InstaEncouragements Building a worldwide online community of encouragers encouraging others in the faith of Jesus Christ. Join the movement!
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Etsy Shop
    • Library >
      • Bible Emergency Numbers
      • LOVE Coupons
      • Christmas Songbook
      • Character Trait Worksheet
      • The Red Sea Rules
      • The Heart That Heals Printable Package
      • 12 Letters I Wrote
      • 16 Names of God
      • Praying Proverbs
      • Come and Gather
      • Bible Reading Plan
      • Disciple Me Program
    • Christianity
    • Bible Study >
      • 14 Things God’s Love Letter Says About You
      • A Journey of Worship
      • The ABCs of God's Love Letter
      • She Loves Truth
      • Hey Mama! PRAY
      • 52 Days in Psalms
      • 10 Weeks in the New Testament
      • 2 Months in The Pentateuch
      • 12 Minor Prophets
      • 3 Biblical Statements
      • 7 Books of Faith
      • 4 Major Prophets
  • Blog
    • Guest Bloggers
    • IE Link-up
    • Praying Proverbs
    • Jordan River Rules
    • Choosing Gratitude
    • Aging With Grace
    • Seeking Him
    • She Loves Truth
    • Red Sea Rules
  • Come & Dwell
  • The Heart That Heals
    • The Heart That Heals Media Package
  • Sweeter Than Honey
    • Sweeter Than Honey Media Package
  • 16 Names of God
    • 16 Names of God Media Package
TDGC shop the sale

Sweeter Than Honey: A Letter to the Exiles

8/2/2022

14 Comments

 
In Jeremiah 29, we find #Judah and the people of #Jerusalem have been taken captive by King #Nebuchadnezzar of #Babylon. They are exiles in Babylon, and #Jeremiah writes them a letter. Let’s take a look today at what the #Prophet Jeremiah has to say to these exiles in Babylon. And let's remember that #God has you and me right where we are, friend. He’s got a specific purpose for us there, and He knows the plans He has for us--plans to give us a future and a Hope--that HOPE is Himself!! #Biblestudy
From the Old Testament to the New, the eternality of God's Word is clearly proclaimed: 

Job tells us, “I have treasured the Words of His mouth more than my portion of food” (Job 23:12). 

Isaiah reminds us that, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). 

And Matthew records Jesus saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

God's Word is like an eternal Love Letter to us!

​Have you ever received a love letter, friend? Did you read it? Did you read it just once, or did you read it over and over again? A Love Letter is a treasure when you love the One who sent it!
STH order today banner
How would you like to read through God's Love Letter—His Word, the Bible, with a group of like-minded, Christian girlfriends? We're doing that over in the private, Sweeter Than Honey, Facebook group. Did you know you don't have to start a Bible reading plan on January 1? You can begin today! This simple plan, and an accountability partner, will help you succeed. Who will be your accountability partner? Share this post with them and invite them to the private Facebook group.
JOIN THE PRIVATE SWEETER THAN HONEY FACEBOOK GROUP
Sweeter Than Honey is patterned after this Bible Reading Itinerary. On Tuesdays, here at the blog, I would love it if you and I could take a trip through God's Word and Sweeter Than Honey, together! I would also encourage you to Join us over in the private, Sweeter Than Honey, Facebook group, introduce yourself, meet new friends, and share your thoughts there as well. We're waiting for you!

Jeremiah 28-30: A Letter to the Exiles

In chapter 29 of Jeremiah, we find that Judah and the people of Jerusalem have been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They are exiles in Babylon, and Jeremiah writes them a letter. Let’s take a look today at what the Prophet Jeremiah has to say to the exiles in Babylon:
“These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: ‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 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.’” (29:1-7)
I hear a lot of people say, “This world is not my home,” and as Christians, it’s not. However, we are a part of this world and God has us here for a specific reason. Let’s look at what God tells the exiles, through Jeremiah, to do while they are in captivity in the foreign land of Babylon:
  • “Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce” (29:5)
  • “Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply, and do not decrease” (29:6)
  • “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” (29:7)
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear 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 restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (29:11-14)
God has you right where you are, friend. He’s got a specific purpose for you there, and He knows the plans He has for you—plans to give you a future and a hope!
In the light of ​“This world is not my home,” how do we settle in and seek the welfare of the place where we have been divinely placed by God? 

About Sweeter Than Honey

When I read God’s Word each morning, I find inspiration and insight that keeps my day on track. Join me on this journey. Let’s settle in with His Word—it’s His Love Letter to us. Did you know that? Let’s read it like a love letter, expecting to glean something for our walk with Him every day. Let’s look for peace in the chaos and strength for our weaknesses. Even on our busiest days we can carve out a few minutes to refocus on the important—the eternal. Can’t we? We may have to get up a little earlier, when the house is still and quiet, or stay up a few minutes after the others are all tucked in for the night, but we can do this! I know we can.
Let's be intentional about focusing on God’s Word and the truths found there. Let's let it inspire us to live out our faith each day in a way that causes those we come in contact with to want what we have found. God sees you. He knows you by name, He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He cares about every detail of your daily existence. He wrote you a Love Letter. Let’s dive in!

IE Link-up logo
Thanks for joining the InstaEncouragements weekly Christian link-up! We would really appreciate it if you would grab this IE link-up button, place it on your blog, and link back to this post. Thanks! Have an awesome week! 

If you're new to link-ups, checkout our IE LINK-UP page for a brief explanation and a list of other link-ups to participate in!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Please Share
14 Comments
Barbara Harper link
8/2/2022 09:14:53 am

Funny, a book I read from this morning talked about our being "strangers and pilgrims" in this world. I think the tension between this world not being our final home, yet it's our place of ministry here, helps us keep the right perspective. We can skew too far one way or the other. We can get so caught up in this world, we forget the one to come and live like this world is all there is. Or we can get so caught up in the world to come that we miss opportunities to shine God's light here. Keeping our eternal and temporary homes both in mind help us keep the right balance.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
8/2/2022 09:17:53 am

God's timing never ceases to amaze me, Barbara!! I LOVE THIS —> "We can get so caught up in this world, we forget the one to come and live like this world is all there is. Or we can get so caught up in the world to come that we miss opportunities to shine God's light here. Keeping our eternal and temporary homes both in mind help us keep the right balance." TRUTH!

Reply
Michele Morin link
8/2/2022 09:18:14 am

Acceptance of the gift of the present moment --whatever its challenges--is my current learning curve. Jeremiah is a good teacher!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
8/2/2022 09:26:18 am

Yes, he is, Michele!! I especially love these verses:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 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…For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear 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 restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:4-14



God KNOWS the plans He has for us, 👱🏼‍♀️👩🏽‍🦱👩🏻‍🦰🧑🏻👩🏼 plans for welfare. Or, as other translations word this–PEACE and WHOLENESS. He has plans to give us a future AND a Hope, and that HOPE is Himself!



I love this quote from the book Aging With Grace too: “We are to flourish wherever we are by claiming that place for God’s glory.” 🥰

Reply
Joanne Viola link
8/2/2022 09:55:01 am

Thank you so much as I needed to read Jer. 29:1-7. Most timely!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
8/2/2022 09:57:03 am

Me too, Joanne!! “We are to flourish wherever we are by claiming that place for God’s glory.” —Aging With Grace

Reply
Jerralea Winn Miller link
8/2/2022 02:27:44 pm

Amen! Barbara's answer was so good - we have to keep both our forever Home and our place of ministry in consideration. Being out of balance either way can render us ineffective. This also makes me think of the saying, "Occupy until I come." No sitting on the sidelines waiting for the hereafter!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
8/3/2022 08:52:38 am

Ahhh... the parable of the ten servants in Luke 19:
"And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." (19:13) "And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." (19:17)

That's good advice: Occupy till I come

Reply
nylse link
8/2/2022 03:03:08 pm

Those verses provide a great reminder that we can live or bloom where we are planted because He is with us. Sometimes we miss this while elevating our thinking to think that we are doing something most holy and noble.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
8/3/2022 08:54:00 am

I love the concept of living and blooming where we are planted because He is with us, Nylse!! :)

Reply
Bethany McIlrath
8/4/2022 08:11:21 am

I was struck by this passage studying through Daniel recently too - this letter would have been sent to exiles while Daniel was in exile, serving ungodly king after ungodly king. God had surely placed Daniel, and every one of those exiles we don’t know about, right where He wanted them, for a purpose. So grateful the same is true for us wherever we are! Thanks for this today!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
1/5/2024 06:05:24 pm


It's a powerful realization, Bethany, to recognize the purpose and sovereignty of God in placing individuals, like Daniel, in specific circumstances—even in exile under ungodly rulers. Your gratitude for the assurance that God places each of us where He wants us for a purpose is beautifully expressed. May your journey of understanding and applying these truths be filled with continued insights and blessings.

Reply
Rebecca Jones link
8/4/2022 08:44:34 pm

Hello Patsy, Nice to link up again. It will be wonderful to get to heaven, but we can bless others until then.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
1/5/2024 06:06:43 pm

Your perspective is truly heartwarming, Rebecca–the anticipation of Heaven is beautiful, and in the meantime, the opportunity to bless others is a powerful and meaningful journey. May your faith journey be filled with blessings and moments of connection with those around you.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Patsy
    Hi friend, welcome to InstaEncouragements. I am so glad you are here. You’re among friends. You belong here. 

    How would you like access to our online library of helpful eBooks, devotionals, printables, and more? You’re going to love this library, which has all kinds of exclusive content just for you!

    Join the movement by signing up below and I'll send you the link today. And no worries, We don’t spam. Promise! We don’t like spam either.

    After you've joined the movement, hop on over to our about page to learn more about us and then to our contact form and introduce yourself so we can be on a first-name basis. I'd like that! —Patsy

    Join the movement!

    * indicates required
    Come & Dwell
    16 Names of God
    Sweeter Than Honey
    The Heart That Heals cover

    Top Posts

    8 Ways God Spoke to People in the Past and How He Speaks to Us Today
    16 Names of God & What They Mean
    12 Things the Bible Says God Knows About Us
    From a Proverbs 31 Woman to a Titus 2 Woman
    A Lesson From King Jehoshaphat
    16 Names of God:
    ​El Shaddai
    David's Second Goliath
    3 Practical Points
    ​About Prayer
    5 Characteristics
    ​of God's Love
    12 Favorite
    ​Bible Study Tools
    Honoring God by Maintaining Our
    ​Physical Health
    Artza blog banner

    Featured

    Welcome Heart
    LaurenSparks.net
    beLydia.org
    Brave Women Series
    Grace & Truth
    WORTHY Bible Studies
    Money Wise Steward
    Woman of Noble Character
    The Best Bible Study Books For Women

    Categories

    All
    16 Names Of God
    7 Biblical Feasts
    7 Things God Is Not
    ABCs Of The Bible
    Amanda
    Bible Emergency Numbers
    Bible Study
    Books We Love
    Cami
    Cancer
    Christine
    Come And Gather
    Debbie
    Elisabeth
    Evidences Of Faith
    Family Life
    Guest Post
    Journey To The Cross
    Julie
    Kathy
    Link Ups
    Link-ups
    Our Words Matter
    Prayer
    Printables
    Stephanie
    Summer Book Club
    Sweeter Than Honey

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018

InstaEncouragements participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a
​means for this site to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 
This site also contains affiliate links for The Daily Grace Company, Not Consumed, and Artza.
InstaEncouragements will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links or a link from one of our posts.
​​Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions
InstaEncouragements logo
© InstaEncouragements |2025|  all rights reserved
IE blog footer image
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Etsy Shop
    • Library >
      • Bible Emergency Numbers
      • LOVE Coupons
      • Christmas Songbook
      • Character Trait Worksheet
      • The Red Sea Rules
      • The Heart That Heals Printable Package
      • 12 Letters I Wrote
      • 16 Names of God
      • Praying Proverbs
      • Come and Gather
      • Bible Reading Plan
      • Disciple Me Program
    • Christianity
    • Bible Study >
      • 14 Things God’s Love Letter Says About You
      • A Journey of Worship
      • The ABCs of God's Love Letter
      • She Loves Truth
      • Hey Mama! PRAY
      • 52 Days in Psalms
      • 10 Weeks in the New Testament
      • 2 Months in The Pentateuch
      • 12 Minor Prophets
      • 3 Biblical Statements
      • 7 Books of Faith
      • 4 Major Prophets
  • Blog
    • Guest Bloggers
    • IE Link-up
    • Praying Proverbs
    • Jordan River Rules
    • Choosing Gratitude
    • Aging With Grace
    • Seeking Him
    • She Loves Truth
    • Red Sea Rules
  • Come & Dwell
  • The Heart That Heals
    • The Heart That Heals Media Package
  • Sweeter Than Honey
    • Sweeter Than Honey Media Package
  • 16 Names of God
    • 16 Names of God Media Package