Jeremiah: When God Calls You to Hard ThingsНамуна

Day 4: Life as an Exile: What if It’s Not Over Anytime Soon?

Jerusalem was under siege. The Israelites were in rags, starving and utterly broken. Then, the Babylonians broke through the city’s walls and carried them away into captivity. Jeremiah, however, remained in Jerusalem, and once again, God spoke. This time Jeremiah sent God’s message by letter to the exiles in Babylon. It went something like this:

Be patient. This exile is not going to be over anytime soon. You’ve got a good 70 years here. You ended up in this place for a reason. I warned you that the Babylonians were coming, but you didn’t listen. Now you are in captivity. This trying time is meant for your good—to refine you. Turn away from the distractions and idolatries in your hearts and turn back to me. Don’t give up hope. A day is coming when you will return to your homeland and be restored. This time of exile is meant to serve as a reminder about what happens when you forsake your creator and your covenant with him.

Even in a culture drastically different from theirs, the exiles still had a choice. How would they spend the next 70 years? There were the obvious options: complain, wither away or revolt. Then again, what if they chose to embrace their circumstances? What would it look like to put down roots and live holy, consecrated lives in a society where such extreme acts like child sacrifice barely caused the batting of an eye?

Living as an exile is a vulnerable, difficult life, but it is not without choices. Like the Israelites, we have a choice to trust God. We can complain, go numb, run away or humbly accept our circumstances. As followers of Jesus, we can be assured that God will help us find a way to thrive regardless of our circumstances because thriving comes from the soul. It comes from the power of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us, not from our surroundings, possessions, intellect or societal position.

Choosing to live a holy, purpose-filled life in the face of overwhelming loss is a daring, hopeful act. It sends a message that there is more to life than what we see. It points to the unseen yet present reality of the kingdom of God and the future hope that is to come. And it teaches us that we can thrive, even in our “Babylon.”