7/14/2023 0 Comments Scripture jeremiah 29 11The Lord would prosper them by turning their hearts toward him they would seek him with all their heart and find him. The somewhat vague promise to prosper the Israelites who returned from exile is clarified in the following sentences. Once the seventy years are completed, the Lord will bring them back to Israel, prosper and not harm them, and give them a hope and a future ( Jeremiah 29:8-11). The letter goes on to caution the exiles not to listen to the prophets and diviners around them, and warns them they will be in exile for seventy years. The letter in which this promise is found begins, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 'Build houses and settle ant gardens.take wives for your sons and give your daughters in ek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.'" ( Jeremiah 29:4-7). Likewise, the context of Jeremiah 29:11 reveals that this was a promise given to the Jews taken into exile in Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem in 586 B.C. A quick reading of the context demonstrates that Genesis 13:14-15 was a promise given to Abraham regarding the land of Canaan, and 1 Samuel 10:1 was a promise to Saul, the first king of Israel. In fact, none of the promises above were given to Christians for our lives today. The problem is that this promise wasn't given to you. If you've spent much time with Christians, it's likely you have been encouraged with this promise or even "claimed it" for yourself. What about this verse: "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 a hope and a future." ( Jeremiah 29:11)? Why not? Why don't we claim these verses for ourselves and share them with others as God's promises to them? Why don’t we stitch them on pillows, print them on mugs, and write them in notes of encouragement as God’s promises to our family and friends? Have you dreamed of doing something truly great with your life when suddenly you came across the following verse and received it as God's promise to you: "And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies." ( 1 Samuel 10:1)? All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." ( Genesis 13:14)? Have you ever visited a beautiful country, looked around at the stunning landscape, and claimed this promise from the Lord: "Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.
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