The Babylonians have taken many people from Israel into exile in Babylon and left a few in Israel to maintain the land.  Some of the leaders of the army and other leaders come to Jeremiah and ask him to speak to the LORD for them.  They had it in their mind to flee to Egypt and they wanted God to bless their plan to do what they wanted to.

They then tell Jeremiah that no matter what God says that they will do it, even if they don’t like what they hear God telling them to do.  As you read the text of what God tells Jeremiah to tell the people you can tell that their hearts were not right when they asked Jeremiah to speak to God.  God tells them that He knows what they are thinking and tells them that their plan is not going to work.  He then lays out what is going to happen to them if they go ahead with their plan anyway.  If they do what they are thinking even though God is telling them not to, they will find that destruction will follow them wherever they go.  In chapter 43 of Jeremiah the true heart of the people is revealed as they refuse to listen to what Jeremiah is saying on behalf of God.  They accuse him of lying and they go ahead to do what they had wanted to do anyway.

When we go to God there are going to be times when the things that He tells us are not what we want to hear.  He is going to tell us to do things that will make us uncomfortable or that cause us to make some kind of a sacrifice.  The leaders of the people knew the truth; they knew that they needed to do it whether they liked God’s plan or not.  They also knew the most important part of this truth; that everything would go well for them if they would obey God.  What they didn’t want to believe was that the opposite truth was also true; if they disobeyed, everything would not go well for them.

God rightfully expects us to obey Him. This is especially true when we go to God and ask Him for direction and guidance.  If you go to God for something, it must be with the understanding that whatever He tells you, you will do.  That is the only way that you can expect God to cause things to go well for you.  Otherwise, you are asking God to bless your plan whether or not He agrees with it.  That is never going to happen.

God’s plan for you includes things going well for you.  But to see that happen, you must obey the things that He tells you to do.  If you decide to do your plan after God has told you not to, understand that things will not go well for you.  You may not believe that now, but you will.  If you go to God, be prepared to do whatever He tells you to whether you like what it is or not.  Only then will it go well with you.  Jesus, help us to come to you often and teach us to obey you every time.

Read: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5