Jeremiah 45:5 (KJV)
“And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.”
Baruch’s Lament and God’s Answer
Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, was overwhelmed.
He cried out:
Jeremiah 45:3 (KJV)
“Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”
Baruch was not simply tired of writing.
He was crushed by the weight of the message, the danger surrounding him, and the cost of obedience.
He lived in a time when judgment was falling on the nation.
Jeremiah was hunted.
Baruch was hunted with him.
God answered Baruch:
Jeremiah 45:4 (KJV)
“Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.”
And then the Lord said:
Jeremiah 45:5 (KJV)
“Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not… but your life will I give unto thee for a prey.”
God was telling Baruch:
- This is not the season for personal advancement.
- This is the season to cling to Me.
- You will not gain earthly greatness — but you will be preserved.
God’s promise was mercy, not punishment.
Baruch’s life mattered to God, even though he was not promised fame.
And yet — his name is recorded in Scripture for all generations.
What Chambers Teaches Us About Seeking God
Chambers asks a piercing question:
Do we seek God Himself, or only what He can give us?
We pray for peace, strength, answers, direction, relief.
And Scripture tells us:
Matthew 7:7 (KJV)
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
But Chambers explains the deeper truth:
If we come to God only for results, we have not yet surrendered.
God desires relationship, not transaction.
He wants us to seek Him, not merely His gifts.
Jesus prayed that we would be one with Him:
John 17:21 (KJV)
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee…”
God works toward our completeness, not our temporary comfort.
A Refined Analogy — Relationship, Not Transaction
Think of an earthly parent.
If you rarely speak to them, never share your heart, and only show up when you want something —
you hesitate to ask.
The relationship is strained.
The request feels transactional.
But if you have a close, loving relationship —
you know when and how to ask.
You know their heart.
And often, they offer what you need before you even ask, because they know you.
This is what God desires.
Not distance.
Not formality.
Not a list of requests.
But relationship.
He already knows what you need:
Matthew 6:8 (KJV)
“…for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
My Testimony — What God Revealed to Me
I recently discovered something that shook me to my core:
He has been planning my assignment all my life.
He preserved me for this moment — for this blog — for this calling.
I am not seeking fame or recognition.
Truthfully, I would prefer no one ever read my personal life laid bare.
But God asked me to share.
So I share.
He has been inside me since I was nine.
He was the conductor of my life when I knew it not.
He was always there — guiding, protecting, shaping, teaching, loving.
And when I surrendered, He greeted me with nothing but grace.
On April 8th, 2026, I finally laid my will at His feet.
I had resisted surrender my whole life.
For years I said the right words — prayers that sounded sincere — but they were only words. When I prayed those familiar phrases — ‘Come into my life, lead me, guide me’ — I did not mean what I was saying. They were sincere in sound, but empty in surrender. I did not relinquish control of my will. My heart was not bowed. My mind was not making a decision to yield. I had no posture of surrender, no intention of giving up anything. And nothing changed, because I had not yielded the one thing God will not take without permission — my will.
Surrender didn’t happen until I made a deliberate decision to yield myself to God. It was my own small Gethsemane moment: choosing His will over mine. And that choice wasn’t a one‑time event. It is a daily decision, a posture I return to again and again. That is where the change began.
I thought giving God control would feel restrictive.
But it was freedom.
It was peace.
It was life.
And then —
I looked back and saw Him.
So clearly.
In every season.
In every sorrow.
In every rescue.
In every provision.
I grieved that I had not surrendered sooner.
But then I realized —
this is the season He chose to open my eyes.
And now, daily, I come to Him with an internal urging I cannot ignore.
The verse I have known since childhood suddenly became alive:
Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV)
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Once you surrender, you begin to love Him more deeply than you ever imagined.
A Call to Surrender
Come to Him, you who carry burdens too heavy to bear.
Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Lay your will, your self, your sin at His feet.
Give Him the throne of your life.
Let Him lead.
Let Him heal.
Let Him teach.
Let Him be your Father, your refuge, your strength, your peace.
He is waiting.
He is here.
He loves you.
Lord, We come to You with open hearts, willing to lay our burdens at Your feet.
We set self and sin aside so You may take Your rightful place on the throne of our life.
Teach us surrender, for in surrender we find life.
You are the Lover of our soul.
You bring peace beyond understanding.
You bring life we cannot comprehend until You reveal it.
Each soul is precious to You — the hairs on our heads are numbered.
Your love knows no bounds.
We come.
We surrender.
We seek relationship with You.
We desire to know our God.
We love You because You first loved us.
You called us.
You chose us.
We thank You.
Father, we praise You.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Inhale: Draw me near
Exhale: Make me Yours
Your will be done.
Selah
~ Quil
Psalm 121:7–8 God preserves your life and watches over your going out and coming in
Isaiah 41:10 God strengthens, helps, and upholds you when you feel overwhelmed
Psalm 91:14–15 God delivers and protects those who set their love on Him
Micah 6:8 God calls us to humility, justice, and walking closely with Him
James 4:10 God lifts up the humble in His timing
Matthew 23:11–12 True greatness in God’s kingdom is found in servanthood
Psalm 27:8 God invites us to seek His face, not just His gifts
Jeremiah 29:13 We find God when we seek Him with our whole heart
John 15:4 Abiding in Christ is the foundation of true relationship
Philippians 4:19 God supplies every need according to His riches
Psalm 139:2 God knows your thoughts and needs before you speak them
Psalm 139:16 God wrote your days before you lived them
Jeremiah 1:5 God knew and appointed you before you were born
Psalm 71:17 God has been teaching and shaping you since youth
Romans 12:1 Surrender is presenting your whole self to God
Luke 9:23 Following Jesus requires daily surrender of the will
James 4:7–8 Submit to God and He will draw near to you
Deuteronomy 31:8 God goes with you even when you cannot feel Him
Psalm 46:1 God is a very present help in trouble
Isaiah 45:15 God sometimes hides Himself, yet He is still present
2 Corinthians 5:7 We walk by faith, not by what we feel or see
John 13:7 You don’t understand God’s work now, but you will later
Psalm 77:11–12 Remembering God’s past works brings clarity and faith
Romans 8:28 God weaves all things together for good
Psalm 62:1 Rest and salvation come from God alone
Isaiah 30:15 Returning and resting in God brings strength and salvation
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