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Welcome to the Well Soul Podcast, where we pause to drink in Scripture, reflect and pray. I am your host, Seana Scott, and sometimes life leaves our souls feeling parched, so come to the well of living water.
In today's episode, we are going to summarize the story of the Gospels so far and then meditate on the brokenness Israel experienced because of their sin, but also the hope proclaimed by God to the prophet Jeremiah. And it is my prayer that we will see hope in our own places of brokenness.
As we have meditated on the story of the gospel, we have seen that God created the world good and humanity very good, but sin shattered shalom and brought death. Now all deserve forever death because we all sin, Romans 3 23. But we have seen through the story of the gospel that God has a master plan to rescue humanity through the promise he proclaimed in the garden, that one day a descendant of the woman would crush the serpent's head.
This gospel story is weaved through God's promise to Abraham. that through him, all the earth would be blessed and further revealed in God's promise to David that one of his descendants would have a forever throne in a forever kingdom. Last week we meditated on a passage of wisdom literature written by King Solomon, David's son, the wisest man who Lacked to follow the most important wisdom.
Obey God. It seems no matter what humans, even God's kings choose their sin rather than following God all the way, and as the way of a leader goes. So does the nation. After King Solomon, his son Rehoboam acted foolishly by increasing taxes for slave labor, instead of lessening the burden on the people. So the northern tribes rebelled, and the kingdom split in two, northern Israel and southern Judah.
Not only this, but then there was king after king, most of which dishonored God and increased idolatry and immorality in the split kingdoms. God raised up prophets to warn the people, turn from your sin. or you will be destroyed like God warned them before entering the land in Deuteronomy 28. Follow God and you would be blessed.
Disobey God and the nation would be cursed and sent into captivity. So the story goes. The split kingdom did not listen to God's wisdom, and the northern kingdom was sent into captivity by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom was sent off by the invasion of the Babylonians. Then, God gave a message to the prophet Jeremiah, still living in the land, a message of hope for those Israelites.
in Babylon, that even though Israel suffered the consequences of their sin, God was not done yet. This is where we will meditate on scripture today. Before
I read, take a deep breath and prepare your heart to listen to God's word. Come,
Holy Spirit, come. Jeremiah
This is the letter that Jeremiah sent to those living in Babylon. 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. Yes. This is what the Lord almighty, the God of Israel says, do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you.
Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them, declares the Lord. This is what the Lord says. When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and not harm you. plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by You declares the Lord, and I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you declares the Lord.
And I will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.
What did the Holy Spirit highlight for you from this passage? Dwell on this for a moment.
God was not done with Israel. He had plans for their hope. and future as a nation, even though they were a bit suffering because of their sin in a similar way, no matter what suffering we endure, we have hope and a future in Christ. One day, Jesus Christ is returning and he will make all things new. But in the meantime, we can seek God amid our struggles and we will find him.
He is our strength and our portion forever.
Now take a moment to pray about today's reflection, what the Holy Spirit brought to mind as you listened or pray about anything else that is on your heart.
Let's pray, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one and only true God, we worship you. Thank you for your word through the prophet Jeremiah, that just as you had hope and a future for the nation of Israel, you were not done with them even because of their sin. You are not done with us, even though we have our own sin struggles.
You are our hope. You are our future. I pray that we can seek you and find you amidst all of our various struggles and suffering, and that you will sustain us until you return.
Thank you for joining me today on the WellSoul podcast for our story of the gospel journey. I invite you to subscribe to the WellSoul and receive devotionals and practical help to live the WellSoul life. It's like a digital spiritual refreshment by subscribing to the well soul today, you will also receive the option to sign up for this year's daily advent devotions.
You don't want to miss out on this daily reflection guide to help you focus on what this season is all about in less than five minutes a day in the month of December. I hope it's a refreshing part of your Christmas season this year. In closing, I remember my late friend, Brian Vasquez, who made this podcast possible.
God bless you. And I pray that you have a well soul.