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Hope In Exile

"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 hope and a future."*

It is an amazing verse, and in context it is to the exiles of the children of Israel who had been brought into captivity, who had remained in Babylon. They had been disciplined, Jeremiah writes but God would not let harm come to them, he had plans for them, to prosper them, to give them hope and a future. Though in captivity and exile the children prospered in a spiritual way and the scribes were writing down the scriptures. One can imagine what the people thought, God's wrath poured out against them, but in captivity Jeremiah sends a message, "the exile will be long. So build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce." Remember in the exile, God has not forsaken you, He has a plan for you, to give hope and a future. 

... the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early, but the other basket contained very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.*

God told Jeremiah those brought into exile were the good fruit, those left were regarded as bad fruit. In this we see a purpose of God, in exile was discipline for God's children but also a separation, the good from the bad. As the scriptures say God disciplines those he loves, the bad as branches are torn off, gathered into a fire and burned. In the new covenant Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a separation of the good fish from the bad, the wheat from the tare.* This will come at the end of ages, when the wicked will be separated from the righteous.*

And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.*

The wicked prosper today, an earthly prospering, but in the end the evil will be separated from the good. This separation is not based upon works but upon faith, whether they believed in and have received righteousness in Christ. The big picture today, as God's children, is that we are exiles here on earth, this is not our home, we are in Babylon. God has a plan for those He loves and while he can bless us with earthly things in Babylon, he desires to give out treasures from the kingdom of heaven. As Paul, I call these spiritual blessings so to distinguish them from the things we might receive here from the garden of Babylon.

Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with none to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.*

The elderly in this country are robbed every day, scams we call them, who seeks justice for them? The media operates in "gray" areas, half truths and outright lies just to sway politics or to get attention, so people will read their articles. "You will not believe this..." the headlines say to draw you in but do not be deceived by such trickery. Online deceptive ads that mimic download buttons, all to trick you to click on their buttons so they get a few cents...The presumption of innocence is being thrown out the window. Also great time and expense is spent on destroying a famous person, but who seeks justice for the widow and the orphan? Dear children this is not our home, let us be like a soldier who doesn't get involved in politics, like an Ambassador who spreads good news from his home land, a minister of peace and of reconciliation. Remember in exile, God has a plan, to give hope and a future. 

In him also obtaining inheritance, prepared beforehand according to the plan of that his will, to the extent that who have hope in Christ exist for the praise of his glory.*

The big picture of why we are left in exile, we are his workmanship prepared beforehand, being transformed from glory to glory, and this is the praise of His glory, that we exist like Christ, and we have this hope that God has a plan. Surely our devotion comes in that he is ever faithful. He has given us everything we need for Life and godliness, working out all things for our good, let us just ask and we will become. Truly, we are his workmanship. Earthly treasures are vanity, as Solomon said, it is all meaningless. Yes, remember child in exile God is for you, he has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Worthy are you Lord. Your praise will ever be on my lips.

Ever Be

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