August 18, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"A Trust Worthy Friend... "
Jeremiah 38:22
New International Version
22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:. “ ‘They misled you and overcame you those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.’
In times of crisis it's hard to know whom to trust. Put your trust in the wrong people, and you could end up in serious trouble. Consider a civil war, for example. Who among your neighbors is a secret informant, and who is on your side? Because we can never be completely sure, it's not surprising that normally we would turn to trusted friends for advice and counsel. But what if those friends are wrong or not as loyal as we think? The problem with pitiful King Zedekiah is that, in the panic and fear of the siege, he ended up trusting the wrong source. Why anyone would take man's word over God's is a mystery. Even if the truth is ugly, it still remains the truth! One can live in denial only so long before running head long into the truth. Just ask Zedekiah! Because there's no way we can be totally sure of any human advice, our safest course of action is to seek God's counsel. In times of crisis, God may be more silent than we might wish, but he will never mislead or desert us. Through thoughtful meditation on God's revealed Word and fervent personal prayer, we have the best possible assurance of getting at the truth. Of course it is always easier to ask others what they think. That way we don't have to do any of the hard work ourselves. But, as Zedekiah could tell us, asking others is risky business. If they are right, we're in good shape. If they are wrong, we're as good as dead! So when trouble is pounding at our door, maybe it's time to remember that God himself is our most trust worthy friend.
The practical question is: Shouldn't I already be inquiring of God right now, before trouble is at my door and it's too late to ask?
