Good morning!
Text: Jeremiah 19-21; Isaiah 17
Jeremiah 21 brings a conundrum. The prophet is speaking to the king, Zedekiah, saying that the Lord is turning Judah over to the Babylonians. The Lord even says, “I myself will fight against you…” Judah is in big trouble before the Babylonians, and the Lord Himself has chosen a side – the other side. Imagine! The Lord instructs Jeremiah to tell the people,
“Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death…he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live…” (Jeremiah 21:9)
When I first read this I thought, “How can the Lord switch sides like that? Does that mean we cannot count on Him?” The answer is simple. If he has called us into battle on His behalf, He is with us. Victory is ours when we are surrendered and trust Him. If, however, we have set ourselves against God, He will bring grief into our life to chide and correct. The answer is the same – surrender. When Jesus crashed into the life of Saul of Tarsus, He told Saul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). Saul (Paul) surrendered and found victory over sin and death through the blood of Jesus.
What the Lord always asks of us is surrender. Every day we need to be surrendered to His will and His way. So – here’s the challenge: In what area of my life have I set myself against God so as to experience struggle? It is time to surrender, and live.
in Him, Mike