Photo by Kaley Dykstra on Unsplash
Chains. What words come to mind when you think about them? Heavy. Binding. Gripping. Prisoner. Captive. What about sin? Doesn’t sin captivate us and hold our attention by its apparent beauty and enchantment? Is there any hope of being free from the bondage of our sin? Sometimes it might feel as if there is no way out from under the weight, but there is hope. One of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 29:10-14a, holds the answer.
Field Trips
God was serious when He instructed the Israelites (and us) to have no other gods before Him and to love and serve Him only. He will even allow us to be taken into captivity or allow us to experience a trial that might be a natural consequence of our sin if that is what it takes for us to believe His Word. I call this going on a field trip. I have learned the hard way that I would rather listen and learn (from His Word or from others’ experiences) before going on the field trip to learn the lesson for myself!
The Israelites were known for their ability to get themselves in the middle of a field trip experience. They wandered in the desert for 40 years instead of going directly into the promised land after leaving Egypt for their lack of belief and trust (Numbers 14) . Once they were settled, God’s people fell head long into worshiping and sacrificing to other gods. Ignoring the warnings of the prophets, the people of Judah found themselves serving 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Sin lead the Israelites down a path to God’s judgement and into exile.
Words of Hope in Captivity
Even though the Lord allowed this, He sent loving words of hope and promise for them to cling to as they experienced their captivity:
“This is what the Lord says, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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 29:10-11).
But Wait, There’s More
We quote verse 11 all the time. It is a comfort to hear these words from the Lord when we find ourselves struggling through a trial. The context makes the promise even richer. The next verses contain another beautiful promise that we often miss because we tend to stop at the end of verse 11.
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a).
Promises in Spite of Captivity
Even in the midst of the consequences of our sin, God promises to listen to us and be found when we turn back to Him. These words drip with overflowing love! Our Father longs for us to seek Him so that He can give us His best and free us from the chains of sin. When we call on Him, pray to Him, and seek Him with all our hearts, He promises these beautiful things:
- He will listen to you
- He will be found by you
- And will bring you back from captivity
The God of all creation knows you by name and knows the intimate details of your life. He loves you and keeps every promise.
What’s Your Personal Babylon?
This applies to us even today. What sin are we holding on to and place before God in our lives? What is holding us captive in our personal Babylon? God will do what it takes to tear down those idols in our lives because we are so valuable to Him. He wants an unhindered relationship with each one of us and loves us too much to allow us to continue on the path of bondage that leads to destruction.
Ask Him today what is holding you captive and to show you how to eliminate it. He will reveal it to you if you ask Him and seek Him. He promises to be found by you. Don’t wait to be sent on the field trip! It will definitely be an educational experience, but it will not be a fun one!
Be blessed.