Jeremiah 29:1-7
And pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. – Jeremiah 29:7
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Most of us hope for a smooth life, a stable country, and a strong economy. But have you ever thought about this, when things don’t go well, God still calls us to live according to His will?
In Jeremiah 29, the people of Israel had been taken away to Babylon. They were far from home, forced to live in a foreign land, stripped of many things. But surprisingly, God didn’t tell them to fight back, to escape, or to give up. Instead, through the prophet Jeremiah, He told them to pray for the land they were exiled to.
God said through Jeremiah: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
Jeremiah told them: build houses, marry, have children, plant crops, go to work… Not because they belonged to Babylon, but because they belonged to God, and they were meant to be channels of His blessing.
To the Israelites, this probably wasn’t what they expected. They were hoping God would rescue them quickly from Babylon, just like He once rescued them from Egypt. Some thought that victory of faith meant God would turn things around immediately — bring them back to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, and restore their former glory.
But Jeremiah’s message wasn’t a message of compromise. It was a message of real victory of faith. Because real faith means trusting God’s plan, submitting to His timing, and still living faithfully even in difficult situations. That’s where the power of faith really shines.
We may not be exiles like the Israelites, but we’re also temporary residents. 1 Peter 2:11 calls us “sojourners and exiles,” reminding us that our time in this world is short. The country we live in — whether Singapore, Malaysia, or anywhere else — is not our final home. But it’s exactly because we belong to God’s kingdom, that we should live differently from the world. Not by running away from reality, but by bringing hope, love, and peace to the nation, the city, and the people around us.
If this passage was only telling us to be good citizens, it would just be a moral lesson. But the gospel gives us something more.
Jesus Himself came into this world like an exile — leaving heaven to live in a broken world. He gave His life for our sins, so that we who were truly enslaved by sin and death could be set free. So now, we pray for our country and seek its good, not because everything is right, or because we agree with every policy, but because we ourselves have received God’s grace.
Because Jesus died and rose for us, we now have the power to let go of selfishness, pray for others, serve society, and seek the peace of our city.
Maybe we can’t change the whole nation. But we can bring more gentleness into our families, more love into our church, and more integrity into our workplaces. These small acts can become seeds of blessing.
Brothers and sisters, are we passively waiting for the Kingdom of God to come, or are we actively partnering with God to bring the Kingdom into our land?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for placing us in this time and in this nation. We love Your heavenly Kingdom, and we also love this earthly one. Even though this world is not perfect, You know our struggles, our weariness, and even our frustrations with the imperfections of this society. But You did not call us to escape. You called us to pray for our city and to seek its peace.
Lord, may Your Word renew our hearts. Help us live as citizens of Your Kingdom in our families, churches, and workplaces. Let our transformed lives become a blessing to this society. May Your Kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Click to read
Most of us hope for a smooth life, a stable country, and a strong economy. But have you ever thought about this, when things don’t go well, God still calls us to live according to His will?
In Jeremiah 29, the people of Israel had been taken away to Babylon. They were far from home, forced to live in a foreign land, stripped of many things. But surprisingly, God didn’t tell them to fight back, to escape, or to give up. Instead, through the prophet Jeremiah, He told them to pray for the land they were exiled to.
God said through Jeremiah: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
Jeremiah told them: build houses, marry, have children, plant crops, go to work… Not because they belonged to Babylon, but because they belonged to God, and they were meant to be channels of His blessing.
To the Israelites, this probably wasn’t what they expected. They were hoping God would rescue them quickly from Babylon, just like He once rescued them from Egypt. Some thought that victory of faith meant God would turn things around immediately — bring them back to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, and restore their former glory.
But Jeremiah’s message wasn’t a message of compromise. It was a message of real victory of faith. Because real faith means trusting God’s plan, submitting to His timing, and still living faithfully even in difficult situations. That’s where the power of faith really shines.
We may not be exiles like the Israelites, but we’re also temporary residents. 1 Peter 2:11 calls us “sojourners and exiles,” reminding us that our time in this world is short. The country we live in — whether Singapore, Malaysia, or anywhere else — is not our final home. But it’s exactly because we belong to God’s kingdom, that we should live differently from the world. Not by running away from reality, but by bringing hope, love, and peace to the nation, the city, and the people around us.
If this passage was only telling us to be good citizens, it would just be a moral lesson. But the gospel gives us something more.
Jesus Himself came into this world like an exile — leaving heaven to live in a broken world. He gave His life for our sins, so that we who were truly enslaved by sin and death could be set free. So now, we pray for our country and seek its good, not because everything is right, or because we agree with every policy, but because we ourselves have received God’s grace.
Because Jesus died and rose for us, we now have the power to let go of selfishness, pray for others, serve society, and seek the peace of our city.
Maybe we can’t change the whole nation. But we can bring more gentleness into our families, more love into our church, and more integrity into our workplaces. These small acts can become seeds of blessing.
Brothers and sisters, are we passively waiting for the Kingdom of God to come, or are we actively partnering with God to bring the Kingdom into our land?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for placing us in this time and in this nation. We love Your heavenly Kingdom, and we also love this earthly one. Even though this world is not perfect, You know our struggles, our weariness, and even our frustrations with the imperfections of this society. But You did not call us to escape. You called us to pray for our city and to seek its peace.
Lord, may Your Word renew our hearts. Help us live as citizens of Your Kingdom in our families, churches, and workplaces. Let our transformed lives become a blessing to this society. May Your Kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.