Whenever a disaster strikes, we are easily moved by the suffering of others. Photographs of damaged homes, families who have lost their homes, or people forced to flee make us want to help. Some people make donations, share information, or even promise to keep an eye on them once things have improved. However, a few weeks later, when the news has moved on and life has returned to normal, our attention gradually shifts back to our own affairs. Perhaps the problem isn’t that our concern at the time wasn’t genuine. We genuinely do want to help. However, urgent situations often make things feel far more important than usual. The challenge arises when things begin to calm down: do we still live out the compassion and the decisions we once made?

Jeremiah 34:1–22 illustrates a similar issue. When Jerusalem was besieged by Babylon, Zedekiah and the people of Judah made a covenant to free the Hebrew slaves. They carried this out, but later reclaimed those they had set free and enslaved them once more. Yet this act of liberation was by no means a new idea. God reminded them that their forefathers had already been commanded to free their fellow Hebrews. In the midst of the crisis, they did what they actually already knew to be God’s will.

So, why did they change their minds again? When the threat subsided, self-interest and comfort once again took precedence. Freeing slaves meant losing the labour they had long enjoyed. The crisis made them willing to let go of something, but comfort made them want to take it back.

Dear Bible Friends, a crisis can indeed cause us to re-prioritise. We may promise to be more caring, to live more simply, or to give up bad habits. However, when circumstances return to normal, that commitment can gradually weaken. Faithfulness is not merely about the courage to make decisions when we are under pressure, but about the willingness to uphold them when there are no longer circumstances forcing us to do so. For often, it is not the crisis that tests the sincerity of a promise, but the comfort that follows once the crisis has passed.