August 6

Jeremiah 19:1-20:18; Daniel 1:1-21

Obedience can be hard. It often means choosing the harder path in the moment, rejecting instant gratification, and dying to ourselves. This was the calling of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a faithful prophet of God but the response from Judah was apathy at best, and often outright rejection. His obedience in speaking for God in Jeremiah 19 led to imprisonment and beating. A common misconception of the Christian life is that obedience will lead to success from a worldly perspective. This heresy is that if we obey God, then everything will run smoothly, we will have no hardships, or trials, or difficulties. This lie can sometimes cause us to question whether we are doing the right thing when life does not seem to have the ease we were hoping.

Yet the example of Jeremiah, Daniel in his exile, and especially Jesus, shows us that obedience can sometimes take us straight into pain, abuse, and even death. We can never look at the earthly outcome of an event to determine whether it was right; instead we must look to God and choose obedience regardless of the short-term outcome here on Earth. Obedience is often hard, but it is always worth it. So, choose to look to God and live for him.

Father God, help me to obey you, and walk with you no matter where you take me. Whether life is easy or hard, help me to walk by faith and trust in you. Amen. 

How does difficulty in life affect your relationship with God?

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