Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives
Jeremiah the prophet sent a letter from Jerusalem to the those who had been carried away into Babylonian captivity. That letter read as follows:
"Thus says the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom
I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take
wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and
give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and
daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. For thus says the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners
who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you
cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. For thus says the Lord:
After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and
perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:4-13)
Let us take heart of these words of comfort that were written to a people who were being held captive y'all, CAPTIVE. Who were told to just settle down and carry on with life even in a place away from what they were used to calling home. In fact, they were told to build houses and dwell in them, to plant gardens and eat of its fruit, to get married and have families and to seek peace and pray for the city in which they were being held captive by. They were advised not to listen to people who would deceive them and contradict God's word and even to not scheme things up in their own imaginations, but to focus on God. To search for Him with all their heart. And in doing so, they would find Him. He promised to watch over them and after 70 years, he would bring them back out from captivity. God promised and God delivered.
So if the Israelites could manage to do this while in Babylonian captivity, I think we can strive to do the same thing wherever we end up living or wherever we call home. Because home is in fact where you make it!
Let us take heart of these words of comfort that were written to a people who were being held captive y'all, CAPTIVE. Who were told to just settle down and carry on with life even in a place away from what they were used to calling home. In fact, they were told to build houses and dwell in them, to plant gardens and eat of its fruit, to get married and have families and to seek peace and pray for the city in which they were being held captive by. They were advised not to listen to people who would deceive them and contradict God's word and even to not scheme things up in their own imaginations, but to focus on God. To search for Him with all their heart. And in doing so, they would find Him. He promised to watch over them and after 70 years, he would bring them back out from captivity. God promised and God delivered.
So if the Israelites could manage to do this while in Babylonian captivity, I think we can strive to do the same thing wherever we end up living or wherever we call home. Because home is in fact where you make it!
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