people to live their lives based on truth and contentment with His blessings, and desires the same for me today.

Lord,
Help me to allow You to take away my covetousness. Help me to have your truth rule my life, to forgo the temptations to lie or deal falsely with others. Give me the integrity of Your law and way, so that I may deal honestly with myself, those around me, and You.