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I was in a meeting where a brother in Jesus was lamenting all the pain on this hard rock called earth. With good reason, he was upset and fearful over evil occurring all around. Aching with him, I listened. But when he began to express ill will toward all the nasty people working against goodness, I reminded him of Jeremiah’s word in chapter 29.
Yes, Babylon is wicked, and our rescue from this fallen world is coming. Yet, while we are here, we should labor and pray for prosperity on our neighbors. Like Judah before us, we should desire that even our persecutors thrive – not because this is our home, but because it is theirs.
After leaving that conversation, I headed home. As I rounded the corner of our neighborhood, I spied 10 kids playing football. They were out in 101-degree heat; boys and girls; sporting black, brown, yellow, and white skin; ranging between 7-10 years old; laughing and playing some really bad touch football.
I stopped for a second and watched. A couple of kids recognized my car and waved between plays, and I waved back. As I turned onto my street, I prayed with ever more fervor for this city where we are aliens. Those kids are worth the effort.
God bless,
Wayne