Our scripture this morning is Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NASB1995).
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
The prophet Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem with a number of others during the exile, but he wrote to those in captivity in Babylon explaining the situation and how important it was for them to look to God for rescue. The words he is given recall God’s promise in Deuteronomy 30:3 “then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.”
God’s actions in the exile confirm His plan for His people. This is not revenge for their unfaithful behavior, but a disciplinary intervention to return their hearts to Him. As with all our desert experiences, He has something for us to learn. God takes no pleasure in this, but we risk losing our eternal connection to Him when we go our own way.
These verses remind us that while we can’t save ourselves, we can always turn to the Father in repentance and be forgiven. His words encourage us to seek Him in all we do. We must remember that God loves us no matter what, and His love is to be shared with the world.
Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we have failed You and each other. Still us and fill us, mend us and send us to all Your children everywhere. Amen.
