Jeremiah 42 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Jeremiah 42:1-3

Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”

This is part of the story of the remnant of Judah and their continued disobedience to the LORD. They went to the right place, at the right time, saying the right things, and yet their hearts were not in it. They say all these things, yet when God answers them clearly and directly, they pay no attention and do what they wanted instead of what God commanded. This type of talk is merely lip-service, not heartfelt worship to our God. Not only is their disobedience a sin, but God knows from the beginning that their hearts are not with Him but merely putting on a show.

What does He see in our hearts today? Is it a humble heart of worship or an obstinate heart of defiant stone? Our God is merciful and gracious above all, yet it does not end well for those who continually choose to walk away from Him in their own self-will. They eventually are handed over to what they feared all along. The exact thing they were sinning to avoid is the the very thing that comes for them through their sin of disobedience. God offers them mercy and life, provision and protection, but the key is they must trust, surrender, and obey Him in order to receive this free gift.

This same offer is on the table for us today. We must trust Christ, surrender to Christ, and obey Christ to the glory of God. Mercy and grace are on the table today, but they won’t be there forever. At some point, the door will be shut, and we will either be in or be out. Please don’t wait; instead, cry out to the God who stepped out of Heaven in order to bear the cross and save sinners like us!

Luke 19:9,10- Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

God bless! I love you all, but His love offers us a confident hope for the future! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!