Should you worry about achieving personal greatness? No, do not chase after such a dream! But take comfort that when I bring this disaster on all people, I will reward you by sparing your life. I promise to protect you wherever you go. Jeremiah 45:5 (The Voice, VOICE)

As believers we face the daily challenge of keeping our priorities straight. The devil can use promotion, wealth, and other enticements to try to draw us away from our true focus, which is to be Jesus Christ. When we choose the things of God, it may look as if we are choosing the lesser thing; like we are missing out on something. However, there is a great promise to us found in Jeremiah 45:5.

Truth be told, when we throw our lot in with the world, we are choosing something far less. And we set ourselves up for potential judgment. When I say judgment, i am not talking about God passing judgment on people- that will happen at the judgment seat of Christ for believers and at the great white throne judgment for unbelievers. However, because of the law of sowing and reaping, through the bad choices of the world, through their rebellion and blatant disregard for the Lord and His people, and through their pride, they position themselves to reap a very bad harvest. And in a way, it is a judgment against them. And so, when we choose to draw away from the world’s ways and what they value, we gain a much better harvest.

Our harvest is peace and protection. When disaster is occurring all around, we can be assured that we will be spared. Many of us have such testimonies from the pandemic. God protected His own in ways we never imagined.

Don’t get me wrong, God is not opposed to our success in this world. As a matter of fact, He expects us to interact with the world, and He expects us to stand out and stand above them. The issue is when our eyes are taken off Jesus and we begin to desire the worldly pleasures and lifestyles. That is what happened to Lot’s wife. She had become intwined with the ways of Sodom and Gomorrah, and when the family fled, her heart was still in the city, and she could not help but look back at it. As a result, she was turned to a pillar of salt- likely from the materials coming down on the city from the sky. She partook of the same judgment as the other inhabitants of the city.

It may not be popular and you may often feel like an oddball around co-workers and others, but you’ll never regret standing for Jesus. And when sudden destruction comes to the unbelievers and mockers, you can be certain, God will reward you by keeping you from harm.