Daily Dose of the Word of God - Jeremiah 29: 4-7

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco  0:10 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Friday, January 24, and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco.  Our scripture today comes from Jeremiah 29:4-7, which includes our key verse for this Sunday. 

Erin Pacheco  0:30 

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, 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.”

Erin Pacheco  1:17 

In the original Hebrew, the word “shalom” — this rich word that means peace and harmony in all kinds of relationships — shows up three times in that last verse. “Seek the shalom of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if the city experiences shalom, you too will experience shalom.”  This is God’s message to Israel in exile, when they’re displaced and disoriented and reeling from the loss of everything they’ve ever known. And this word about peace would have been a shocking one. They would have expected to find shalom back home, in the promised land. Their capital city, Jerusalem, literally means “city of Shalom”. How could they find shalom here, as captives in Babylon?  By settling down. Building houses. Planting gardens. Starting businesses. Getting married. Having kids, and grandkids. Basically, living life to the full in this place, with these neighbors.

Erin Pacheco  2:32 

It reminds me of my husband, Moe. He was born and raised on the west side of Chicago. As a young adult, he was encouraged to leave. “Get out while you can.” But he chose to stay to try to make a difference. And I chose to join him. And over the years, I’ve seen him work hard and sacrifice a lot to invest in our neighborhood. Buying property. Fixing up homes. Starting a church. Hosting beer nights and block parties. And raising his family in the middle of it.  And I’ve seen the impact on our block. Kids playing in the streets, neighbors looking out for neighbors. Little signs of God’s goodness and grace and shalom. Where has God placed you? Maybe you’re there by choice, or maybe by factors beyond your control. But how might you consciously choose to settle in and seek the shalom of that place?

Erin Pacheco 3:39  

Let’s pray. God, we are all exiles in some way as we wait for you to return and bring us home. Help us to be content with wherever you have placed us, and show us ways to seek the wellbeing of the people around us – through our actions, our words, and our prayers. May your kingdom come, in us and through us. Amen.