Choosing God's Choice

Scripture: Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will acknowledge those who are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set My eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. And I will build them up and not pull them down. And I will plant them and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. Jeremiah 24:5-7

Observation: Even before the Babylonians wiped out Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord provides a message of guidance. He tells Judah who among them will be saved, and how that will work. He later tells even the ones who remain in Jerusalem how to avoid death through service to Babylon.

Those who have been taken away - or vacated to - Chaldea, will be eventually returned to the land and restored as the people of God. However, anyone remaining in the land to fight against Babylon will be destroyed like rotten figs. The choice is clear. The people can escape to Chaldea, likely to live a difficult life, but eventually return to Israel as the people of God ... or they can stay and resist Babylon, and be killed and destroyed while suffering horribly. Yes, the "best case" being offered isn't ideal, but it is a lot better than the alternative.

Application: How often do I and others "reject" an instruction or direction from God because it doesn't fit with my plan? Do I seek God's instructions, and then determine they can't quite be 'right' because they take me in a direction I don't want to go?

Even in the end, God gave Judah a way out. It wasn't necessarily pleasant, but it was a way and it included long-term blessing. Most of them chose to seek a different path. That ended badly.

I need to look for God's guidance and instructions, and seriously follow them. Even if they do not align to my plans or my intended location/destination, God's plans are better than the alternatives.

Prayer: Lord, you have provided for me in great ways, throughout my life. As I return to work, may I be especially aware of your direction and instruction. I seek to follow your path in my life, in both the short and long terms. Amen.