How do you face suffering and hard times?
Jeremiah knew suffering. He watched as his own people were carried away to a distant land and his beloved city and temple were left desolate.
But in the midst of all that he writes a letter under the inspiration of God and this is the instruction he gave:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. (Jeremiah 29:4-7)
He instructs the people to continue on, to live life, to multiply. He was encouraging them that this is not the end. This present suffering is not how it all ends. Rather, they should continue in marriage and families and prosperous living. And in all this seek the Lord and his peace upon their captor and the captive.
They could have easily sat down and sang the songs in a great depression. They could have lamented their fate to the point of defeat, but God does not want this for his people. God has promised to bring them back and restore them to their own holy land.
Christian, we do not need to live life in a sour depression. Our end is not settled in here and now. We are the inheritors of a great glory: The righteousness of Jesus Christ! So enjoy your life, build houses, marry and raise a family. Seek the peace of the nation in which you live and you will have peace too. One day the Lord will call you out of that land to come home to the holy city!
Sola Fide,
Jay Silvas
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