“Seek the peace of the city where I caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” (v.7)
All too often we allow the future to be colored by how we understand our current situations. We believers have a tendency to become so absorbed in our current difficulties that we forget how faithful God has been to us over the years we have served Him, and can't see the forrest through the trees.
In today’s Scripture reading, God told the people of Israel, who were held captive in Babylon, to “seek the peace of the city,” and to “pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace.” In other words, instead of sitting around lamenting their current circumstances and wishing they were somewhere else, they were to be faithful where He had them, pray for their surroundings, and look to His future promises (vv.10-14)
This speaks to us in that, while we can’t always choose our circumstances in life, we can be at peace in difficult situations by being faithful where God has us, and praying for peace in the current environment we find ourselves. This will change our attitude and thereby change the attitudes of those around us. For He has "Good thoughts towards us, thoughts of peace not of evil, to give us a future and a hope" (v.11). All we must do is "seek peace."
The Truth: “Serve with good will, as unto the LORD and not to man.” (Ephesians 6:7)
All too often we allow the future to be colored by how we understand our current situations. We believers have a tendency to become so absorbed in our current difficulties that we forget how faithful God has been to us over the years we have served Him, and can't see the forrest through the trees.
In today’s Scripture reading, God told the people of Israel, who were held captive in Babylon, to “seek the peace of the city,” and to “pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace.” In other words, instead of sitting around lamenting their current circumstances and wishing they were somewhere else, they were to be faithful where He had them, pray for their surroundings, and look to His future promises (vv.10-14)
This speaks to us in that, while we can’t always choose our circumstances in life, we can be at peace in difficult situations by being faithful where God has us, and praying for peace in the current environment we find ourselves. This will change our attitude and thereby change the attitudes of those around us. For He has "Good thoughts towards us, thoughts of peace not of evil, to give us a future and a hope" (v.11). All we must do is "seek peace."
The Truth: “Serve with good will, as unto the LORD and not to man.” (Ephesians 6:7)
