Ten days after asking Jeremiah to seek the Lord’s guidance, the answer was finally given. The group of Judeans, who were overcome with fear, were told that they must remain in Judah and not go to Egypt. The Lord promised to be with them and not to let them perish. However, the clarity of the answer did not make it any easier for them to accept it.

Jeremiah 43:1–13 reveals a rather striking change. Previously, they had come to Jeremiah and promised to obey the Lord’s word, whatever the answer might be. But when they heard that they must not go to Egypt, they instead accused Jeremiah of lying and claimed that Baruch had incited him. Shortly afterwards, they took the entire remnant of Judah, including Jeremiah and Baruch, to Egypt.

We must remember that their fear was not without reason. Jerusalem had only just fallen and Gedaliah had been murdered. They were worried that Babylon would hold them responsible for the murder. In such circumstances, Egypt might seem like a safer refuge. However, the issue was not simply a choice between Judah and Egypt. They had sought the Lord’s guidance, but rejected the answer when it did not align with the choice they had hoped for.

This experience is close to our own lives. When we feel afraid, we tend to seek something that gives us a sense of security. If the answer we receive actually requires us to face uncertainty, we may start looking for reasons to stick to our own choices. Not because we intend to reject God, but because our hearts long to be freed from fear at once. Unwittingly, what we are seeking is justification for our own desires.

Therefore, let us be honest with our hearts: perhaps what we are seeking is not God’s will, but rather justification for our own desires. Perhaps not every path that God shows us immediately makes us feel secure, but amidst the uncertainty, we can learn to let go of the need to control everything and entrust our steps to Him.