You can’t tell some people anything. They are obstinate and contrary and determined to do the opposite of what they are told. You will see this with little children who push the boundaries of their parents’ commands. Teens are notorious for rebelling against their parents’ rules simply to be rebellious. In this passage, Jeremiah tells of the same kind of person–a person who is told the right and good way to go, and deliberately chooses the opposite path. The good path promises rest, while the other obviously promises destruction. This scripture and the subsequent verses illustrate what happens when we refuse to heed the warnings of God. When we fail to walk in the right path, when we fail to listen…well, the truth is we simply fail and the price, according to verse 20, is “disaster.”
And we pray:
Father, help me to walk in Your ways and listen to Your words. Don’t let my naturally stubborn nature cause me to rebel against You. Amen.