Today’s scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-11 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Melody Merida):
Jeremiah was what we might call a “nay-sayer”. He was a prophet of God who often told people what they didn’t want to hear. If God was displeased with your actions, Jeremiah just might show up at your doorstep and tell you exactly what God thought.
The people of Israel had been taken captive as slaves and exiled into Babylon. They were anticipating that God would rescue them at any moment and usher them back into their homeland. Essentially, they hadn’t even unpacked yet, that is how sure they were of God’s rescue.
Then along comes Jeremiah saying to the people, “Hey, you may as well get comfortable here and start setting down some roots. Build a house, plant a garden, have a family and make some friends. We are going to be here for a while.” To us this might sound like terrible news, but God’s message was actually a good one.
Verse 11 tells us that God has good plans for the Israelites, plans to give them a future with hope. Even though they are going to be in exile as slaves in Babylon, God can prosper them and give them a future full of hope. How cool is that! When I think about my own moments of exile, I am reminded by Jeremiah that God has good plans for me, even in the midst of the exile.
God’s plans are good and do not include exile for us; but if someone forces exile upon us or if we choose it for ourselves, God can transcend that situation and use it to give us a hopeful future. So, be encouraged; God wants harmony and good for you and will work with whatever comes our way to draw something good from it.
Thought for the day: Whatever exile you might be experiencing, God has plans to make something good out of it for you. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.
A message from Pastor Jeff for those who live far from our Church