Trusting God’s Will Over All Else
by: Gary Palmer
June 2, 2026
“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah[a] son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached”
Unfortunately, many people pray with only their own interests in view and not for the will of God to be done in their lives. We all sometimes pray only from an understanding of ourselves and not from an understanding that no matter the perceived hardness of His answers, His will is always perfect for us.
After Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, the leaders of Judah that remained or that had returned to the land asked Jeremiah to seek the Lord on their behalf whether to stay in Judah or leave. They said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.” (Jer 42:5-6)
The first thing that should be noted here is that they didn’t ask Jeremiah to seek an answer from “their God”, they asked him to seek an answer from “his God.” The people of Judah had long before started worshipping other gods, gods that they perceived brought them the necessities and comforts of life, but that in reality brought them to destruction. Since the gods of wealth and comfort had failed them, they sought an answer through Jeremiah.
But they didn’t like his answer. God told Jeremiah to tell them not to go down to Egypt, but stay in the land of Judah and He would bless them. God's answer was not what they wanted to hear…stay in the land of Judah and prosper or go to Egypt and be destroyed. Like so many today who pray, the remnant of Judah were really not seeking God’s will for them, they were hoping for their own will to be confirmed by God.
That is what the remaining leaders of Judah wanted, an answer from Jeremiah confirming what they had already determined to do. So they rejected God’s message and followed the path to the wrong place and eventual destruction.
When you ask God to show you His will, you have to be prepared to obey it no matter what others say or do or what you want to do. Sometimes that also means going against what everyone else wants to do and taking a road less traveled. Sometimes it will seem as though you are the only one on it, but God promises that you will never walk that path alone because the person who trusts in the Lord never walks alone and never winds up in the wrong place.
Prayer
Father, would we keep our eyes fixed on You at all times. Would our ears be so attuned to Your voice. Would we stay far from the deceitfulness of the world and all of its cares, and stay rooted in Your kingdom and Your ways. Would we be quick to obey You in everything You call us to. Lord, I praise You for never leaving me and never forsaking me. You are a good and faithful Father! Amen.
Worship: How Great is our God
Further Study
Jeremiah 42-44
Related Posts
You have read many devotionals about surrender, rest, and trusting God's timing. I know — I have read plenty of them myself, usually skimming, usually with my mind already on the next thing. So let me tell you why this one might be different: I am the last person on earth who should be writing it.