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 live 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 sent by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles who had been forcibly removed from Jerusalem and taken to Babylon. The people were displaced and distressed, hoping for a swift return to their homeland, and Jeremiah’s words were meant to redirect their expectations and guide their lives in a foreign land.
What does it mean to seek the well-being of a place you didn't choose, and how might that shape your own hope?