Peace and Prosperity

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

Jeremiah 29:7 has me stumped! I love the verse for its sentiment and I’ve shared it before to encourage us to accept this fallen world for what it is—a place of exile. Our true home is heaven and earth is the place we travel to get there.

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

My place of exile is the United States of America, specifically New Jersey. Jeremiah counsels exiles to make themselves at home in their foreign land and to pray for the place they live. The blessing in doing so is that as our country prospers, we will prosper.

But how do I pray? What words do I use? I look to Jeremiah for guidance and pray for the peace and prosperity of America and our greater area of exile, the world.

If lawn signs are any indication, I see an increasing number that ask passersby to pray for peace. Again, how does this translate? The warring factions in Africa, gangs in South America, and Middle eastern terrorist organizations seem obvious, but while I’m praying for the peace of Jerusalem, my neighbor is praying for Palestine. And which fractious political candidate will advance peace in our country, and at what price?

I pray for God’s peace and presence in whichever crisis brings me to my knees. Lord, may your name and reality be known and honored. May the people of every nation experience the inner peace and satisfied heart you alone give. Let the world come to know your love.

And prosperity? In America, renowned to be the most prosperous country? Lord, bless our land with prosperity for all—the farmers, the miners, the construction workers, the developers of housing and technology, the families on welfare, the unemployed, the business that provide jobs, manufacturers, preachers, teachers. May we prosper in truth, expose dark plans and ideologies, and love the people you created in your image.

I’m still looking for clarity and would love to hear your thoughts about this. Thank you for allowing me to ramble and work through this dilemma with you!

Image provided by Pixabay

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart

Who’s in Charge?

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

No Fear Here, 4

Iran threatens, Israel prepares, Hamas attacks, Russia boasts, Ukraine defends, African unrest intensifies, politics inflames, crime rises, finances shrivel, storms flood, fires burn. Our world is unsafe.

It seems that evil has the upper hand. King David knew how that felt—he was hunted, slandered, and threatened. But according to him, nations can be glad and even joyful when they know and honor God. In Psalm 67:4 David professed that his faith was superior to the unrest that threatened him:

“You rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.”

God is in charge. A nation’s ignorance of His dominion doesn’t alter God’s power or jurisdiction.

At the end of the chapter David reveals the key to his peace in the midst of unrest. When we praise God, He blesses us and all the entire earth will recognize Him.

We must lift our sights above earth’s distresses and turmoil and let our attitude reflect our faith. If we confess Creator God is sovereign over all He made and the affairs of mankind, and praise him in this furnace of many afflictions, He will bless us. Friends, let’s start living out that truth and leave fear behind.

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart

Laugh and Sing

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Our world seems full of mockers and liars, those who deceive for personal gain and seek to hurt those who disagree with them. No, I’m not writing about politics, though I hear echoes of empathy from both sides of our fractured nation.

Whether the lies and exaggerations we hear are personal or political and, regardless of any awareness they are being used as pawns, there is a liar of epic proportions who stands against truth—the Bible calls him the Father of Lies. He is diabolically opposed to the One who is True and speaks truth. Think about the trigger words we hear daily.

  • From current headlines: antitrust lawsuit, pro-abortion ballot, Hezbollah targets, rocket attacks, extreme liberals and crazy conservatives, threats of recession, Putin meets with Iran, advocates to enable children to change sexual preference without parental knowledge, WW3…
  • Add natural disasters to the list: earthquakes, flooding, cyclones, wildfires, hurricanes…
  • Consider your tension when these locations are mentioned: Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Israel, Iran, Russia, China, Haiti, the U.S. southern border…

Each of these lists is only partial and raises questions concerning what our part is in any of this and a bigger question—what is God’s part?

Our blood pressure may rise but God’s doesn’t. From the onset, He sees the conclusion of each event and the final stage of history.

Psalm 59 showed me two things about crises this week.

  1. The first I’ve written about before but it bears repeating. God sees the conflict of nations, the fighting and aggression. He sees the wars waged against truth and the undercurrent of doubt in His goodness or sovereignty. But He knows all and is confident in the end result. Truth will be honored, and He will be glorified, and every knee will bow before Him. When He sees the raging nations, He laughs (verse 8). He scoffs at the nations exhibiting their self-importance and greed.
  2. God’s response is to laugh. Verse 16 advises our response—sing. Sing not because we are naïve but because we are informed. We know God is reliable. We know He will be a refuge for us and is our fortress and strength, whatever battles come our way, nationally or personally.

I am convinced the only way we will survive and thrive in the times we are living through is to see the threats around us through the lens of faith. Our vision will only be clear when we embrace the truth found in the Bible. When it is our daily intake we will be nourished and strong.

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart