Talk is Cheap

Talk is cheap, and Jeremiah 42-43 highlights this point.

God gave Judah repeated opportunities to repent, but they refused and Babylon came to carry them into captivity. Only a few people were left behind in Judah.

These survivors thought it would be better to head for Egypt rather than stay in the ruins of their defeated nation, but they came to Jeremiah and asked him to seek the Lord's guidance for them.

“Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we are sending you with our plea,” the people promised. 

So Jeremiah sought the Lord, and God said He wanted them to stay put in Jerusalem.

“You are lying!” they immediately protested, and they did what they wanted to do in the first place...they headed to Egypt.

Each day you and I make choices that impact our lives, our relationship with God, and the lives of others.

Sometimes we claim we want God's agenda when we actually want Him to approve ours. And when He doesn't, we come up with some convincing arguments to doubt His guidance and justify our own plans.(1)    

Proverbs 16:25: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." 

Talk is cheap if we claim to want God's will when we actually want our own. We need an open mind and a willing spirit.

Is there anything on your agenda that you need to let go? 

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For some interesting background to this situation, read Even When No One Listens.

(1) These are some common areas where people create "convincing arguments" for their own agendas instead of the Lord's: sexual conduct, romantic relationships and marriage decisions, divorce, and the handling of finances. 

There is also the "group think" of the Ex-vangelical movement, which rejects the inerrancy of Scripture to justify popular sins. This typically involves God's commands about sexual purity. See the Ex-vangelical collection for more 1-minute devotions on their false teachings.

Bible Love Notes