For those of you that don’t know, I am minoring in religion at UNA. This means I get to have a class called “Old Testament Survey.” We are currently going through Jeremiah, and God spoke something to me that has completely flipped my perspective.
One thing we usually go over in class is what was going on in history when the scriptures were written. Now, we can all probably quote Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future,”’ but have you ever considered what was going on in history when the Israelites received this prophecy?
The Israelites had just been taken into exile again, and there were two prophets prophesying at the time: Jeremiah and Hananiah. Hananiah was telling Israel exactly what they wanted to hear. He said that the exile would soon be over. He said that they should rebel against Babylon, and if they did, God would be with them (Always question the voice telling you exactly what you want to hear when you’re in a trial). Jeremiah, however, was actually hearing from God. He told the Israelites that not only would the exile not be over soon, but that it would take 70 years before he would return to them and fulfill his promise (Jeremiah 29:10).
Jeremiah also said to for them to “build houses and settle down” and to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:5,7). This was something that really caught my attention because Jeremiah tells them to become content in their trial. He didn’t say do this so that the trial will end; he said to do this so that they could prosper and grow in the midst of their trial. He didn’t tell them to pray for the trial to end; he told them to pray for the prosperity of the trial. When we do this, we then become in the center of what God’s plan is.
This concept is like putting a child in a car seat. The car seat may be uncomfortable and even scary for some children, but it is for their own protection. The longer the child struggles to get out of the car seat, the longer they end up having to be in it.
Trust that God would not put you in something that wasn’t for your own protection.
“You are faithful. Why should my heart be afraid? You are faithful. I know you’re not going to change.” – Faithful by Elevation Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSRHVXGFZ8c
“Not for a minute, was I forsaken. The Lord is in this place. Come Holy Spirit. Dry bones awaken. The Lord is in this place. – I’m not enough, unless you come. Will you meet me here again? Cause all I want, is all You are. Will you meet me here again? – Here Again by Elevation Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIdZ5KRiakM
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