Day 119

Today I read Jeremiah chapter 29. It was an interesting chapter. Jeremiah told the Jews that they needed to prepare to be held in captivity for the next 70 years. 70 years! The Lord knew this would happen and was telling the people to prepare for it. I can't imagine being told that I would be under someone else for that long. What would I do? How would I find the good in that? Luckily the Lord continued to give them advice on how to be happy and ok during those years.

5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant ^agardens, and eat the fruit of them;

6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

7 And seek the ^apeace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

10 ¶For thus saith the Lord, That after ^aseventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and ^bperform my good word toward you, in causing you to ^creturn to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected ^aend.

12 Then shall ye ^acall upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will ^bhearken unto you.

13 And ye shall ^aseek me, and find me, when ye shall ^bsearch for me with all your ^cheart.

14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will ^agather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

I love how Heavenly Father promises them that he will rescue them. And he has promised us the same thing. Are we not, in a way, in captivity right now? We are in this world with temptations and heartache all the time. But he has promised that if we continue to pray to him and love him and trust him, he will rescue us, and we will be able to be with him again.