This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah 29:1 NIV
The people reading this letter were living in captivity in Babylon. Their circumstances were difficult and they, no doubt, clung to any words of hope that Jeremiah offered as they waited for God to deliver them. Though you and I haven’t been exiled to Babylon, there are a lot of different types of “captivity.” Let’s define captivity as any time we are trapped in a situation we desperately want to get out of. We all go through rough seasons when we cry out to God and await his deliverance. We cling to the promises in His word and have no choice but to wait patiently for God to fulfill them in our own lives. So what does God want us to do while we wait? What should our mindset be?
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Jeremiah 29:4-6 NIV
1. Don’t stop living! Though you’re not where you want to be, settle down and make the best of it. While you wait for God to bring about change, grow where you are planted. Keep moving forward, don’t shut down! God doesn’t want us to waste one minute of our lives, paralyzed by our circumstances.
Also, 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 29:7 NIV
2. Though your situation may not be ideal and your own heart may be longing for something different, seek to be a positive influence on those in your circle. Focus your attention and energy on ways you can bless others, not on the circumstances in which you are trapped. Perhaps the doctor you wish you didn’t have to see needs to observe how a Christian handles disappointing news. Maybe the man sitting next to you at AA needs to know there’s a God who brings hope. Or maybe that grieving parent desperately needs to meets someone who understands their pain, who can pray with them and tell them that they too will one day laugh again.
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:10-11 NIV
3. Always remember that God is for you, not against you! You may not be able to see a way of escape, but God has a plan! He is not at a loss! He has great plans for your life and everything you are going through right now will benefit you in the future. Don’t give up! Serve Him well in your season of captivity.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:12-14 NIV
4. Seek the Lord with all your heart! Cry out to Him. It’s safe to share your pain with Him because He loves you. He will come beside you and bring you comfort. Know that He is listening to your prayers! When the time is right, He will rescue you and restore you!