This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon
- Jeremiah 29:4

This week, we’re going to be studying Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon. Here’s the backstory …

God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land so that they would be his people and all the nations on earth would be blessed through them. A dynasty arose and leaders like King David and King Solomon shaped the character of the nation. Eventually, the nation strayed from the path the Lord had laid out for them. Prophets warned them to repent, but they would not listen. In 597 BCE, the Babylonian Empire swept in and carried a great many Israelites off into exile.

This exile created a spiritual crisis for the Israelites. How could they be God’s people away from God’s place? What did it look like to remain faithful to God in a pagan culture? How should God’s people conduct themselves?

To the exiles living in Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah wrote a spectacular letter, full of comfort and challenge.

At its core, here’s its message: God placed them in Babylon; therefore, there’s work for them to do.

We believe the same is true for us. However you ended up in Chatham County, however you ended up connected with Chatham Community Church, we believe that God placed you here, in this season, for his good purposes. There’s work for you to do. There’s work for us to do together.

Take a moment today and think about how you came to be in Chatham County and how you came to be to connected with Chatham Community Church. How did you end up where God has placed you? What do you think God’s purposes are for you here?