Jeremiah 42 discusses something that we can see again and again in life. The people asked Jeremiah to pray to God for them. They wanted to have their prayers answered. They told the prophet that if he would seek out the Lord for them, they would do whatever God said. The problem was when they found out what God desired. They would not obey.
When you seek God, do you seek Him to hear what you want or do you seek Him with the intention to follow? Do you start out with good intentions only to back down when you find that His plan is more of a challenge than you imagine. Do you have a measuring stick faith where you have only a certain distance you will go?
Judah was told not to go to Egypt. He didn’t want them there. He wanted them to trust in Him. They said they would listen to His commands but when they received them, they changed their minds. Today when you pray to the Lord, remember that the answer may not be what you expect. Even so, when we follow God we are to be all in. We cannot ask but turn away every time we don’t get the answer we want. God has a much better plan than you or I can imagine. He wanted Judah to trust Him. He wants you to trust Him.
“Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today. For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the LORD your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the LORD our God says, and we will do it!’ And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past.” – Jeremiah 42:19-21 [NLT]
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