Out of Exile
“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will
rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.”
Amos 9:14
I meet a lot of people who are
“in exile.” Over the years, we have
prayed with tens of thousands of women in prisons, jails, detention centers,
and halfway houses. They are in exile –
taken away captive by the legal system and in many cases, facing justice at the
hands of the law.
Many of the women are in such
exile as a result of disobedience, much like Israel was disobedient to
God. The prophet Amos, like many of his contemporaries,
had warned Israel that it could face captivity and destruction. Israel did not listen and was carried away
captive. So many women were warned, did
not take heed, and now are in captivity.
Herein is the beauty and power of
this verse: God will bring back His exiled people. He will rebuild what has been utterly
destroyed and His people will re-settle.
Oh what a promise! What
hope! This same promise is available for
followers of Jesus – He will bring His women out of exile. And amazingly, He does it often while the
ladies are still incarcerated! They are
set free, liberated, and begin walking in victory while still behind prison
walls. That is the miracle work of the
King.
We could be in a prison on the
outside – with walls of depression, fear, anxiety or rage. We too can be occupants in exile. Jesus wants to offer this word of hope to us
today: “I will bring you back from exile; and cause you to live in a rebuilt
place.”
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