Jer 51-52 Flags Flown

August 27th, Jeremiah 51-52

       God has used the Kingdom of Babylon to bring punishment to Israel for the total systemic failure of following Him. It is also clear that God's loyalties are with His people and not Babylon. Even in the midst of getting disciplined the hand is not bigger than the heart, even though the hand hurts a little.
       All of this will raise questions in our future in these books of prophets. Lest I jump ahead of myself, today's scripture makes it clear that God's loyalties have never changed in the midst of the discipline of His children. It's not like God decided to get chummy with Babylon to the exclusion of Israel. Sometimes famine, pestilence, and disease is not enough to get their attention. The loss of identity through another flag flying on your headquarters will get your attention...now here's a devotional thought...
       Identity, whose am I? How much shock do I need to get my attention? When Babylon reigns over us, we'll finally know something is wrong. When their flag is flying  over Jerusalem and not ours. What flag flys over your head? Whose colors do you display?
       There's an old song... "Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart." A great invitation to consider the flag we're flying. Israel replaced God's flag with their own. God invited them to put His flag back up but they wouldn't, so Babylon came in and hung theirs by God's permission. In the end God's flag should be the flyover. May the correct one be unfurled in our lives and bring honor to God, and life to those around us in the name of the King of a great Kingdom.