Be Still And Know

This is what the Lord says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.” If you have ever had a look at a horoscope you will probably have concluded that it is all a lot of nonsense. They may have told you that today is a good day to make friends, avoid puddles or plan your holidays. However, horoscopes are nothing new. For more than 4,000 years, people have taken astrology very seriously. They have developed sophisticated ways of reading the stars in order to guide their lives. In the time of Jeremiah, the Babylonians were particularly committed to this way of predicting the future. But the prophet was clear that this was not the way to seek guidance. His confidence was in his God, and he refused to be swayed by astrology, however much others were influenced by it. We are, of course, all immensely interested in the future. Inevitably we wonder what is going to happen, but I seriously dou