Jeremiah 29:7 — Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Bloom where you are planted?” Although this is not a biblical statement, this principle is reflected in God’s advice to His people living in Babylonian exile. The Lord had already told them that their captivity would last for seventy years, and He was not going back on His word. Therefore, the people should learn how to live and bloom for God in their new circumstances.
God told His people to pray for the leaders of their new home away from home, and pray for their captors to be blessed since that blessing would also affect their own well-being. Instead of hating their situation and living miserably in regret, God’s people could repent of their past ways and start living according to God’s word again and be blessed by their obedience.
Sometimes when we fail, we wallow in our failure and condemn ourselves. We punish ourselves for making bad choices that have led us to undesirable consequences. We focus on our failure and our sin and try to make ourselves pay for sins, but Jesus has already done that! Jesus does not want us wasting any more time and energy on our sin than we already have. We have already wasted time sinning, and now the devil has us wasting even more time contemplating our sins instead of living and blooming in the Spirit!
Maybe someone has done something with long-term consequences. Perhaps he has ended up in prison. Perhaps she has ended up with a child being born out of wedlock. What now? Is life over? No. Jesus makes all things new. He brings life out of death.
Jesus is the redeemer who restores and reconciles, and He will meet you and go forward with you no matter where you are when you have fallen. Grace says, “Go and sin no more.” Get up, grow, and bloom after you stumble and fall. Don’t stop living for God because your life is not perfect. Just keep following Jesus.
01/08/2025 Devotional
"People should learn how to live and bloom for God in their new circumstances."
"Jesus is the redeemer who restores and reconciles, and He will meet you and go forward with you no matter where you are when you have fallen. Grace says, “Go and sin no more.” Get up, grow, and bloom after you stumble and fall. Don’t stop living for God because your life is not perfect. Just keep following Jesus."
"Yes, I will do it."
01/08/2025 묵상
"사람들은 새로운 환경에서 하나님을 위해 살고 꽃피우는 법을 배워야 합니다."
"예수님은 회복하고 화해시키는 구원자이시며, 당신이 넘어졌을 때 어디에 있든 당신을 만나 함께 나아갈 것입니다. 주님은 "가서 다시는 죄를 짓지 말라"고 말씀하십니다. 넘어지고 넘어진 후에 일어나서 성장하고 꽃피우십시오. 당신의…