Kingdom Minded In Babylon

 "So the Lord gave to Israel all the land He had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled. Everything He spoke came true." Joshua 21:43-45

God promised the land to the people, but it took a long time for that promise to be fulfilled. I've always focused on the disobedience aspect leading to the Israelites consequences, but the study notes in my Bible pointed out "Israels problems arose only when they committed acts of sin against God or failed to act courageously in faith " 

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline." 

I've had thoughts pop up like "Easy for them. God literally told them how it would go and what to do for their exact situation." The Bible does give me verses like 2 Timothy 1:7 reminding me fear and timidity aren't from God. 

“This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬-‭14‬ ‭

In verse 10, God lets them know they will be in Babylon for 70 years but promised to come for them, do all He promised and bring them home again. But it was verses 12&13 that really stuck out to me. "in those days when you pray, I will listen. if you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. " 

I'm sure their prayers matched how I feel during long seasons of waiting. God heard their prayers for deliverance. He listened. "v14 " I will be found by you, "says the Lord. I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." 

During those years of more than likely impatient prayers at times, God listened until it was time to deliver them from captivity just as He promised. God keeps His promises even if it takes 40 years in the wilderness, or 70 years captive in a foreign nation.  He listens to us, and we are reminded in Romans that we have a helper when we pray.

 "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us in groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with Gods will." Romans 8:26-27

The Spirit pleads for us in harmony with Gods will. That's encouraging.  If I'm praying "Father please provide a miracle and send me home." but the Spirit and the Father know I've got 70 years in Babylon left, the spirit can step in and plead for me by saying to the Father, "What he really is asking for is encouragement and strength because he doesn't know he's stuck for 70 more years".

"I will be found by you, says the Lord." 

God is there. Listening to our prayers. We may just have a waiting season that He doesn't share the timeline on. We have to trust Him anyway and lean on His promises. God has proven to deliver on every single one. Some just take a while according to our human perspective. We have so much more to look forward to in eternity even if we never receive anything else good in our lifetime. What Jesus did on the cross to redeem us should be enough. The battle is won. Some victories we won't see this side of glory. Some we will. Trust God with your tragedy. It can be used to lead others to salvation. I heard a challenge on WayFM a week or so ago that's thought provoking:

"If every single one of your current prayers were answered right now, how many people would go to heaven?" 

This reminded me that I can be guilty of selfish prayer sessions. This question helps shift me back to an eternity mindset that it’s important we don’t take our focus off of. Time is limited. Jesus is coming back. 

Father, thank you for this day and the word You have shared with me today. Please take my jumbled thoughts and use it to touch whoever reads it so they can find encouragement. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that pleads on my behalf when I pray. Thank You that whatever trials we face, You will one day lead us out of them into something good. I know You take what's meant for evil and use it for good. I pray that You use my story to touch someone's life that needs to see You move. Father, the past 18 months in prison, anyone following my story would have to be blind not to see Your hand at work in my life. Thank You for all that You have done to show others that You can and will provide, protect, and comfort in the midst of life's hardest moments. Father, I pray that You would encourage whoever this word was meant for, and give then the grace to use their hardship to lead others to salvation or if they are lost I pray their hardship leads to a personal relationship with You. nothing we go through is wasted pain if our suffering reaches just one and saves them from an eternity separated from You. I pray that anyone lost I come into contact with would be led to You by the way I live and share what You have done in my life. I love You, praise You, and thank You. In Jesus name, amen.