Jeremiah 24  The Lord shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs.  One is filled with the best figs.. perfectly grown and picked.  The other is filled with old rotten, worthless figs.  The message given is this:

The good figs represent those people who have been taken captive and sent to Babylon. "For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to the land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give the a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart." ( v6-7) 

The bad figs represent those who were not carried away into exile.. Zedekiah, the king and his officials and the "remnant of Jerusalem".  They are the rotten and worthless lot.  They were evil in the Lord's eyes and He would send sword, famine, and pestilence "until they are destroyed". 

In my thinking it is the ones sent away from the promised land that seem to be cursed.. but they were actually the blessed ones.  The ones who stayed.. they were the ones deemed to be worthless and evil.. rotten!  Seems kind of backwards...

We may have found ourselves in a situation like this.. the loss of a job.. or a home.. being moved where we don't want to go.. yet, afterwards we find out that God had something better for us in the new place.  He made a way.. uncomfortable as it was.. to accomplish His greater  purpose for us!

The ones who stayed in the city.. those who refused the Lord's words.. remained in their sin and died in their wickedness. 

What about us?  We sometimes fight against change.. it is uncomfortable.. it is sometimes heartbreaking.  We don't know that God has a greater purpose.. we forget to trust Him in the exile... in the change..   

This message is so encouraging for us who are in that season of our lives..  He has set His eyes on us for good!  Praise the Lord! He plans on building us up.. on planting us deep.. making us fruitful and secure. He has given us a heart to know Him.. to be His people .. He is our God!  Hallelujah! 

Father,  bring us through the trials and storms.. help us remember that You are faithful and trustworthy to accomplish Your purposes through every situation!  We can even rejoice in the times of "exile".. when change happens.. when life becomes overwhelming... when our hearts are breaking.  You see us and You will cause all things to work together for good!  You are our amazing Lord, God of heaven and earth and there is no other!  Praise to Your Holy Name and to the Son, our Savior in who's name we come.. Be glorified, Lord Jesus we pray.. Amen