So, what exactly did God mean in Jeremiah 29? He tells the Israelites to pray for their leaders, because when their captors prosper, the exiles will also prosper.
It seems contrary to what we would instinctively do. And that is just the point. rather than grumbling and complaining, God wanted the Israelites to have power in their circumstances by praying about the things they saw and heard around them in their daily lives.
The result: Compassionate leaders who contributed in one way or another to the rebuilding of a great nation that continues to this day despite oppression.
What does this say about us as Christians? Paul sums it up very well in Romans 8, where he says "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Back to Jeremiah 29, God tells Jeremiah to tell the Israelites that He knows their future. He's got it all figured out. All they need to do, is trust Him. Then, He tells them how to do that:
He tells them that when they listen to Him, He'll listen to them. When they seek to know Him better, He will reveal His mysteries. When they ask anything of Him, He will answer in some way.
Jesus supported this process in Matthew 6, which was immortalized through the following praise song:
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
And His righteousness.
And all these things shall be added unto you...
Allelujah.
Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every Word,
That proceeds from the mouth of God...
Allelujah
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you,
Seek and ye shall find,
Ask and it shall be given unto you...
Allelujah"
Bringing all this into focus is the simple, yet profound Sunday School motto that applies to all people of all ages, race and culture:
J = Jesus first
O = Others second
Y = Yourself last
JOY TO THE WORLD!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting our blog!
Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." ~ NIV