Faith in Action
A Living Faith in God
A Sincere Faith
Jeremiah 29:4-9 The Message
4 This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, to all the exiles I’ve taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:5 “Build houses and make yourselves at home.
“Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country.
6 “Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away.
7 “Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.
“Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.”
8-9 Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God: “Don’t let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don’t pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They’re a bunch of liars preaching lies—and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me.” God’s Decree!
For Reflection
Do you sometimes feel as though you are are living in another land? Even though you have built houses and occupied this place, made families, worked and hoped for your country's welfare, do you still feel as though you were a stranger in a strange land?
Well, that's because as an authentic Christian you often find yourself at odds with your environment. As a child of God, you see things differently from those who do not have an intimate relationship with God. That which guides your thought and action is not always consistent with the conventional way of seeing the world and interacting with it.
These passages from Jeremiah remind us that we must continue to participate in this world even though we must also separate ourselves from those thoughts and actions which threaten our relationship with God. In the face of an unforgiving economic, social and governance system, inhospitable people, abounding falsity and a lack of a sense of the common good, an authentic Christian must still find creative ways to pursue justice, offer hospitality, forgive, and participate in the fellowship of a Christian Community.
Well, that's because as an authentic Christian you often find yourself at odds with your environment. As a child of God, you see things differently from those who do not have an intimate relationship with God. That which guides your thought and action is not always consistent with the conventional way of seeing the world and interacting with it.
These passages from Jeremiah remind us that we must continue to participate in this world even though we must also separate ourselves from those thoughts and actions which threaten our relationship with God. In the face of an unforgiving economic, social and governance system, inhospitable people, abounding falsity and a lack of a sense of the common good, an authentic Christian must still find creative ways to pursue justice, offer hospitality, forgive, and participate in the fellowship of a Christian Community.
Pray
Pray often about all things so that you can maintain your intimate relationship with the living God. Pray for the courage to offer an alternate worldview and lifestyle that honors God.Forward to a friend
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