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The
LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, "Do not let the prophets and
mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams
because they prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the
LORD. "The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then
I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring
you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a
hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest,
you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the LORD.
"I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out
of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land."
(Jeremiah
29:8-14 NLV). The reading today comes in the midst
of encouragement to the people of Israel in their captivity.
Because of their sin, God allowed them to be taken captive by the
Babylonians. This was to last for
seventy years. However, even during that time, God promised to be with them and
bring them back home. It is a great picture of the faithfulness of God. I
was reminded of that faithfulness Sunday as I was preparing breakfast. Every
Sunday I cook breakfast. It’s a tradition that we have developed over the
years. Usually it consists of the same things. I have fallen into a routine as I
prepare it. The pancake mix is the most involved of all the preparations. I
don’t like to use just a mix for the batter. I haven’t been able to make
them fluffy enough without adding a few ingredients. I always add a little
sugar, lemon juice, and baking powder. They turn out light and fluffy every
time! If
you’ve ever cooked with baking powder, you know it doesn’t taste good by
itself. Alone it is unpalatable, but without it, the recipe would be incomplete.
God works in our lives in much the same way. He has a goal in mind, an end in
sight. Some of our experiences are quite painful, even bitter. We go through
times of difficulty, which seem purposeless. If we focused on them, we would
surely be discouraged and lose hope. The key is not focusing on the process.
Baking powder is just as necessary for the success of a cake as is the sugar.
Don't focus on the process, but rather trust that God will use all our
experiences, both pleasant and painful, to mold us into what He desires. A. J. Gordon noted that if you tear down a sparrow’s nest the little bird will build again in the same place. However, if you pull it down several times, she will seek a new location, a shelter higher up, where it will be less vulnerable. Gordon then observed that Christians are not always so wise. They form dwelling places of happiness and hope in this temporal world, only to see them pulled down time after time. Yet after each brief interval of sighs and tears, they begin building all over again in the same way. They never realize that through their defeats the Lord is directing them to put their security in Him. Don’t focus on the process. Trust in the Lord.
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