False Expectations

“They begged Jeremiah, ‘Please ask the LORD to help us … Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past.’”—Jeremiah 21:1–2 NLT

King Zedekiah realized he needed a miracle, or Judah would be defeated by Babylon. He sent messengers to ask Jeremiah to approach God, hoping He would help them. But God gave an answer the king did not expect. Instead of performing a miracle to save them, God said He would deliver them into the hands of the Babylonians.

They simply were reaping what they had sown. Zedekiah didn’t seem to realize that God was aware of his conduct. Although living in sin, he still felt his actions wouldn’t matter, and God would bless and protect him.

Many people are like Zedekiah. They believe they can live in any way they want. Then when facing a problem, they expect that God will perform miracles to help them. But God is not a fool. He promises that there are consequences for our actions and that we will reap whatever we sow (Galatians 6:7).

The Bible reminds us that God wants us to be like Jeremiah, seeking to obey Him, listening to Him, developing a close personal relationship with Him, filling our lives with His Word, being sensitive to His will, and having a clean heart.

Do not wait for a crisis to turn to God. Determine to invest your time, talents, and treasures in your relationship with Him now. Seek first His kingdom. Seek Him with your whole heart and commit your life to Him.

Reflection Question: Are you prepared to reap the consequences of your recent actions?