Decision time

King Zedekiah had sent a message to the prophet Jeremiah asking him to put in a good word to the Lord on Zedekiah’s behalf. Zedekiah may not have been expecting the Lord’s response. “Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him,” (Jeremiah 21: 8-9). The Lord had called on previous generations of His children to make a decision for or against Him. As the people of God prepared to enter the Promised Land, God said, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,” (Deuteronomy 30: 15). When the people of God had crossed the River Jordan and started to worship idols, Joshua asked them to make a choice. “If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods, which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24: 15). When God’s people followed Baal during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, the prophet Elijah asked, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him,” (1 Kings 18: 21). Once again, Jeremiah was preaching a tough message – the key to success is surrender. What spiritual principle can kingdom citizens learn and apply here? Jesus said, “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity,” (John 12: 25). Further, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it,” (Matthew 10: 39). If you are looking for direction and purpose in life, or you are constantly fighting and losing battles, Jesus tells self-made men and women each day that their only hope is in surrender to Him.