DCLM Daily Manna 27 August 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — “Seek The Peace Of Your Nation”
TOPIC: “Seek The Peace Of Your Nation” (DCLM Daily Manna 27 August 2024)
KEY VERSE: “And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7).
TEXT: Jeremiah 29:1-9 (KJV)
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
MESSAGE:
In both the Old and New Testaments, believers are commanded to pray for the rulers of cities and leaders of the nations of their birth or where they reside and do business. It is not the duty of Christians to join the open condemnation or opposition to any wicked ruler. Believers are to pray that God would put His fear in the hearts of the rulers. This is important because sometimes, condemnation and cutting criticisms may in fact, make things worse, as the rulers become impervious to any contrary view. At other times, it might be that the Lord is using the wicked ruler as a rod of chastisement on the people for their sins.
The Lord allowed the Jewish nation to be taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, because of their perennial sins. Prophet Jeremiah, knowing that the exile would be for seventy years, wrote a letter to the captives to comfort and encourage them to settle down there, build families and not forget to pray for the peace of Babylon and its inhabitants since in the peace thereof they would experience peace. He urged them not to listen to the false prophets and dreamers giving them contrary and deceptive prophecies.
God’s word is a divine letter to comfort men and prepare them for heaven. Believers should live peacefully and lovingly in the community where they reside. They should pray relentlessly for the land and its leaders, whether or not they are cruel, tyrannical, or despotic.
Believers must pray earnestly for their perceived enemies as well. We should not join in rebellion, riots or evil speaking against those in positions of authority. No matter how the world tries to justify civil disobedience, we must not engage in it.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
People who seek peace for their communities, reap it in abundance.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Zephaniah 1-3
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
