Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
In the Corinthians chapter 7, the Bible says whatever state we are in when we come to follow Jesus is where we should stay in that moment. For example, scripture says if we are slaves when called to follow Jesus, we remain a slave until the opportunity arises to be free. We are to pray and wait until God through circumstances changes our circumstances through His power and love rather than our impulses. Proverbs says that those who are hasty will end up in poverty. The word hasty implies to those who are impulsive to the demands of their flesh.
Whatever season you are in and whatever mood you are in, even if you are offended or discouraged, the Bible warns us not to dwindle away but to multiply! Although, the book of Jeremiah, on the surface, speaks about their population numbers, the spiritual implication is to still increase in all our Godly duties.
Even if you may be offended at your pastors, your boss, your parents, your spouse, the secular government, the racist or biased police officers, or the person of authority who mistreated you, YOU are to pray for the goodness of their welfare and how you pray or desire for them will be a boomerang to your welfare. Therefore, your condition may show us the condition you want others to be.
Such characteristic shows that YOU are the true children of God if you pray for the goodness of others.
Pastor Steve Kim