Jeremiah 38:2-3

2  “Thus says the LORD: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. 

3  Thus says the LORD: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” 

Revelation 19:10

10  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

Luke 9:23

23  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 

Jeremiah 38:4-6

4  Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 

5  King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” 

6  So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Sometimes even when we obey completely, we end up in a pit.

Jeremiah 2:13

13  for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. 

Jeremiah 14:1-4

1  The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: 

2  “Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. 

3  Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. 

4  Because of the ground that is dismayed, since there is no rain on the land, the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. 

Jeremiah 38:7-13

7  When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— 

8  Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, 

9  “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 

10  Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 

11  So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. 

12  Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 

13  Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. 

Matthew 5:11-12

11  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 

12  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

John 10:10

10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Surrendering to God brings peace and purpose, even in the midst of terrifying circumstances.