Sometimes we all feel like we are captives. We're captive to our job, to our malfunctioning lawn mower, our pets that seem to run our lives, our debts, our household projects, sometimes even to our family members. We spend almost half our work year earning money to pay taxes. We do feel like captives, even if we haven't been deported as the Jews were in Jeremiah's time.
What does our Lord say to the captives? Marry, have children, buy homes, farm the land, do business, pray for the nation you are visiting. It may well be a very long visit. While you are captive in that land, work to improve the land, increase your family, spread wealth around, change that land for your Savior.
This runs counter to a lot of the teaching I've heard, particularly from some of the popular Calvinistic sources. We are told we should maintain a "wartime" mentality. We should give everything away. We should devote ourselves to service projects, particularly in economically depressed areas. We should devote our lives to something worthwhile, like the teaching of the Bible. We want to ignore all earthly pulls and claims, striving for victory which results in heavenly blessing.
This all sounds very nice, very spiritual, but it isn't the picture the Scripture gives us. Rather, as we are engaged in this wartime captivity we are to carry on the vocation the Lord has given us. We are to raise our families. We are to be God's instrument in giving people their daily bread. We are to be diligent in our occupations, also teaching our children to be diligent and to serve their neighbors for the Lord's sake. Our Lord will end the captivity at some time. Our job is to be fruitful in the society that holds us captive, praying for that society as well.
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