God's Heart of Reconciliation

This past Sunday reminded me of the gracious heart of a reconciling God. As we worshipped I could sense lives being touched and as I saw 19 hands raise upward - acknowledging first time commitments to Jesus - people saying 'Yes' and making the most eternal decision they would ever make, I was overjoyed. People were connecting with the reconciliation God had provided them.
As I read yesterdays bible verses, I was touched by God's heart to restore and reconcile.
Scripture:
Jeremiah 29: 10 - 14
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." (NIV)
Observation:
The people of Judah had rebelled against the principles upon which their nation had been founded and rejected God who had led them from Egyptian bondage 800 years before, and now, because of their rejection, He would allow them to return to bondage; this time in Babylon.
They had refused to believe it could ever happen to them. They found their own false prophets to tell them what they wanted to hear and that everything was fine. They ridiculed Jeremiah and others who warned of the devastation to come. They remained proud and arrogant. History shows us that the words of Jeremiah turned into fact as they were fulfilled down to the last detail. After Jeremiah's prophecy began to be fulfilled, Jeremiah wrote a letter to those serving in Babylon. These were sad people who had lost everything; their homes, freedom and in many cases were separated from their families. They were brought to live in a land with strange customs and language. Jeremiah's instructions to these exiles will serve as application for our lives.
Application:
GOD'S ADVICE TO THE EXILE
This world is only a temporary home. We are invited to approach life with a desire for a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he has prepared a city for them." (HEBREWS 11:13-16).
We focus so much on thing here and though we are to enjoy God on this Earth and all He gives it is not our focus of joy - the joy is Him and the life He gives is from Him. ACCEPTING LIFE AS IT COMES"Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce...take wives and become fathers of sons and daughters...seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you unto exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf..." (JEREMIAH 29:4-7). Life goes on no matter what difficulty we face. Sometimes we face tremendous difficulties but Jeremiah told the exiles of his day to live as normal lives as possible. Bloom where you are planted! He also told them to pray for the welfare of the city which had taken them captive, much in the same way as Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies as well as for our government. The New Testament tells us to let our lives be examples to others; "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (I PETER 2:12).
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. (JEREMIAH 29:10). God had the timing all worked out. I am sure that seventy years seemed like a long time for the people, but seventy years is what God had said, so He kept His bargain. There would be no short cuts. God knew how long and how much. He also knows how long our times of 'exile' will last. The Son of God will one day appear in the clouds to take the exiles home; "...because He has fixed a day for His return... and provided proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (ACTS 17:31). We are encouraged to be patient and wait for that day; to never give up because the day of our Lord's return and our homecoming has been determined.
TRUST GOD ALWAYS and IN EVERYTHING
"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you...and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." (JEREMIAH 29:11-14). Through all of life's hardships there is one secure place wherein we can place our hope and future. Even in their darkest hour God was sharing His love with them and with us today. His plans for our future fill us with hope; "...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." (I PETER 1:8,9). We are not looking at this life as our trust and hope but God.
DON'T TRUST IN FALSE HOPES
The people of Judah really wanted to believe the false prophets - it was something people really wanted to believe. "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29: 8 & 9)The false prophets were telling them that they would be going home soon; it would not take seventy years. Today, some promise to make you well if you send them money. Some say they know when Jesus will come when the Bible says no one knows. Some say God does not exist and that there will never be a judgment and so you can live however you want to without regret. Some say if you do not get your life right this time, you will come back again reincarnated as another person. Do not allow yourself to be made to trust in a lie. The truth of God is better than the lies of men.
Prayer:
Dear God, help me to trust in you and live with patience while not grabbing for words, beliefs that are not of you or sent by you. Help me to grow where I am at any given time. Some trust in power, others in armies, some in false gods and false prophets, but may my trust be in You and You alone. Amen.