Anchor Devotional

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Life in Exile

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7

I teach and am a principal at a Christian school in Kansas. Every year we take a group of students to Washington, D.C. to explore the nation’s capital and learn more about the believer’s role in society. Jeremiah 29:7 is foundational for this trip. In this passage, Jeremiah is writing to the Jewish people who are living in exile in Babylon, and his advice to them is timeless.

Do you want to prosper where God has planted you? If so, then you should consider in what ways you can be a blessing to those around you. How will you contribute to the society where you live in such a way that it reflects the goodness of God? One of my student’s correctly pointed out that it starts with prayer for your city. Prayer orients our hearts towards the welfare of others and motivates us to action.

As Christians with citizenship in an earthly nation, we must remember that this isn’t our true home. The New Testament even goes so far as to say we are “foreigners and exiles” this side of heaven. As an exile, how do you seek the welfare of your city?

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Jeremiah 29:4-7; 1 Peter 2:9-16

INSIGHT
God, please help our authorities to lead our cities for the good of all. Help me to seek the welfare of our city, too. Amen

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 23-25
Psalm 54
Luke 17

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