I was in a meeting at the office when I suddenly realized that Scripture is being fulfilled right before our eyes. I won’t go into details about what happened, but in that moment, I truly understood what the word “perilous” means.
Later, I checked my phone and saw someone praying for our leaders. Yet, I felt a sense of hopelessness about the state of the world. Around the same time, I heard someone I know—someone who prays, believes in Jesus, and is spiritually more mature than I am—say that nothing good comes to those who do good, especially to good women. That statement troubled me. First, there is none good but God.
So, I decided to pray for our leaders. As I turned to my devotional, I was led to Jeremiah 42.
In this passage, the people of Judah were in captivity. Even in that condition, God had promised to provide for them. However, they found themselves at a crossroads. They wanted to leave Babylon and go to Egypt, and knowing that Jeremiah was a true prophet, they came to him asking that he would show them the way they should go and what they should do.
Jeremiah agreed to pray to God on their behalf and promised to declare whatever the Lord revealed to him. In Jeremiah 42:6, the people—especially their leaders—assured Jeremiah that they would obey the voice of God, whether the message was favorable or not.
After ten days, Jeremiah returned with God’s answer: they were not to go to Egypt. Instead, they were to remain in Babylon, and God would preserve them and eventually restore them to their land (Jeremiah 42:11). Later, we understand why. In Jeremiah 43:12–13, God reveals His intention to bring judgment upon Egypt because of its idols and false gods.
However, despite this clear instruction, the people refused to obey. Jeremiah had warned them that if they chose to go to Egypt—seeking safety from war, hunger, and uncertainty—they would instead encounter the very things they were trying to escape sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 42:21–22).
Reflecting on this, I realized something profound: we often pray for our leaders, but do they truly obey the voice of God? And even more personally, when we seek God’s direction, do we actually follow it?
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:1 that in the last days, perilous times will come. We also see in Daniel 12:4 that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Today, we witness people constantly moving, relocating, and sharing experiences across the world. With the rise of AI and technology, knowledge is indeed increasing at an unprecedented rate.
So, I am left wondering: where do we stand in this generation?
Do we truly obey the voice of God—or do we only seek it when it suits us?