“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)
On September 10, 2001, the world was different. So many things would change the next day. Those of us who were alive to experience that day will never forget.
Jeremiah 29:11 was written to a people whose world had also changed. It was written to the people from Judah who had been exiled to Babylon. They were living as prisoners in a foreign land. No doubt, these exiles desired to go back to their previous life when they lived in the freedom of their homeland.
Maybe life has not worked out as you expected. You are not in a place, a circumstance, or a situation you desire to be in. There is much about your life you wish was different. If that is where you find yourself, these words are for you.
But it is always good to examine the context. Before Jeremiah utters the familiar words of 29:11, he says:
“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.” (Jeremiah 29:5–6, ESV)
What is he says is prosper where you are planted. Your circumstances may not be great, but make the most of it. Never underestimate the power of God to use your difficult circumstances for great good. Seek God's joy in your place. The place where you are just might be better than you realize.
There is much to be desired about the state of our country. We live under the constant threat of terrorism. There is racial inequality and discord. Our presidential candidates have much to be desired. Violence plays out on our streets. Drug addiction runs rampant. The list goes on of all the things that are wrong with America. Some of you have ask me to speak directly to some of these issues. The best I can share is to encourage you to look to what God says. Consider what Jeremiah writes:
“But 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 find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7, ESV)
If God tells the people of Judah to seek the welfare of a city they despised, how much more should we seek the welfare of this country we love. This starts with loving our neighbors. It also involves loving our enemies. It is much easier to love our neighbors than it is to love our enemies. The calling of Christ to pray even for those who persecute you and practice injustice against you.
One thing I have learned about prayer is it's hard to be angry at someone for whom you truly pray. You will find that God will soften your heart towards them. You will find that you begin to see that person or people in a different light.
We would do well if we prayed for each other. If whites prayed for blacks and blacks prayed for whites. If liberals prayed for conservatives and conservatives prayed for liberals. If heterosexuals prayed for homosexuals and homosexuals prayed for heterosexuals. If young would pray for old and old pray for young. If men prayed for women and women prayed for men.
Your enemies may not pray for you, but that does not mean you can't pray for them. This is the start of what it means to love our enemies and to seek the welfare of our city. It means to be a servant. Be a servant to those with whom you disagree. Be a servant to those who are different than you. You may not even know where to start serving them. You can start by praying for them.
The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is not given in a vacuum. There is a premise to the promise. That better future may not be realized in the near future. It may not be realized without a great struggle. But in Christ there is victory.
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