Have you ever talked with a two year old? You may have noticed the excessive use of the word “no”. As much as you reason, they are geared to assert their independence. Of course, this is healthy to a certain degree.

Jeremiah, God’s prophet, was asked by the people to inquire of God where they should go. When he revealed God’s answer, immediately the people said “no”!

Their assertion was not as cute as a two year old. In fact, it was grievous enough to God that He told them in no uncertain terms that what they feared and were running from (by going to Egypt), would follow them there. (Aka the Babylonians)

How often do my fears put me on the run? Instead of relaxing and moving ahead steadily as God lays out the plan, I can waste so much energy with a knee-jerk reaction.

God has promised to direct our paths as we trust Him wholeheartedly. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Many times I’ve referred to myself as Jeremiah, especially when God touches my heart about an “impossible” person or situation. When I cry, my husband will comfort me by saying…from your tears to God’s heart.

I remind myself that God has each one of us uniquely suited to His plan. Our job is not to shout “no” to what seems impossible.- Teresa #blessedarethosewhomourn #theywillbecomforted #giveusaheartforyou#faith

Jeremiah 43: 1-13 (ESV)

43 When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lordtheir God had sent him to them,² Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ ³ but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” ⁴ So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah.⁵ But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— ⁶ the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. ⁷ And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: ⁹ “Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah, ¹⁰ and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them. ¹¹ He shall come and strike the land of Egypt, giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. ¹² I shall kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin, and he shall go away from there in peace. ¹³ He shall break the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt, and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.’”