11. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
The focus of Jeremiah 29 is the captivity of the Israelites in Babylon. As is common in the Old Testament, the Israelites were repeatedly chastised by God for their idolatry, adultery, and stiff-necked disobedience. Even though God provided prophets like Jeremiah to speak His truth, the Israelites chose false prophets that would tell them what they wanted to hear, despite living in direct contradiction to God’s law. Because of this, God’s judgment for His people was for them to be held captive in Babylon for seventy years before returning them to Jerusalem — where they would be free and hopefully mindful of His Commandments.
To keep them hopeful and content while captivity, God sent a message through Jeremiah, instructing the Israelites to build homes, plant gardens, work, even to marry and have children to increase their numbers. God also commanded them to get rid of the false prophets He did not send. If they obeyed, their time in Babylon would not feel like captivity. And when they returned to Jerusalem in seventy years, they would be a stronger, wiser, and more faithful than they were when God first removed them.
This is where we see God’s true unconditional love for His children then, and even for us today. The sins of today are not unlike those of the Israelites. Idol worship is still practiced when love for a person is stronger than love for God. Material things are coveted more today. Adultery and fornication remain common practices. Yet and still, God’s love for His children today, is as strong as it was for Israel. Romans 5:8 speaks this truth when it says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God wants our lives to be filled with peace, not evil, so He can bring us into eternal life with Him — 2 Peter 3:9 “not willing that any should perish”.
God doesn’t expect perfection — He expects obedience. And obedience is not the absence of sin. As humans, we will stumble, but we are not to live sin-filled lives. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). When we focus on that love, we live with more peace, reflecting the righteousness of God, while leaving less room for sin.
Take time throughout your day to ponder God’s love for you, and consider what a life looks like that reciprocates that love. Dare to express your love for God in your daily walk. Risk change in exchange for the rewards God has prepared for you. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Our God is a full-time God, that desires full-time love from His children.
Father God in Heaven, as the world around me becomes louder, I pray for your peace that surpasses all understanding. In your peace I seek your will for me, that you may loosen the bonds of earthly captivity that wage war against my mind. When I stumble, straighten my walk with obedience. When I fall, raise me in humility. In my darkest hours, let Your light shine through me, that You may receive the glory when I search for you. In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen