Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce” (Jeremiah 29:4-5).

It is not a big mystery that we are born with a propensity towards wanting our own way. Think of a toddler insisting, “Mine!” Or the teenager in your life declaring, “No!” (with arms crossed and a foot stomp for good measure). Or perhaps, one of my favorites, “You are not the boss of me!” We can still tend to feel this way as we get older, we just perfect the way we communicate these sentiments. (Or… maybe it is just me.) 

In the Old Testament, we see how this attitude played out for the Israelites. God had made His way abundantly clear to them. In fact, He made a covenant promise to them. If they obeyed His directions, He would bless them in the land He gave them. If they disobeyed and went their own way, they would find themselves in a heap of trouble. 

The Israelite people started out really well and would enjoy God’s provision and safety. Eventually however, they turned from obeying God to the pursuit of satisfying their own desires. Consequently, instead of prospering in the land that God had given them, they were pummeled by enemies and carted off into captivity. 

In Jeremiah 29 we find the Israelites, God’s chosen people, exiled in Babylon as a result of many unwise choices. 

However, God is gracious and doesn’t leave them - but instead - meets them in their mess. He commissions His spokesman, Jeremiah the prophet, to send a letter to the exiled Israelites with instructions on how to live in the midst of their situation. They are hearing all sorts of misinformation from so-called “prophets.” In the letter, God sets the record straight. He tells them they are to be in Babylon for seventy years and while in exile, they are to build homes, plant gardens, and have families in this foreign place among people they do not understand.

In an unknown land, they were to be people devoted to their God and His commands, no matter how uncomfortable it made them or whether they felt like it or not. They were to “bloom where they were planted” and not just sit around waiting until they could return home. 

We too are invited to heed the instructions from God’s Word - His letter to us - to know how to live in the midst of our families, neighborhoods, and cities that can sometimes feel foreign to us. To live lives that reflect the goodness of God in places that are sometimes hostile and unkind. God promises that we can know what to do when we seek Him with all our hearts. 

Lord God, thank you that you have not left us without direction or instruction of how to dwell in this land while we wait and look forward to our future home in Heaven. Show us today how we can live wisely and be a blessing to others for your glory. Amen.