Sacred Response
“Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my own soul.” Imam al-Ghazali
There is an encouraging verse in the book of Jeremiah that appears on Christian paraphernalia “… I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,” it starts out. “plans for hope and a future.” What a wonderful promise to grab hold of, to live life by. It was a declaration made to Israel in their captivity in Babylon, and it is a great promise for any believer to grab hold of as their own. However, as we do with much of scripture, we do not read it in its full context and miss an important part of the promise.
Israel was in captivity in Babylon because of their breaking of the covenant with Yahweh. In the time of these written words, false prophetic promises were being given to Israel about their captivity ending soon, which it would not, only leading to defeat and hope deferred. Jeremiah’s words call for focus not on getting out of a particular situation but on a specific call to live like believers in Yahweh right there in Babylon. He commanded them to plant roots, raise families, and work for the welfare of their surroundings…for God had a plan for their future.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile..” Jeremiah 29:10-14
Even though Israel found herself in captivity to a kingdom of darkness, God would use her where she was. He was commanding an obedient people to live a life where they were. He would prosper her to the benefit of her surroundings, and in His timing, He would bring her into new freedom. The New International Commentary of the Old Testament described it like this “Yahweh could not dispense the blessings of the covenant to the rebellious. Obedience, loyalty, and fellowship were fundamental.”
Jeremiah is penning Yahweh’s words of promise for Israel’s hope and future with an explicit invitation for Israel to take a step in His direction. His desire is for a covenantal relationship with the nation and that Yahweh be priority in their life by seeking, hearing, and calling out in prayer. Her captivity in darkness would not thwart the Kingdom of God pursuing Israel’s heart, just as darkness cannot stop Jesus from pursuing ours. However, it requires a choice of will. Jeremiah speaks Yahweh’s words, when you seek me with ALL YOUR HEART, again from the NICOT, “The force of with all your heart is hardly to be captured by a reference to the emotions. It has rather the sense of ‘with all your will and your energy.”
Like Israel, we find ourselves in places we do not want to be. Maybe by our own hand or by choices made for us. No matter the road by which you arrived, God has a plan and a path forward. It says plans for hope and a future, for peace and prosperity, but it comes to those who learn to live for Him amid their captivity. It is about relationship and covenant with a Holy God and that is far more important than instant answers to desperate prayers. Finding our footing on a faith that God is good and His promises are trustworthy means that we need to put our will and energy into responding to Him more than reacting to our circumstances.
When I was growing up, we would get invitations in the mail to parties, weddings graduations and there was usually an R.S.V.P card or number enclosed. RSVP is French for répondez s’il vous plaît. We joked at our house that it stood for Respond So Very Promptly. No matter what the acronym stands for it signaled a need for a response from the receiving individual.
Today, people neglect to RSVP.
When my daughter got married and the date of letting the caterer know how many mouths to feed was closing in there was a rather large number of individuals who had not honored us with their response, forcing us to contact them a second time. It was most annoying that so many refused to take two seconds out of their day to mail back the “self-addressed stamped” envelope that we had provided. An extended invitation deserves a response.
When you tend to the scriptures, you see the outstretched hand of God extended to humanity over time and history, in word and deed. Invitations for a relationship from a Holy God to a messy people. We are called to respond. Yet our response is not a moment in time, but a relational journey.
The response is yours.
répondez s’il vous plaît