Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ...“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7 |
Have you been stuck in a long season of difficulty that makes you long for deliverance? According to this passage, when God allows us to be in a time of exile,
He cares very much about what we do there while we wait. He asks us to live a quiet
life of diligence where He has placed us, and to let Him use us for good. Furthermore, He asks us to pray for those who are there with us.
Charles Price reads "With God, nothing is impossible" as also meaning "With God, 'nothing' is impossible." If God has you in exile, so to speak, it's for a huge purpose. This purpose is much vaster than just stretching you and preparing you for the return trip home. His purposes always include overflow to the world around us, and prayer
is the nerve centre of this overflow.
God pointed out this principle to me because I very much need to remember it. Whatever He is doing in, to, for, with, and through me in a particular season, He means it as a way of extending and enriching His kingdom, and of bringing great
glory to His name.
No season of exile lasts forever, but His kingdom is forever.