“Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” Jeremiah 42:3

Even though we pray, why does our heart desire a personal pleasing preference? Do we truly want what God wants for us?

In Jeremiah 42, the prophet Jeremiah seeks God’s direction to share with the Jewish people in exile in Babylon. The key message in this chapter is that we should stand in faith, looking to God for direction. Pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom. In our hearts seek leading of provision by the Lord’s spirit.

Be in silence so you can hear Gods audible voice, away from people and the worlds noise.

As flawed people, we tend to want our own needs met and sometimes even demand it. The immature childlike behavior erupts from our mature adult bodies. We do not truly want to know the desire of God. Our mind is set and fixed on what we want. This does not look pretty friends, it looks silly!

My 2-year-old granddaughter asked for a piece of chocolate. I told her she had to wait until after lunch. My response to waiting was not well received at all. It was followed by a collapsed precious little body on the floor with tears of disappointment. She even gave me a hug because she was so sad. The gesture showed me that she wasn’t sad with me, just sad she couldn’t have the chocolate. I didn’t like to see her sad, but I also didn’t cave in and give her the chocolate. Not 60 seconds later the sadness passed with her new distraction of setting up her stuffed animals at her table to join her for lunch. She had soon forgotten she wanted the chocolate treat. Later in the afternoon I took her to the candy bowl and asked her to pick out a treat. She did with delight and even did her little happy dance while she took a bite into the chocolate candy. Her delight and expression of happiness also brought the same to me. It was totally worth the wait! This small little moment is a great example of how we can be when God asks us to wait. Our reactions and attitudes are like a child when God doesn’t answer exactly the way we want.

The problem is if we don’t conform with what the Lord requires, our pride will betray the heart of God. We must wait as well as pray and not act on our own course of action. We cannot let our fears or impatience distract us from waiting on God’s leading. For our actions show much more than our words. Everyone is watching what us as Christians do. They are waiting to see if our decisions cause fatal outcomes or prove to be hurtful. We tend to not know what is good for ourselves, only what we have our hearts set upon. And usually, it is our preference to still do it our way.

Jeremiah 42:20-22 tells us how when we ask for prayer or pray ourselves and still do not display obedience to God, things do not always go well. We should do what we know is righteous through allowing scripture to guide us. If we don’t, we will die by the sword, famine and plague will be in its place wherever we settle. Okay that’s a bit dramatic and taking scripture literally. Other words we will suffer the consequences by our own hand. We are influencers in the world. How we process and react is under the watchful eyes, of our family, friends, and neighbors.

What can you do while waiting on God?

1. Place HOPE and UNDERSTANDING in scripture.
2. TRUST in the Lord. Not in ourselves.
3. Pay close attention and LISTEN and LOOK for signs that align with God’s.
4. Choose to RESIST and REFRAIN from things like anger, bitterness, and selfishness that cause us to have a strong desire to please our own thoughts.

Reflection Questions:
1. Does what I want align with scripture?
Proverbs 4:7 ESV “The Beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”

2. Are you truly open to waiting on the Lord through prayer?
Psalm 25:4 NIV “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”

3. Am I spiritually manipulating the outcome of what I want to do?
1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-12

The song “Do You Know Where You’re Going To,” was about evaluating life’s journey, asking if what lies ahead is what you really want. The lyrics were modified for Diana Ross in 1975 from its original artist Thelma Houston recorded in 1973. What I find interesting is that sometimes what we really want doesn’t align with what our Creator wants for us. That is why it is important to seek wise counsel, not the friend that will always agree with our heart’s desires, but someone spiritually trustworthy who will be honest with us. Trust in God’s plan, and you will find serenity even if your heart’s desire is unfulfilled.

“Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” Lyrics

Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you, there's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know?

Written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser for movie, “Mahogany” for Diana Ross to sing. The original was not written for the movie but was recorded by Motown artist Thelma Houston in 1973. (songfacts.com)

Pray:
God,

I seek your counsel through your word. Let your Spirit give me wisdom through your eyes, not my own. I turn away from the worldly advice and standards. Help me to have insight and clarity about what I am supposed to do and where I am supposed to go. Dwell in me so that I may feel your peaceful presence of discernment. Make my heart pure, gentle, calm in my reaction, my reasoning be reasonable and show mercy to those who misguide me. Let only your guidance come through me from the beginning to the end. Let only love be the result of my decision to the outcome. May the insight you give me be obvious and comforting. In Jesus’ name Amen!