In today’s reading of Jeremiah 8:4-11:23, we see a powerful depiction of human stubbornness and self-deception. God observes that when people fall, they don’t get up again; when they turn away, they don’t turn back. Instead, they persist in their own way, often thinking they are justified in their actions. This is a vivid portrayal of how we often see ourselves as the hero of our own story, convinced of our righteousness and unwilling to admit our faults or seek the right path.

Why do we stay down when we fall? Why are we content to lie in the dirt rather than get up and seek God’s way? Part of the reason is pride; we don’t want to admit that we need help or that we were wrong. Another reason is self-deception; we convince ourselves that our way is just fine, even when it’s leading us further from God. We create narratives that paint us in a positive light, ignoring or downplaying the areas where we’ve gone astray.

But God sees through this self-deception. He calls out to us, not to condemn us but to invite us back to the right path. He knows that true heroism doesn’t come from stubbornly sticking to our own way but from humility, repentance, and the willingness to rise after we’ve fallen.

The question for us today is whether we will continue to be the hero of our own story or whether we will allow God to be the hero who lifts us up, dusts us off, and sets us back on the path of life.