Prophetic love often feels painful. It hurts when prophets tell us we have sinned. If prophets let that short term fall in popularity govern their words they are false prophets. And they do not love people, they love themselves. Here is what prophetic love would have looked like in Jerusalem before it was too late.

Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes (Lamentations 2:14).

Love longs for the restoration of the fortunes of a sinful people. But not by comforting them in their sins. There is a way toward restoration. It would have looked like this:

They have exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes.

If our sins are exposed and we confess them with faith in Christ, the blood of Jesus cleanses us (1 John 1:9).

The prophetic calling to expose iniquity is not comfortable—for prophet or people. It’s just loving.

Pray that God would raise up prophets in the church who restore the fortunes of God’s people.