“They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, and there is no peace.” Jeremiah 8:11 NIV
Deceive – to believe something that is not true, typically in order to gain some personal advantage.
In this verse the prophet Jeremiah is speaking about being deceived by false prophets to the people of Israel. The Israelites are being led away from the law because of false teachings. The false prophets are minimizing the seriousness of the Israelites’ sins against the Lord, and silencing their fear of the Lord by saying all is well.
As the definition above indicates, someone will deceive another typically to gain an advantage. Somehow we feel better about ourselves and the wrongful act when we have someone acting with us. This provides us with a sense of peace and comfort – a dressing for the wound. But that bandage is only temporary. The peace and comfort will not last. The wound, if left that way, will only become infected and actually get worse.
May we be on our guard so that we are not carried away by the error of the lawless, falling from our secure position. But rather, may we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, gaining wisdom and discernment, understanding that which is from the Lord.
Lock Your Wings 
This stood out for me: ““Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again? When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back? Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back? They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.”
Jeremiah 8:4-5 NLT
Stubbornness is the root of all sin. We desire to do it our way, in our timing, and all by ourselves. When you think of a child throwing a temper tantrum, when they fall or become boneless they refuse to get up. So often we can have our egos bruised and essentially refuse to get up too. When we realize we’re on a wrong path, we can check the map/gps and get back on track. Many a fool will keep going only to get even more lost and at risk of death without proper supplies. May be be willing to consult the ultimate map (His Word) and stay on the best path.
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Great thoughts!
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