“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up.” – Jeremiah 24:5-6
A terrible disaster had fallen upon Israel. Countless thousands had been forcibly taken away into exile in far off Babylon. They would never see their homeland again. They would never again celebrate the mandatory festivals in Jerusalem. They couldn’t worship in the Temple. They certainly had to have believed that God’s wrath was upon them. But they were wrong!
Those taken into exile were the ones with a spiritual future. They were the ones who would be loved and blessed by the Lord. God was going to use their time away to break their addiction to idolatry. He would use their exile to re-build them as people faithful to His covenant and covered by His love. They had a bright future and a strong hope in the Lord. It was those left behind in Jerusalem who were actually under God’s wrath. They would soon suffer the terrible consequences of their sinful lives and spiritual rot. There would be no renewal or restoration for them as their sin was complete and God’s judgment was coming.
Please, please, please remember this! Especially when false teachers lie and claim that a follower of Jesus should never suffer, never experience sickness, loss, or defeat. Never be persecuted. The truth is that God blesses and disciplines those He loves. He uses the hard seasons of earthly life to shape His people for eternal blessings. God will absolutely put you into a place of exile if it lets Him lavish more blessing upon you! He will certainly use the trials of life in a fallen world to invite you to come closer to Him and experience Him more deeply.
Comfort at home isn’t necessarily a blessing and exile on earth isn’t necessarily a curse. Just #FollowJesus