God
made the promise of a plan for the Hebrew people while they were captive in
Babylon—to bring them home to Israel and to restore their lives. A lot of
Christians today use this scripture to remind each other of the hope that
we all have today…and in our future. We can see how God worked in the lives of
the Hebrew people in Babylon—after 70 years He brought them back home. Of
course, we need to remind ourselves of why they were in Babylon in
the first place—disobedience. It was a punishment for them to be taken captive
to Babylon. After they had paid their dues—served their time so to speak—God
brought them back to the Promised Land and instructed them to rebuild the
Temple, the wall around the city of Jerusalem and their lives. Rebuilding their
lives. That was important. They needed to focus on God. He was the source of
their hope. Could they see that? So many of them over the
generations had lost their vision. Did some of the Israelites ever have a
vision of who God was and what He wanted them to do? 
Hope in the Promised Land--
--at the Sea of Galilee.
Relationship and Obedience. I think those are the key words. The words that foster and encourage hope. God promised that He had plans for them for a future…a future with Him. A relationship with Him in the Promised Land. A land that He had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A land that He had brought the children of Israel—those descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—out of bondage in Egypt to a territory flowing with milk and honey. A land where God expected them to worship Him, not idols. A land where obedience and respect were necessary. When that didn’t happen, God lost hope in His people and banished them to Babylon. Then it was time to start again. God had plans for them that included His promise of hope. Trust in Jesus.
Do
you see God working in your life today? Do you see a picture of you and God
together that includes hope?
For
I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not
for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Prayer
– Lord God, give us hope—and may we spread and share Your hope with others—who
may be in desperate need of it. Hope is important for life.
Meditate.
Consider God’s promise of hope.
Verse
of Salvation ~ Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and
became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and
envy, and we hated each other. But—"When God our Savior revealed his
kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had
done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth
and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon
us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous
and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." Titus 3:3-7
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
Breakfast has the power to refresh us and provide energy for the upcoming day. Here's a family favorite that you can double or triple.
Dutch
Baby Pancake –
serves 2
3 eggs
¾ cup
milk
½ tsp
vanilla
¾ cup
gluten-free flour blend or regular flour
½ tsp
cinnamon plus more to garnish
¼ tsp
freshly ground salt
2 Tbsp
butter
1 apple,
sliced thinly
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a ten- or 12-inchc cast iron skillet. Add the sliced apples, sprinkle with a little cinnamon, and cook for a few minutes. Wisk or blend ingredients together in a blender beginning with the eggs and milk. Add flour, salt, cinnamon. Pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. If using a convection oven, it may only take 15 minutes. Divide the pancake into two portions. Serve with toppings of your choice like fresh chopped berries or fruit, peanut butter, jelly, syrup, powdered sugar, or brown sugar. Sprinkle more cinnamon onto the pancake if you like.
Doubling the recipe will serve about six. Enjoy!
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved
Post revived and recycled from April 27, 2017 Banquet With The King blog.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment