Nobody

likes to feel as if their life is stuck on hold. It does not feel

good to be trapped in a situation where you don’t want to be, while

longing for a place you can’t reach. I’ve encountered many people

in situations like that. I have also felt that way myself at times.

Sometimes it lasts for a short season; other times it lasts much

longer.

God

called Jeremiah to be his prophet during a deeply painful time for

his people. Many of the people were in exile—taken far from home,

away from every­thing they knew and loved. Through Jeremiah, God

urged the people to live in hope, raising families, settling in, and

trusting that the Lord had plans and a future for them.

We,

too, often celebrate that God has plans and a future for us, and we

mustn’t forget that he is with us even if we feel that our life is

stuck. Just as God wasn’t finished with his people in exile, he

isn’t finished with us.

Perhaps

you know how tough it can be to feel stuck on hold. How can you live

into that as a child of God today? What does praying for peace and

prosperity look like right now?

God

can bless you in your situation. What is more, you can be a blessing

to others. God is still with you—even now.