There are many Scriptures giving promises to God’s people to have hope and peace in the tough times of life. Jeremiah was chosen to be a voice of God to the nations as a very young man. His life was filled with problems because the message he declared was not popular and nobody listened. He was considered a failure during his life. However, in the eyes of God, Jeremiah was one of the most successful men in history.
One of my favorite accounts recorded in Jeremiah is in chapter 29. He wrote a letter to those (all) who had been carried away captive and held in bondage. His words were filled with hope and thoughts of peace.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters – that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 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.”
For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 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. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:4-14
God’s promises of hope, peace and a future to those in Babylon were life giving words to build up the people of God. This was also part of the promise to Jeremiah in Chapter 1 that he would tear down and build up.
The words of Jeremiah are relevant for us today. God is on our side. He desires to give us hope and peace regardless of our circumstances at the present moment.
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