11-14 included
11 "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. 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.[a] 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.”
Since I missed church this week and wanted more of His word after reading Pastor Jen's sermon, I felt like I needed to write about the passage I flipped to tonight. I'm sure that if I read this passage at a different time I would interpret the reading differently, less ironic I suppose. I really have no rhyme or reason when I pick up the Bible where to start reading (I do usually steer clear of the Old Testament), I haven't read it from cover to cover, I don't pretend to know all the stories that the Good Book offers, but this is what I flipped to today and today I find comfort in it.
I have heard this verse used on many occasions; during times of uncertainty for a wide array of reasons. Tonight as I read what leads up to this passage that so many people turn to in times of uncertainty I can't help but to see the irony that I never knew before. I am a firm believer in the notion that "God has a plan" or as I read on a friends wall today "Only God knows the bigger picture". Still some people think this notion is merely propaganda (Wiki definition: a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself). Some argue that Jeremiah wrote this letter and it was accepted into the pages of the Bible solely to comfort people that are suffering with life. So that when something bad happens to them they can simply fall back on this notion that "God has a plan".
Prior to reading the entire passage leading up to this "feel good" part posted at the top of the blog, I really didn't have any rebuttal to the argument that this is simply propaganda that we are so willingly led to believe. Now, I feel a little more confident in my belief. Not just because I read the last part of the verse quite a few times tonight or because it says that once we seek Him with all your heart that He will bring us back from exile, but because the first part of the passage tells us that He is the one that put them in the place of uncertainty in the first place!
The people in Babylon had sinned against God and were not seeking Him with their whole heart and that is why they were exiled to the foreign place and filled with thoughts of uncertainty and doubt. I know some people don’t believe in God punishing anymore (I say I don't, but in the back of my mind, this belief is still in my messed up head somewhere). Like I stated earlier, I generally steer clear of the Old Testament because I like to focus on the passages filled with love and forgiveness when I flip through the pages. Yet, tonight I can’t help to think about the lack of consequences in this day in age if we always focus on the hope. If we don’t fear God because of our belief that Jesus died for our sins where are the consequences?
This letter reminds the people of these consequences, that they caused this time of uncertainty and despair, and rather bluntly tells them to get used to it!
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.Seventy years! Really? Seventy years? That is a really long time in my opinion. Even before I picked up the Bible this evening, my mind was already fixated on time and the measurement of time.
Prior to picking up the Bible tonight I spent the evening with my crazy kids. I posted a story about my youngest child earlier in the evening. He admittedly has zero desire to start potty training. The girls were both well on their way or done at 2.5 years of age, but Keegan does not even want to talk about it. This is an example conversation with my little one!
Me: "Keegan, when are you going to start going potty on the potty?" Keegan: "NOT YET." Me: "Well, when is not yet?" Keegan: "5 minutes."
Sometimes it's two minutes, sometimes it's tomorrow, sometimes he just repeats not yet. No matter what his response is tonight I couldn't help but to think about time. I wish my concept of 5 minutes was the same as his when we are all sleeping peacefully, but can't imagine if my concept of 5 minutes lasted as long as his when he wants something and is having a tantrum before I put him in timeout!
Often in times of despair the clock seems to stand still; the seconds seem like hours and hours seem like weeks and weeks seem like years. I know many people feeling this way due to unemployment. When will I land a job? How much longer are we going to be able to survive with the missing income? Some are overwhelmed with debt. Will the phone calls asking for money ever cease? Is this hole just too deep to dig our way out? Others are faced with marital problems or health issues.
This passage asks us to be content where we are. Content even though we aren't certain where we are going, which direction to turn. Sometimes we are just as far in as we'll ever be out of the never ending tunnel of life. There is light at both sides of any tunnel. Pray for which way to go. Sometimes it will not be the quickest way to the light, but there is always light at the end of each tunnel. Maybe the time of despair will feel like seventy years when you are walking the uphill battle. Maybe the time will feel like Keegan’s definition of five minutes, which is really just when he’s ready for the five minutes to be over. Maybe if you pray, seek Him with all of your heart and are content with what you have the clock will start ticking again. The seconds will once again be seconds rather than minutes and that five minutes will pass much more quickly; you will be that much closer to being carried out of captivity.
14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.[a] 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.”
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