For this is what the Lord has said: When seventy years are ended for Babylon,
I will have pity on you and give effect to My good purpose for you,
causing you to come back to this place.
For I am conscious of My thoughts about you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end.
Jeremiah 29:10-11 BBE
Hope (here in this passage) refers to something to look forward to, or to anticipate, usually with pleasure. God was telling His people of when they would go into exile; they would have a hope of coming home.
God did not want to send His people into exile. He wanted them to listen to the warnings of Jeremiah before He punished His people. The people just scoffed at Jeremiah, choosing to ignore God’s warnings. Thinking, “Here is Jeremiah again; saying bad things are going to happen to us!” Scripture tells us of Jeremiah’s frustration at being treated lightly by those listening.
Daniel, who was one of those who were taken into exile in Babylon.
In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, saw clearly from the books the number of years
given by the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah,
in which the making waste of Jerusalem was to be complete, that is, seventy years.
Daniel 9:2 BBE
Daniel was a man after God’s own heart. He immediately began praying, asking forgiveness of sins for himself and for those of God’s people. Daniel was in reverent awe of God’s mercy, grace, and righteousness toward them. Daniel’s prayer is an example of intercessory prayer. We should all strive to do this, and most of us moms do pray and intercede regularly for our children and our family. Our hope is in God’s mercy and forgiveness. We have to be willing for God to use us where needed. He will use our willingness to serve to give hope to those who have no hope.
Often, when we feel we are not worthy, that is when God will use us. When we are empty of ourselves is when God can fill us with His hope and joy until it overflows and effects others around us. When we are free of ourselves is when He can work mightily through us.
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Father, thank You for telling us of how You loved Your people so much that You would send them to exile in a foreign nation…only to bring a remnant back to rebuild Your holy city. You have shown the great hope you have for Your people and how You continue to give us opportunities to shine and be a light for You. Forgive us for being prideful and thinking we can do everything ourselves without Your help. You are our Strength, our Shield, and our Hope in this crazy, mixed-up world. Thank You for Your love is all things. In Jesus’ name, amen!
