Jeremiah 24:1-4 – “The Lord showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim’s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah from Jerusalem, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon. ² One basket had very good-looking figs in it. They looked like those that had ripened early. The other basket had very bad-looking figs in it, so bad they could not be eaten. ³ The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “I see figs. The good ones look very good. But the bad ones look very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

As I was reading, praying, and meditating on the Word of God today, something interesting caught my attention. Did I say interesting?   Yes!   In Jeremiah 24, the prophet Jeremiah was giving counsel to those taken captive to Babylon.   He had a vision of two baskets of figs.   One was fresh, ripe figs, and the other rotten.

In verse 5, he related that vision to those in captivity.   He said, “Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge the exiles of Judah whom I have sent out of this place to the land of the Chaldeans for their good.” Stop the presses – WHAT?

Did you say that God sent them into captivity for their good?  The captivity had a purpose, but what was it?    In verse 7, we see God’s desire and plan. “And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God WHEN they shall return to me with a whole heart.”

God sometimes allows difficulty (captivity) to come and become a platform or classroom of transformation.   Sometimes, when we lose our ease and things fall apart, we realize the fallacy of trusting ourselves.   We learn that God does not ignore our disobedience and will not always be our vending machine of blessing unconditionally.

Paul told us that he learned to be content.    Learned is the key. Jeremiah 29:7 reveals that contentment in trouble is powerfully beneficial.   They were to pray for the city in which they were being held in captivity to have peace.   He said, “For in the peace thereof shall you have peace.”

In that context, we have a promise we claim in verse 11, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a good hope at the end.”   As we graduate from the school of afflictions with a grateful and content heart of trust and obedience, verse 11 becomes a reality.   It is not indiscriminately given to us.

However, verses 12-13 must not be overlooked.   It is then that we are invited into the courts of Heaven to pray.   It is then that we have the assurance that when we seek God wholeheartedly, He reveals Himself.

It is in that condition Faith Grows.   If we put our whole selves in His hands and believe His promises unwaveringly, Matthew 21:22 becomes our reality. “And EVERYTHING that you will ask in prayer, you SHALL receive.”  Notice the two keywords: EVERYTHING and SHALL.

We do not seek trials, but if our disobedience, inconsistency, and indifference place us in captivity, we need to shift our focus to God, not self, and receive the heart He gives that enables us to know Him, serve Him, and manifest Him.   We move from being in captivity to setting others free from captivity.    God’s purpose is for us to know Him and live in His fullness.

I pray that your day will be filled with peace and that you will wholly give yourself to Him!