Dear friends.
One of the hardest parts of Jeremiah 29 is easy to soften. God does not tell the exiles simply to survive Babylon. He tells them to seek its peace and prosperity, and to pray for it.
That is much harder than being kind when life is comfortable.
These people were living somewhere they had not chosen. Their plans had been broken. Their sense of home had been torn away. Yet God still said, in effect, “Live faithfully here. Build. Plant. Love. Pray. Work for the good of the place where you are.”
That changes the way we think about Christian mission.
We can spend a lot of energy wishing we were somewhere else. A different neighbourhood. A different workplace. A different corps. A different season of life. We may tell ourselves that we will serve God properly when things are easier, clearer, or more settled.
Jeremiah challenges that thought. God can call us to seek shalom exactly where we are.
Sunday Rewind - each week I share a sermon from the Battle Ready Sermons archive. My role has shifted to training the next generation of Salvation Army officers at William Booth College, so I’m no longer preaching every Sunday, but God’s word doesn’t go out of date. These messages are here to encourage, challenge, and point you to Jesus, whenever you need them.
This week’s sermon was originally preached 12 October 2021.
Shalom means more than a quiet life. It points towards wholeness, wellbeing, justice, fruitful work, good relationships, and lives that can flourish under God. So seeking the welfare of our community is not just about doing occasional good deeds. It means asking a deeper question: “What would help the people around me to flourish?”
That might mean listening to a lonely neighbour. It might mean noticing a colleague who is carrying too much. It might mean serving through your corps without needing recognition. It might mean praying regularly for your street, school, workplace, local shops, care homes, and community groups.
There is another hard part. God tells the exiles that their welfare is bound up with the welfare of the city. Faith is not meant to shrink our concern until it includes only ourselves and people like us.
Jesus forms us into people who bring blessing.
So perhaps the question is not, “Do I like where I am?” It is, “How can I seek God’s good here?”
You do not need a platform. You do not need perfect conditions. You do not need to fix everything.
Begin where God has placed you.
Learn a name. Carry a burden. Offer a prayer. Meet a need. Build peace.
And trust that small acts of faithful love can become signs of God’s shalom in the place you already call home.
This week, choose one place to bless.
Grace and peace.
Rob