In Exile: Do Not Fear

Almost six hundred years before the time of Jesus, his people, the Israelites, were in crisis. Their capital, Jerusalem, and the surrounding region, Judea, were destroyed and occupied by the invading force of Babylon. Many had been injured, killed, made homeless, and the rest forced into exile from their homeland. Could the people of God survive?

Into this crisis a prophet named Jeremiah spoke-up on behalf of God. Jeremiah offered words of encouragement to the exiles. With the movement away from faith and religious affiliation in our time, plus the violence that disrupts life in places near and far, along with our own personal challenges, we may be feeling like exiles too.

This series of articles seeks to offer you some encouragement by tapping into this ancient wisdom. In the last article we were encouraged to trust God’s promise of ultimate restoration.

In this article we turn to Jeremiah 30:10, where we find one of the most common commands of God for God’s people: Have no fear…and do not be dismayed. Adversity can rob us of courage and joy. It is so easy in suffering to feel alone, afraid, and distraught. We have all been there and it is important to honestly acknowledge those feelings but we do not want to stay in those emotions. That is where faith is so valuable! To remember that the God who created the universe is also with and cares about us. God’s power of love overcomes all. With that in mind we can discover encouragement and hope even in the midst of adversity. That’s good news for beginning a new year!

Blessings in 2023,

Marc