Which Way to Follow?

Has God ever asked or directed you in a way that seems like the wrong direction? This morning I read about this very thing.

In Jeremiah 42 we find that it was a time of war and many of the Israelites were already taken into Babylon. A remnant was left behind in the land of Judah and they had come to Jeremiah asking for him to go before the Lord for them. "Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do." Jer. 42:1-3

Jeremiah responded that he would go before the Lord and pray for them. That he'd come back and tell them everything the Lord had told him not holding anything back. The remnant replied, "Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send you to us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God." Jer. 42:5-6

Ten days later Jeremiah came back to them with word from the Lord. God had told them to stay in Judah and not fear the king of Babylon. It will be through the king of Babylon that they will be saved because he will show compassion on them and restore them to their own land (verse 12). But, if the remnant chooses not to do as the Lord commanded that they would fall by the sword, famine and pestilence. No one will survive. (verses 13-22).

God was asking the remnant to stay in the land of Judah even though it seemed like the worse thing to do. That through what seemed like the impossible, they would be saved. They were asked to face their fears and rely upon a king that they were very much afraid of. God even warned them not to take what seems like the easy less painful route. Going into the land of Egypt seemed like the wiser thing to do in their eyes. In Egypt they'd find shelter, food and rest from war.

Yet in chapter 43 we find that the remnant chooses not to follow God's direction. "But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the Lord their God had sent, has finished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God - that is, these words - Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Karesah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie! the Lord our God has not sent you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there.' But Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon." So Johanan the son of Karesah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord to stay in the land of Judah." Jer. 43:1-4

We see in chapter 44 that through Jeremiah God tells the people what the outcome will be if they do indeed follow their desire and go into Egypt, "Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number." Jer. 44:28a.

I am reminded by my reading this morning to stand firm in the Word of God and follow Him even though the path He is asking me to follow seems like hard route to take. We who know the Lord know that to follow Him is not going to be the easy route. And yet, it's the best route. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25

For those who don't know the Lord, they need to realize that going into a distant land and continuing to seek their own way isn't the answer. But that the answer can be found right where they're at. I liked what my Streams in the Desert devotional had to say about this, "Sometimes I am foolish, and in my need I assume that the well is far away. I knew a farmer who for a generation had carried every pail of water from a distant well to meet the needs of his homestead. And one day he sunk a shaft by his own house door, and to his great joy he found that the water was waiting at his own gate! My soul, thy well is near, even here! God not in search of Him! Thy pilgrimage is ended, the waters are at thy feet!"

Bottom Line - It is never good to follow your own way. No matter how impossible, frightening or difficult following the Lord may seem, in the end it is the way to take. I am again reminded about a verse I've been memorizing this summer, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25

I will leave you with these verses, "The plans of the heart belong to man. But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the way so f a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:1-3

Krista Jones
8.24.08

Bible Reading Guide:

Beginning to End: Ezek. 37-39
Old and New Testaments Together: Proverbs 10-12 & 2 Cor. 4
Historical: Neh. 12-13
Chronological: Ezek. 44-45
Blended: Judges 11- 12 & John 4:41-54

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible