Sometimes, we go through some situations that we do not understand at first and we are looking for a solution to our problems. As children of God, we go through our valley of the shadow of death, seeking for God to talk to us and get us out of our ordeals. God speaks to us in any way. It can be through prophecy, visions, or just simply while reading the bible or listening to a preaching at Church. Then God gives you a promise. We know that some situations we are going through are for the glory of God, but we tempt to take shortcuts in our lives because you cannot wait too long. We do not wish to wait for the time of the Lord even though God gave you a promise and even a time. Let’s learn how we can go through the challenges and trust God and his promises only.
Let’s read this story below carefully…
Jeremiah 29 (NIV)A Letter to the Exiles29 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. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin[a] and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
10 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. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] 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.”
If you look at the story here, the people of Israel were taken into captivity. They were sent to the city of Babylon. The word captivity is the state or period of being held, imprisoned, enslaved, or confined. The Israelite were forced to go somewhere, where they do not belong, a place they are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with instead of their motherland. This is called also the exile.
If we put it in today’s context, God allows situations to happen in our lives. You will be in an uncomfortable place where you will feel hopeless. You feel like you are imprisoned. If you look at the story here, God did not let the Israelite go into captivity empty. He gave them instruction to follow.
5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
When you are going through bad moments, God always gives you instructions to follow until your freedom. Ask yourself now, do I follow God’s instructions when I find myself in exile?
Many of us forget about God in hard times, when he tells you what to do. Many look for deliverance but do not bother following what our God wants you to do, the steps to follow to gain your deliverance. You will not just have your deliverance if a Pastor or another servant of God pray for you. But you have the power to gain your own deliverance by just following God’s instructions. If you ask God to tell you what you need to do, he will reveal it to you while reading the bible, a preaching, through someone… God has many ways to reveal himself.
Let’s go back our story. God allowed the people of Israel to go into captivity. He gave them instructions to follow while being captive and he also gave them a promise!
10 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. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] 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.”
One quick question… Will you be able to wait 70 years? (giggles) At that time, God could fulfill a promise even after 100 years. Time as change now, we are under a time of grace and God can fulfill his promises when we are least expecting it to happen. But most children of God like having their blessings faster and faster. God promise is not the lottery. The devil is so clever and acts on our behaviours and now we see the rise of ‘Fast food’ type churches where miracles can be found on demand and the false servant is the head. (I do not say that true servant of God can’t have that power, God has given us the power and he said that we will do even more than him, John 14:12)
Let’s say God gives you a promise and a time. He said in 2 years, I will give you what you wish for if you follow those instructions to increase your faith and make you stronger. God knows why he cannot fulfill his promise just when you want because you might not able to handle it or you will forget about him once you have what you wanted. God is a jealous God, he loves us so much that he will do everything for you to stay in his presence and not at the mercy of Satan.
So now if a ‘prophet’ comes and tell you that God told him that you will receive what is due to you in 2 weeks and he changes the initial instructions. Will you follow this new ‘prophecy’? We need to be careful my brethren and ask God for discernment. Know that the word of God doesn’t change or have variations. It will be the same and he has sealed it. (see Psalms 119:89)
Let’s get back to Jeremiah 29
8 Yes, this is what the LordAlmighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
The word of God cannot change. Remember that so no one fools you. Most Christians are so desperate to receive what they want and follow the false prophets. It does not make sense to call yourself children of God and still panic! Then they destroy the work of the Lord in their lives or delay it again. When a so called servant of God, changes gives you another word and it does not come to pass, how will you feel? That is why many are discouraged and do not want to go to church anymore not knowing that the are delaying, even more, God’s promise. But God is a great God, he will have you back. (see Number 23:19)
God knows why he allows ‘captivity’ to happen in your life. The most important thing is faith to endure and to please God even more. Indeed, without faith, we cannot please God. (see Hebrews 11.6)
God purpose is to make us stronger and develop a new and better version of you through perseverance. He wants you to be able to obey too.
Look at the verses in Jeremiah 29:
5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 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. 7 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.”
Do you know now what we need to do or carry on doing?
Build and settle: build our faith and have it settled in your heart
- Plant and eat: sow your seed so you can reap in due season (good deeds, praying for other, help and work in your church, offering to God…)
- Increase: build your faith to increase, increase spirituality, it is about spiritual growth through scriptures and meditation. Have a relationship with God.
- seek peace and prosperity in your situation
Pray for your prosperity
This word is for you and also for me! Let’s not despair and let’s get to work! God always fulfil his promises but we need to put our faith in action in challenges, tests in life!
God Bless!
Claire B. Donzet
Visit my official website www.iamclairebdonzet.com
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Claire B. Donzet 