For I know the thoughts that I think toward You, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29: 11, NKJV
Gracious God, how it warms our heart to know that we can trust You and depend on You to bring Your plans for our lives to past, regardless of the circumstances. In Christ’s name; Amen
This is our third day on this promise, and I am just loving the messages the Lord is sending us as we look at this promise from different perspectives! Seventy years in captivity is a mighty long time. We could argue that it is just a drop in the bucket when compared to the more than four hundred years the Israelites spent in Egypt, as slaves. Remember, during the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites were not being “oppressed” as long as they did what the Lord told them: Do not resist the captivity. You are here for the long haul, so make the best of it.
What I am beginning to understand about being in “captivity,” (living through situations that we were not hoping for; that we would not, at first glance, have chosen for ourselves; circumstances that are downright uncomfortable, and sometimes, even oppressive) is that there is a reason for every captivity. Sometimes our bad choices, or our rebellion (sin), brings it upon us (Samson). At other times our captivity comes as a result of other people’s conniving (Joseph’s brothers). Still at other times, God may allow the enemy to afflict us (Job). Perhaps the greatest lesson I am learning in all of this is that God never loses control, no matter what kind of captivity we are in, or who, or what caused it. Wonderful Savior!
When we are in captivity, I believe it is a good idea to stop and ask God what we may have done to bring it upon ourselves. If we are convinced that we had a part to play, we can go to God, confess our wrong, and receive forgiveness and help to come out of our captivity. We can rest assured that God will never leave us in our captivity longer than we need to be there.
It is not evident how long Bartimaeus had been blind. What is evident, is that when his captivity came to an end, he knew it. The Bible tells us that when they told him that Jesus was calling him, “…he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus” (Mark 10: 50) Whatever that garment represented to him while in captivity, even before he received his sight, he just knew that he would not be needing it any longer, once he went to Jesus! Hallelujah!
When the woman at the well had her eyes opened, and recognized the “Gift of God” who was offering her “living water,” (John 4: 10), she “left her waterpot, and went her way into the city” (28). She did not need it any longer, she knew she would never be going to the well at noon again; maybe she would never need her waterpot ever again. Her captivity was ended. She had met the One who just had to be “the Christ” (29)!
When the woman who had the flow of blood for twelve years met Jesus, and was finally able to reach out and touch Him, she did it with every ounce of faith that she possessed. With that touch she knew that her captivity had come ito its end! She would never be shunned, or looked upon, as unclean again. The One who had created her in the beginning, had just given her a new lease on life. He had called her “daughter”!
A key element in coming out of captivity is recognizing the seasons. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1). May God teach us to recognize the seasons.