Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 1, 2022
Read Jeremiah 29:1-14
1 The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the few surviving elders among the exiles, to the priests and the prophets, and to all the people Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon from Jerusalem. 2 The letter was sent after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the government leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths had left Jerusalem. 3 It was delivered to Babylon by Elasah, Shaphan’s son, and Gemariah, Hilkiah’s son—two men dispatched to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar by King Zedekiah. 4 The LORD of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims to all the exiles I have carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and settle down; cultivate gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Get married and have children; then help your sons find wives and your daughters find husbands in order that they too may have children. Increase in number there so that you don’t dwindle away. 7 Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because your future depends on its welfare. 8 The LORD of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Don’t let the prophets and diviners in your midst mislead you. Don’t pay attention to your dreams. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I didn’t send them, declares the LORD. 10 The LORD proclaims: When Babylon’s seventy years are up, I will come and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will be present for you, declares the LORD, and I will end your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have scattered you, and I will bring you home after your long exile, declares the LORD.
Good Morning, God listens when we call out and pray!
When horrific events occur, it is sometimes easier to sit and wait for the end to come. God is telling the Israelites to get up and work to flourish where they have been temporarily transplanted. Jeremiah tells them to build homes, raise gardens, marry, and multiply in their numbers. God promises to return them to their home when the time comes.
Several years ago, Lowell and I bought a beautiful orange azalea. Because we move regularly, some of our favorite plants have been transplanted many times. For some plants, this is too much and they eventually die out. Other plants flourish where they are planted and become too large to move, so we leave them behind to bring joy to the next family who comes.
A couple of years ago, I was moving once again and I decided to dig up this special azalea. Because I was making a temporary move, I had to place the azalea in a pot for a time. Honestly, it had not thrived where it was planted so I didn’t know if it would survive the move. In the year that it was in the pot, the azalea doubled in size and produced its beautiful orange blooms in the spring.
When I settled into my new home, my son who had been the caretaker of the large pot returned the azalea to me. It spent the summer in my garden, but still in the pot. A few weeks ago, I found a fertile area in which to plant it. For now, it has become dormant and lost its leaves, but I see the buds that it puts on each fall and I wait expectantly for a new season of blooms and beauty.
Each of us has moments of doubt and change in our lives. God calls us to work so that we may prosper wherever we are planted. We will face obstacles along our journey, but God is with us each step of the way. Despite our challenges, God calls us forward. One day, God will call us home and we will live in glory.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. When you call us to a new place, may we put down roots and prosper in Your Holy name. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When I stop focusing on my past, I can move forward with God.
Grow wherever you are planted! Pastor Liz
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