Are you certain that you are doing what God wants for your life? My guess is that most people would be reluctant to answer that question affirmatively. Perhaps you are at peace with where you are and what you are doing, but it may be that this question makes you feel a bit uneasy—because certainty is a rather tall order. A better question would be, have you fully surrendered your life to the Lord, and are you willing to allow God to change your plans?

In Jeremiah 42, we learn that “all the captains of the forces of Johanan” approach Jeremiah and ask him to pray that the Lord would show them “the way in which [they] should walk and the thing [they] should do” (verse 3). They appear to show a surrendered heart with a desire to know God’s will. Their prayer is one we would all do well to pray.

However, the Bible tells us that “after ten days . . . the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah” (verse 7), and Jeremiah’s message was shocking: “You were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying ‘Pray for us to the Lord your God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it” (verse 20).

Hypocrites? Were they not asking God to reveal His will and promising to obey it? It appears this was only a form, and they were intent on pursuing their own plans rather than obeying God’s.

Even though Babylon had recently pummeled Jerusalem, God wanted his people to remain in the land and submit to the governors appointed by Babylon (Jeremiah 40:7-13). However, they wanted to flee to Egypt, where they thought they would be safer (Jeremiah 41:16-18). Sadly, God’s people were determined to do what they wanted, even though they feigned an attitude of submission to God’s will. This hypocrisy kindled God’s anger against them (Jeremiah 42:18).

“Half of the human family lives in regions of the world where 96 percent of all Adventists reside, while the other half—4 billion people—resides where only 4 percent of our members are found.”1 Considering these realities, are you willing to honestly ask yourself whether God might have a change of plans in store for you?

We are told to surrender all our plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence should indicate (Steps to Christ, p. 70). I plead with you to do this from the heart today, and ask God to show you whether, in fact, He is calling you to reach the unreached.

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