Pray the word with David Platt as a resource from Radical.net.

Jeremiah chapter 42 verses 19 and 20. The Lord has said to you,

a remnant of Judah, do not go to Egypt. Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day

that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. So the picture here in Jeremiah 42 is

basically people coming to Jeremiah asking him for a word from God about what they should do

when the reality is they have already decided what they're going to do. They're just looking for

divine approval of their own desires. Can you say that again? They're looking for God's approval

of their own desires. How possible is that in your life or my life? For us to come up with a plan

for our lives, for us to have desires for our lives and then ask God to bless those instead of

truly asking God, what is your plan? What do you want me to do? God, what do you want me to

desire? God, give me your desires. God, align my thoughts with your plans. And the picture here in

Jeremiah 42 is that's not what the people are doing. They're just trying to get God to get behind

what they want instead of aligning their lives with what God wants, which is why in verse 20,

Jeremiah says this word from God, you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. What a phrase.

You have disobeyed the will of God. You're going after your own ways. You're going astray from

God's ways and it will cost you everything. Hide that away in your heart and your mind today

for every day that when you or I go toward our will instead of God's will, our ways instead of

God's ways, our plans instead of God's plans, our desires instead of God's desires, it will always

be costly. So God, we pray together today based on Jeremiah 42 verses 19 and 20. Align our lives,

our thoughts, our desires, our ways with your ways, we pray. Oh, God, please transform us

that we might live according to your will. God, please keep us from coming up with plans and

asking you to bless them. God, with giving ourselves over to our desires and asking for your help

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