Are you struggling to accept your life as it currently is? Does it seem like your world is in chaos? God’s children suffered turmoil during the time of Jeremiah. Eventually, most ended up as refugees in Babylon. They longed to go back home, but the Lord told them they wouldn’t return in their lifetime. God wanted them to thrive where He put them. “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters . . .’” (Jeremiah 29:4-6).

In this context, God also told them, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11. Sometimes, God’s beautiful plan for our life means to thrive where we are regardless of the circumstances.

It is hard to imagine living in exile or becoming a refugee. The crisis in Darfur was a 21st-century tragedy like what happened in the time of Jeremiah. What would it look like to thrive there? How would they build those houses, plant those gardens, or take joy in life? Take a peek at the music video and listen to the words in Living in Darfur by Mattafix. It puts things in perspective and emphasizes living, forgiving, and thriving.