Captive in Christ
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah sent word to those who were captive in Babylon outlining God’s promises for them. These captives are getting a promise from God to be fulfilled 70 years from the letter! Can you imagine? Don’t some of us feel captive right now? Captive in our own home, thoughts, relationships, etc. For many this feeling became especially real when the announcement came about staying safer at home until April 30th. Over a month from “captive”! Surely God did not make a promise to be fulfilled 70 years down the line when we can’t fathom a month of captivity. A month is 30 days, 720 hours, or 43, 200 minutes. That is a long time of uncertainty.
Let’s look at what else Jeremiah said. He tells them to build houses, plant gardens, have children, and increase there. God is telling them take this time in Babylon, a foreign land, and prosper (increase). Multiply the Kingdom of God! Make productive use of this time in Babylon. God is asking them to go about their lives, carry on doing what you need to do within their “new normal”.
Now comes my favorite part because PEACE was my scripture word for this year.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
God is telling them to seek peace where they are, in this new city. We are in a new city, new state, new nation, new world in this time of global pandemic. But GOD says seek peace. Seek Him, pray. Our new normal in captivity has peace with God at the center! Then what I love the most is that right after saying this God reminds them to heed His voice and not that of any other naysayer, or false prophets…and after that the promise that God will return to them and put them in their rightful place.
I held onto this promise of return to normal so many times throughout my life. This may be my first societally enforced quarantine, but I have lived through too many hospital-stay quarantines to count. They have not been easy and adjusting to each one was difficult, but I have always held onto the promise of being returned to normal. I never had to wait 70 years, but I have had to wait for a month. I know what that feels like to have my daily routine, work schedule, home life disrupted, uprooted, and also have life and death health in the balance. I have had financial despair. What never failed were the promises from God. This verse that has been a life’s verse for many believers is applicable to every believer today more than ever…
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
I have prayed this verse over my son, Ethan, often in the last couple of years, as he and I have been quarantined in hospital rooms together. My comfort always was that in all of it, God had a plan. God never left us in those hospital rooms (captive). Even when being productive in that captivity never seemed possible – I read the entire book of Isaiah. We prayed with a nurse about getting pregnant. We prayed together often, listened to praise and worship, and I would not call any of these events unproductive, yet we were “captive” in a hospital room. Ethan always took it all in stride despite being poked, prodded, woken up at all hours, and limited by even his mobility. His unwavering faith and peace knowing that God was with him spoke volumes to me. Circumstances such as these are a true testament to our character and reflect our belief in Christ. Captive meant we were God’s captive audience.
Our captivity was still productive as was the one of those elders and believers that Jeremiah wrote to. I write this to you so that you can take heart knowing that you are not in captivity without God knowing His promise to you. I do not feel quarantined today because I am surrounded by my family, physically and virtually. We have windows to the outside world. We have the great outdoors to explore even if on a terrace or patio. We are eating, a little too much. But most importantly, we have peace that God is in control of every day that goes by and that it is up to us to make it productive. Share the word of God, a word of encouragement, a prayer, a phone call, a text, a video, a virtual meeting to love your neighbor and those in your communities.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your thoughts on us. I ask you to lead me to your peace. I want to know you more and love you more. Help me find ways to plant, produce, grow, and share your love to those you bring me in contact with. Thank you for having plans for us, thoughts of peace, a future, and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.