How do we build and thrive in a world that often feels hostile to our beliefs?

In his devotional, Jason Dohm explores the wisdom found in Jeremiah 29, which instructs believers to build, dwell, and plant even in places where they feel out of place or captive. The passage encourages us to seek the peace of the city and pray for it, emphasizing that in its peace, we will find our own peace. This guidance highlights the dual responsibility of actively working within our immediate surroundings while also praying for broader circumstances that are beyond our control.

Focusing on the family unit, Dohm draws attention to Ephesians 6:4, which directs parents to raise their children in the training and admonition of the Lord. This micro-level focus is where parents, especially fathers, can exercise significant influence, regardless of the chaotic macro-level events around them. Similarly, mothers are encouraged to embrace their role as described in Proverbs 31, which goes beyond home building to life building for everyone in the household. These spheres of influence allow families to advance God's kingdom within their homes, even when the outside world seems indifferent to spiritual matters.

Psalm 127:1 (NKJV): "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

On the one hand in Jeremiah 29, you have the instruction to build, dwell, plant. Does it stop there? Verse 7 continues, and seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it, for in its peace you will have peace. So Jeremiah 29 gives us what we ought to be doing, things that we have a tremendous amount of influence over, but then an outlet for things that we don't have any influence over. We can pray to God, we actually seek the peace, even of these pagan places.

Can you imagine that? God wants us to seek the peace of the pagan places and to pray for it, because when there's peace there, you get to enjoy the peace. So for fathers and mothers, you have this admonition in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4 for parents to bring up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord. This really focuses us on something at the micro level. So we get really frustrated that things seem out of control at the macro level, that the big picture seems out of control.

But actually, there are places where God has given us a tremendous amount of influence. And that is with our personal life with the Lord, in our marriage, in our family. So dads are actually pointed towards the areas where God has given us a tremendous amount of influence. And honestly, in many ways, it doesn't matter what's happening out there. What's happening in here within our home, God has handed us tremendous amounts of influence, and he tells us exactly how to use that influence to bring up our children into the training and admonition of the Lord.

People might not care anything about the things of the Lord out there, but in here we care about the things of the Lord and really can advance the kingdom of God in our homes. And in terms of mothers, specifically mothers, I don't know how you do better than Proverbs 31. Proverbs 31 is thought of as home building. I have no objection to that. It is home building.

But it's really, it's so broad. I'm not sure that does it justice. When you look at Proverbs 31, it is life building for the home and everyone who lives in the home. So, again, moms are given this sphere of tremendous influence. Again, things can be spiraling out there, but in here, moms have tremendous influence to build a life for the home and everybody who lives in the home.

Thanks for watching!