Who do you turn to?

February is a month when we especially emphasize love; however, as I consider the theme of love, I thought that ‘love’ should be celebrated all year long. It is the catalyst of our faith and the character of our God. Then, I turned to other special things in February and what came to mind is that Groundhog Day is a day that stands out. Even at that, it is more of a novelty than a day of celebration. Still, as we consider Groundhog Day, maybe there is more in the lore than we might see at face value.

The first Groundhog Day was first officially celebrated at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, on February 2nd, 1887, based on the traditions of German settlers here in Pennsylvania. Even at that very first celebration, a groundhog played a role in predicting the weather. The public came to know the woodchuck as Punxsutawney Phil and the notion of the tale is that if ‘Phil’ would come out of the ground and see his shadow, six more weeks of winter would ensue. If he didn’t see his shadow, it meant an early spring was coming. The accuracy of Punxsutawney Phil stands at about 39%, making him the least reliable source when predicting the forecast.

This ritual of seeking the assistance of a groundhog to tell us when winter will end is rooted in our human nature. For most, we would like to see a shorter winter as we resort to a furry rodent for a prophetic word. Whether it’s in hopes of an early spring or not; we want to know. The problem in this case is the means of information and its dependability. It reminds me of when the Hebrews were in exile to Babylon. In a manner that winter can be harsh and bitter, the Jews found themselves in a situation where their conditions were very difficult.

As you can imagine, many of them longed to return home. That’s when some of the false prophets and diviners among the Hebrews began to preach that the exile of the Jews was limited to only two years (Jeremiah 28:11). Just like a groundhog trying to predict the forecast, the Hebrews were placing their faith and trust in false prophets that were not sent by God. Instead, the Prophet Jeremiah sent word to the Hebrews in Babylon saying:

⁵ “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

⁸ Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. ⁹ They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. (Jeremiah 29:5-10).

Just like a flip of a coin or roll of the dice, people will place their fate in the hands of happenstance instead of seeking the knowledge and wisdom of God. If the Hebrews of Jeremiah’s days resorted to God and his Word, they may have avoided seventy years of captivity. Can you imagine how much grief and hardships people could avoid if they followed God’s Word? The Hebrews were told to settle in and make the best in their situation of being in exile because they wouldn’t listen to God.

You know, millions of people will discuss and comment on whether a groundhog sees his shadow or not, but what’s so sad is that people will ignore the certainty of God’s Word, which is completely true and reliable.