Jeremiah 41-45 – August 20

A group of survivors comes to Jeremiah for council from the LORD; they want to know where they should dwell. They told Jeremiah with their mouth that they would do whatever He told them, but in their heart they were saying they would do whatever God said as long as it fit into their plan. How many Christians do that today? They ask God for His plan for their life, but when it isn’t what they want, they conclude that it isn’t from God.

Jeremiah 42:1-3, & 6 says, “Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see), that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do. …Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.’"

Jeremiah got a response from the LORD after 10 days; he told them to stay in the land of Israel. The people thought going to Egypt looked like the obvious best choice. Egypt looked safe and prosperous which was the opposite of Israel. Jeremiah told them what they should do, but Jeremiah 43:4 says, “… all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.”

So, the question to ask our self: When we tell the LORD that we want His plan for our life and we will do what He asks, do we really mean it?