Prospering in captivity...
In Jeremiah 29, there is a very familiar passage which says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (29:11). Many of us quote this verse without looking at the context of the entire chapter of what Israel was facing at that time. The Jews were in captivity in Babylon. Not only was God telling Israel that He was giving them a future, He was telling them that He was giving them a future filled with great hope. Israel was to be a model of the people of God in captivity. A model for us throughout the ages to learn from.
There are two ways we can look at the future: with apprehension or anticipation. When we face the future with apprehension, it is because we are dominated by fear. When we face the future with anticipation, it is because we have been empowered by faith.
God had to tell Israel that He was giving them a future, something that they could look forward to which was not in the far distance. He was speaking into the context of where they were at—in captivity in the Babylonian empire, in a society that was diametrically opposed to what they believed in. Bight in the middle of their captivity, God said to them, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you. I am going to do you good, not evil. I'm going to give you a future. I'm going to give you hope."
Too often, we think we need to escape Babylon in order for God to work in us, but that is not true. God will work and demonstrate His power, wisdom and purposes in us in spite of our environment. The more important thing is what God is doing in the society through His people. We may be in captivity, in a culture that is anti-God, and still thrive and flourish.So why should we sit around, cry, feel isolated and hopeless? We don't have to wait for the rapture to happen because today, we can experience the dynamic presence of God. This is where God is needed the most—in our contemporary society and culture. Not in the future, not in the past, but right here right now.
A portion taken from Harvest Time, Christ and Culture by Dr A R Bernard. (http://www.chc.org.sg/harvesttimes/ht_29/ht_29_03a.asp)
