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 passage comes from a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who had been exiled from their homeland in Judah to Babylon. They were living in a foreign land after a devastating defeat, and many hoped for a quick return, but Jeremiah advises them to settle in for the long haul.
How might seeking the well-being of a place you find difficult or foreign also contribute to your own well-being?