Jeremiah 29:4-7
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished. Seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom.’”
This message is from the prophet Jeremiah to the first group of Judahite exiles taken to Babylon in the early 6th century BCE. They had been forcibly removed from their homeland and likely yearned for a swift return, but Jeremiah tells them to settle in for the long haul.
What small, concrete step can you take today to invest in the unexpected place you find yourself?