There is an old joke about a godless man who absorbs just enough religion to think he should try to make some changes in his life. He goes to a minister, who tells him, “The best thing you can do is turn away from your whiskey, your women, and your gambling.” The old boy thinks for a few moments and then says, “You know, I don’t think I deserve the best. What’s second best?” Many people are only pretending they want to know God’s will for their lives. They’re curious enough to inquire, but not committed enough to obey. They hope that God’s instructions won’t prove to be too inconvenient or risky. And they’d really like it if He would simply put His rubber stamp on plans they have already made. This was true in the case of the remnant of Judah who came to seek spiritual counsel from God’s prophet in Jeremiah 42. These were refugees who were understandably fearful. They had survived the fall of Jerusalem and witnessed the atrocities of war. They were afraid that Babylon would be coming to retaliate upon learning that the governor they appointed had been assassinated. So they had decided to flee to Egypt, back to the house of slavery, as if trying to do undo their salvation (41:16-18). Five miles down the road, at Bethlehem, they begin to have second thoughts. Should they go through with this or not? Unsure of what to do, they share their prayer request with Jeremiah. Asking God for directions is always the right thing to do. Anyone who wants to know the will of God should ask of Him the very thing these people were asking: where should we go and what should we do? They even promised to obey God’s will, no matter what (v 1-6). It was good for the remnant to pray for guidance, and God graciously gave it to them. When they were all assembled, the prophet was able to share a clear word from the LORD: “Do not go to Egypt. If you do, the Babylonians will hunt you down and destroy you. Stay in Judah and you will live in peace” (v 7-12). Unfortunately, staying in Judah was not what the remnant had in mind. And God knew exactly what they were thinking. Humanly speaking, escape to Egypt made a lot of sense. It was a safe neighborhood, far from Babylon, with plenty of food. There was only one problem with this plan. It was against the will of God. If they choose this path, they will be making a fatal mistake, for disaster will follow them right down to Egypt. The easy way out would turn out to be deadly, while staying in Judah, while it seemed risky, would be perfectly safe. Making the right choice always means living by faith (v 13-22). For further meditation: