Conditioning

Jer.29: ⁷ “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

As if the conditions were not tough and confusing enough, God was demanding that they should be nice? These people had captured them and made them slaves.

And God allowed it and now He was saying, be nice and pray for these same captors. How is that even possible? Sometimes, you find yourself in an unplanned situation or among people that are not your preference. But even in that, God is saying, pray for the people around you. Do not get into the habit of always condemning and complaining because their own prosperity and peace is going to affect your prosperity and peace.

In Jer.29:⁵ God had told them, “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. ⁶ Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!” It would be terribly inconvenient to multiply in a hostile environment. It would be extremely difficult to plant and thrive in a hostile environment. If they were going to obey this instruction to multiply, then they needed to develop a heart of love, a heart of forgiveness, a heart of endurance, a heart that is able to wish their captors well while they wait for God’s deliverance. Then the environment will be more conducive for multiplying. We need to learn that whatever the situation or circumstance, wherever we find ourselves, the key is to endure. Pray and rely on God’s strength as you build your character and God will show forth His glory in you.

The next thing God warned them about was in Jer.29:⁸ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, ⁹ because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord” The false prophets would have told them the set time would not really be seventy years. Just pray for breakthrough. Do not mix; do not marry these sinful people. This would have been totally contrary to God’s Word for them. This would have caused discouragement but God helped them.

Prayer: Father, I pray that all will be well with Nigeria; that her walls will be called salvation and her courts praise, in Jesus Name. Amen!