August 12
Jeremiah 23:33-24:10, 29:1-31:14
Exile. This word is defined as, "prolonged separation from one's country or home, as by force of circumstances." This word is true of the identity of everyone born after the fall of Adam and Eve. Jeremiah is writing to those who have already been exiled, while a large contingent remains in the land. The questions that Jeremiah answers revolve around how to live in exile and whether exile is the end of the story. On the surface they may seem like irrelevant questions to us, but the reality is we are living in exile (1 Peter 2:11). So, Jeremiah's answer for how to live in exile speaks in part to how we are to live today.
We are to live as people who seek the good of the world (Jeremiah 29). We are to seek the good of our cities, while also ensuring we remain committed to God's truth. Jeremiah then gives Judah, and by extension us, the hope that exile is not our final condition. The people in exile were promised a return to the land after seventy years, and we are promised an eternity with Christ. These truths should flood our lives with hope, knowing even as we seek the good of our broken world, a beautiful, perfect eternity awaits.
Father God, help me to seek the good of my city. Help me to make you known and to be used by you to seek the flourishing of those around me. As I encounter sin, brokenness, and hurting in the world, help me to be filled with the hope that these are not the end of the story. Amen.
How can you seek the peace and prosperity of the city in which you live today?
Exile. This word is defined as, "prolonged separation from one's country or home, as by force of circumstances." This word is true of the identity of everyone born after the fall of Adam and Eve. Jeremiah is writing to those who have already been exiled, while a large contingent remains in the land. The questions that Jeremiah answers revolve around how to live in exile and whether exile is the end of the story. On the surface they may seem like irrelevant questions to us, but the reality is we are living in exile (1 Peter 2:11). So, Jeremiah's answer for how to live in exile speaks in part to how we are to live today.
We are to live as people who seek the good of the world (Jeremiah 29). We are to seek the good of our cities, while also ensuring we remain committed to God's truth. Jeremiah then gives Judah, and by extension us, the hope that exile is not our final condition. The people in exile were promised a return to the land after seventy years, and we are promised an eternity with Christ. These truths should flood our lives with hope, knowing even as we seek the good of our broken world, a beautiful, perfect eternity awaits.
Father God, help me to seek the good of my city. Help me to make you known and to be used by you to seek the flourishing of those around me. As I encounter sin, brokenness, and hurting in the world, help me to be filled with the hope that these are not the end of the story. Amen.
How can you seek the peace and prosperity of the city in which you live today?
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