The Letter from God – Jeremiah 29 The End of the World (2 Kings 24-25, Lamentations 4) The dream is over – the promised land is a smoking ruin. Paradise Lost Exile: Someone banished or forced from their country or home by force. (Micah 3:12, 2 Kings 21:13-14) Despite all that, God still loves them. The Letter: Increase, do not decrease. (29:4-6) In time, God sends the exiles a letter through his prophet Jeremiah. He tells them to be fruitful in spite of them living in an alien land. Make the most of a bad situation. Watch your attitude! God wants you to work on getting back on your feet. The Letter: Be a Blessing and you will be Blessed. (29:7) Ever feel like you lost everything? Pals, Parents, Possessions, Purity You may have lost a lot but you have not lost your ability to make the world a better place. The Letter: Don’t Believe the Fake News (29:8) Be careful who is in your ear or who you listen to when it seems God is silent. God was no longer angry with his people, but he WAS still angry with these false prophets. The Letter: God Always has a Plan. (29:10-12) Time always crawls in the waiting rooms of life. It can feel like time is crawling but hang on. God’s got something awesome in store even if you can’t see it right now. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. -Corrie Ten Boom The Letter: God Wants to Bring You Home. (29:13-14) God can give you a hope and a future despite your sins, your mistakes and your wandering. The people thought coming home meant returning to Jerusalem. Jehovah wanted them to come home – to return to His heart – Jer. 30:10-11,18-22 “‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’” Yahweh makes a messianic promise. He declares that a leader will arise from the Jews- Someone who is “close” to the Father. (John 1:1-2,14; 17:1,4,13,22-23; Colossians 1: 15-23 -You feel like a stranger in a strange land, that just keeps getting stranger… -Don’t be dismayed or afraid; God is not finished yet. -Will you trust God and listen for his letter? Let’s Pray.