Living On Mission with Jeremiah and the Exiles

The prophet Jeremiah was given a message from God to His people.  “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. 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 29:4-7)

Exiles are outside of their home country, not by choice. Often exiles have been banished from their home country as a means of punishment. Notice in the passage above that God said HE carried the people into exile. (A result of sin.) As Christians, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. It could be said that we are living as exiles because we are not living in our spiritual home country. That perspective makes this passage very relevant to our lives today.  God wants us to engage in life and community where He has placed us; it’s a call to live incarnationally—among the people, and to ask God for good things for them.

God also gives this incredibly comforting word for those who are living as exiles; He will listen to our prayers and He will be found when we seek Him. “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. 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 29:10-14)

In the passage above we also find that this God-induced stint in exile also came with a promise to bring them back home. Sound familiar? Jesus promised that He would return and take us to be with Him forever. In a very real sense, we will be living in exile until Jesus returns and we finally experience the full Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, what should we do? Pray for the cities where God has placed us. Know that He hears our prayers and desires for us to seek and find Him. Look for the day of His return and pray, “Your Kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven.”

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela