Two Paths

Monday, August 3, 2026 | Sherry Thorn

Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah 21:8 — “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’”

How often do I come to a crossroads and choose the comfortable path? The sensible path? The way that seems right to me? Meanwhile, the other path appears inconsistent with comfort and sensibility and asks me to surrender.

In Jeremiah 21, God uses His prophet Jeremiah to tell His people that pestilence, sword, and famine are inevitable, and those who survive will be taken captive. God goes on to warn them that if they stay in the city, the sword, famine, and pestilence will take their lives. But if they surrender to the enemy, they will win their lives as a prize. He gives them a choice and even tells them the consequences of that choice: life or death.

In The Last of the Mohicans—a movie that easily makes my top-five list—Hawkeye and the woman he loves find themselves in an inescapable situation. He alone is able to escape, and his words to her are unforgettable:

“You stay alive! If they don't kill you, they'll take you north up to the Huron lands. Submit, do you hear? You're strong! You survive! You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you!”

Jesus, our true Protagonist, assures us that in this world we will have trouble. At times, the direction He gives seems counterintuitive to the comfort my flesh desires. Yet He has proven to me time and time again that although the path to life is narrow and often the more difficult choice, He will find me. He will lead me safely home.

If I am given the choice between comfort without Jesus or a rocky path that ends in His embrace, a thousand times over, He is my choice.