In Frank Sinatra's popular song My Way, he famously sang about reaching the end of life able to say, "I did it my way."
The Chaldeans had placed Gedaliah in charge, but Ishmael had plans to take him down. There was unrest in the land. Those who remained faced uncertainty, fear, violence, and the threat of further destruction. It was a chaotic time, to say the least.
"So it was, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them and cast them into the midst of a pit, he and the men who were with him." Jeremiah 41:7
There's a similarity here to what we see in Judges, when people repeatedly did what was right in their own eyes. Judah had already experienced the devastating consequences of rebellion against the Lord, yet even after Jerusalem fell, sin and self-will continued to bring destruction.
In a sense, the heart of mankind was still saying, "I did it my way."
We face choices every day. We choose where to set our minds, whom to trust, and whose way we will follow. We can insist on doing things our way, or we can submit ourselves to the Lord and walk in His ways.
When was the last time you sought the Lord about a situation? A relationship? A decision? Even the seemingly small things in front of you?
We can live according to our own desires, wisdom, and understanding... or we can surrender our lives to Christ, seek Him, and obey His Word.
At the end of the day, which will define our lives:
"My way" or "His way"?
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.