◄ What Does Jeremiah 42:3 Mean? ►

that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do."

Jeremiah 42:3(NASB)

Verse of the Day

The people of Israel were in a precarious position, with anarchy within the camp and enemies on every side. And so they pleaded with Jeremiah to pray to the Lord on their behalf: "Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should go," was their earnest plea, "and pray that He will tell us the thing that we should do."

Prayer is a direct line into the throne-room of God, and how often when we face the onslaught of the enemy and seem submerged in difficulties and dangers, do we cry out to the Lord and earnestly beseech Him to show us the way we should go and tell us the things we should do?

God looks on the heart, and He knows the motive behind each prayer request. He discerns the sincerity of each supplication that reaches His throne of grace. God knows when a heart is trusting Him, but He also knows when an apparently sincere cry for help comes from an insincere and divided heart.

Their earnest plea for guidance may have come from truly sincere people who wanted to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as some biblical expositors suggest, or their request may have been rooted in a proud and rebellions mind-set, which was only prepared to say, 'MY will, not Thine be done', which is the viewpoint of other biblical expositors.

Jeremiah had been asked by Johanan and fellow leaders of the Israelite refugees who had not been carried away to Babylon, to pray for them. There was a lot of unrest in the land, and so they cried out, "Pray that the Lord your God will tell us the way we should go."

This apparently sincere cry for help may have come from a truly repentant group of people, or it may have been no more than hollow lip-service to the Lord from a group who had already determined in their heart what they intended to do. Whether their plea was a genuine desire to follow God's leading or the insincere prayer of a rebellious people, God only knows, for He alone is able to read the thoughts and hearts of His people!

While the eyes of the Lord look to and fro for a man whose heart is right before Him, there are often times when dishonest prayer requests and insincere intercessions are made to the Lord from an unbelieving and rebellious heart. Some suggest that this prayer request was genuine, while others suggest they wanted God to endorse their own ungodly decisions as an 'insurance policy'.

It is quite likely the prayer request came from some genuinely frightened people who had seen the fulfilment of Jeremiah's warning words, watched their fellow Israelites being taken into captivity, and did not know what to do. It is probable that they asked Jeremiah to pray for them because they knew he was a prophet of God whom they trusted would mediate on their behalf and provide an answer they could trust.

Like this frightened little remnant that was left in Israel following the Babylonian invasion, we are also called to trust in the Lord with ALL our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, and not lean on our own, limited understanding or flawed wisdom.

Like this remnant in Israel, we are also living in volatile times, but we are instructed to trust the Lord in all things and seek His heavenly guidance in spirit and in truth. We are to place our hope in Him completely and trust Him to direct our path and lead us along the road of righteousness.

But unlike this little remnant of Judah, we do not have to go to an earthly mediator to pray for our needs and direction. Christ is our heavenly Mediator and we can fearlessly, frequently, confidently, and boldly, draw near to the throne of grace and receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in times of need, as well as making intercession for those who trust us to pray on their account.

My Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for directing my path every step of the way, as I follow Your leading and direction. Guide me along a straight path today, and direct my going-out and my coming-in. Thank You that I have access to the throne of grace every moment of the day. May my prayers and intercessions for myself and others, be offered up in spirit and in truth, in accordance with Your will. May I listen to Your guiding voice in all things and be able to pray with boldness and confidence, "Thy will, not mine be done." In Jesus' name, AMEN.