We Are Safe When We Are Where God Has Told Us to Be

Note from today’s Bible reading: Habakkuk 1-3; Jeremiah 41-42

As the people of Jerusalem wondered what to do after many of their people had been taken into Babylonian captivity, they asked Jeremiah what the Lord would say (Jeremiah 42:2-3). They vowed to “listen to the voice of the Lord,” regardless of “whether it was pleasant or unpleasant” (Jeremiah 42:6).

This attitude was good, but unfortunately, they did not follow through with this stated commitment. God told them not to be afraid of the king of Babylon because He was going to restore them to their place (Jeremiah 42:11-12). He specifically warned them not to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:14).

The Lord warned them that if they went to Egypt, calamity would only follow them there: “So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them” (Jeremiah 42:17).

People often think they have a “better” plan than God’s plan. Rather than keeping His instructions, they follow their way and think they will be better off than if they did what the Lord said. The inhabitants of Jerusalem would be safe in Jerusalem, but they foolishly thought they would be safer in Egypt.

So remember that we are safe when we are where God has told us to be. Regarding our spiritual well-being, salvation is only in Christ (Acts 4:12). If we want to be saved, we must make sure we are in Him (cf. Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27).