God gives so many chances, but there is an end. There is a cut-off point. The people of Judah were warned for how many years? How many times did they fall and God recovered them?

They were at the end. Most of what had been Israel was already gone. They were down to a remnant as is; yet, there will always be a remnant.

The prophet Jeremiah tells them to surrender and they will live. They are warned that if they don’t surrender, they will die.

God’s word will happen as He says. He knows what’s going to happen. He’s all-knowing. Listen to Him! He knows what He’s talking about!

Many will die, and it will be because of their sin and their refusal to repent, fear God, and trust Him.

They fear the invaders and try to fight and defend themselves, and they will die. They will die by sword, famine, and pestilence. It doesn’t matter how it comes. It comes from the Lord. It comes because of their sin.

When the world went crazy fearing sickness and death, I wondered at what the Christians were thinking. They weren’t thinking death was one of the best things to happen to a Christian. They weren’t thinking God’s in control and I’m clothed in the perfect defense of the righteousness of Christ.

They were mostly thinking, “I need to protect and defend myself.” And without verbalizing it, they were thinking, “I can’t trust that God will keep me from this. I need to save myself.”

Saving your life is a surefire way to losing your life. Jesus taught us so. We see it time and again in the Old Testament.

They had to surrender to live. If we lose our lives for His sake, we will find life. We receive Life, eternal life, which is God Himself alive in us by the Holy Spirit, by giving up our lives, by surrendering.