The Big IF!

Scripture:

Jeremiah 42:6 "Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us".

Observation:

Jeremiah and only a few others are left in Judah after the exile to Babylon. The leaders who were left came to him and asked him to talk to the Lord about their future. They include the above statement when they are talking to him. They understood that if they obeyed the voice of the Lord that everything would go well with them, but that is the big IF. It turns out later in this same chapter that the Lord says he knows they will not obey, but will lean on their own understanding. He wanted to bless them , but they didn't pass the big IF test.

Application:

Most of us know what God is wants us to do, yet we have a problem with the big IF. We know that IF we follow him completely, we will be blessed, but it is hard to completely trust him when it seems He is making no sense. God loves and wants to bless His people, but we must pass the big IF test. God lays before us life and death and leads us with a choice, if we choose life, we live. Sometimes we need to think about the what if I don't obey Him and lose His blessing. That will help us keep on track.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty I bless Your Name. You are amazing and wonderful! Your grace is incredible and your favor is unstoppable. Thank you for loving me. Help me to always say yes and pass the big IF test. Help me not to think "IF" this makes sense to me, rather help me to simply obey. Obedience is still better than sacrifice.

Yours,

Jeff