In Plain Sight
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | September 21, 2025
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Read Jeremiah 29:4 – 7, 10 – 14 (NIV)
Our text this morning comes from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah... the man who was known as the “Weeping Prophet,” primarily because of his deep sorrow over the fallen condition of his beloved country, Judah... which was something that frequently brought him to tears.
The Prophet Jeremiah is credited with writing both the book of Jeremiah and the book of Lamentations... and it should be noted that he was a faithful messenger for God in spite of various hardships he faced.
Not the least of which is that the people consistently ignored the warnings that Jeremiah delivered from God... but not only did they reject him... they threatened him and even threw him into prison as well as into a cistern... but even with all of that, Jeremiah remained faithful... pleading and urging God’s people to turn away from their sins and to turn back to God so they could avoid destruction and devastation.
But they did not listen... and they found themselves exiled in Babylon as a result of their disobedience and their refusal to heed the word of God.
And so, as we look at these verses that call for our attention this morning, they are found in a letter that the Prophet Jeremiah sent to the elders, priests, prophets, and exiles that were living in captivity in Babylon.
It was a message that was meant to serve as a reminder to the people that regardless of what their current circumstances may have looked like... God had not forgotten them.
This letter also contained words of encouragement for them to move ahead with their lives rather than succumb to the temptation to simply give up.
God was calling them to live productive lives... to build houses and settle down, to plant gardens, and marry and have children... and to do it all IN PLAIN SIGHT of the ones who held them in captivity...
God then told the children of Israel to take it a step further and actually pray for peace and prosperity for the city in which they were being held captive... because if the city was at peace and prospered, they, too, would be at peace and prosper.
In other words, God was telling them to make the best of a bad situation by living their best life and praying for the wellbeing of those around them... the people in that place to which they had been exiled.
It is rather reminiscent of Jesus’ words found in His Sermon on the Mount:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:43 – 45).So, can I let you in on a little secret? Although, it is hard to pray for folks who are doing evil things... those are the very ones who truly need our prayers the most.
Now, that does not mean we have to like them or the things that they are doing... but Jesus made it plain... He said, “Love your enemies...”
But even as I was writing this sermon, I could not help but feel a little itchy and twitchy about all of this... I wanted to say, “Really, Jesus? Love them? They clearly don’t love me... so, what do you really expect me to do?”
And that is when I looked at the commentary in the Life Application Study Bible, and read these words:
Jesus loves the whole world, even though the world is in rebellion against God. Jesus asks us to follow His example by loving our enemies. Grant your enemies the same respect and rights as you desire for yourself (Life Application Study Bible, 2005, p. 1680).Let me just say this, if I am being honest, in my own strength... I don’t know that I can do it... it is just too hard.
Ironically, I was working on today’s sermon, I happened to look at the back cover of one of my daily devotional books. The heading said, “His Strength Will Never Fail Us” and quoted 1 Chronicles 16:11 which reads, “Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always.”
The paragraph below the heading read:
Many times in life we are called on to be brave, to face things that make us afraid and give us pause or that cause us to stumble. How can we push through these times even when we don’t want to? The answer, while not always easy, is simple: by trusting in the strength of the Lord (from Mornings with Jesus, Guideposts, 2025).As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Church, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Through the Holy Spirit, God can and will help us to show love to others... including the very ones we may not feel like loving... the ones we think are just too unlovable... and even when we may think that it is just too hard... rest assured... with Jesus by our side, we really can do hard things.
Now, turning our attention back to the text, Jeremiah went on to reassure the children of Israel that there would be better days ahead... that after they settled themselves in Babylon and did what they could to make the best out of a bad situation... that was not where the story would necessarily end... all hope was not lost... God promised them a future.
Listen again to verses 10 – 14 of the text as they are found in the Message:Although they had been sent to live in exile in a foreign land for seventy years, God wanted His people to know they could still have hope... and so can we.
This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
“When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.
“I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.”
We may be living in the midst of some strange and unsettling times, but we can still have hope... because we still have God.
Now this does not mean that we won’t find ourselves being confronted with pain, suffering, and hardship... but it does mean that we have the blessed assurance that God will be with us through it all.
God has seen the story from beginning to end and God knows how it will all play out... God has a plan for each of our lives... and He has promised that He will not abandon us in our places of exile, either literally or figuratively.
There are times when it feels like we are living in exile... friends and family are nowhere around... nothing feels like it is going right... and we may even start to wonder if God has forgotten about us because our prayers have not been answered... at least not in the ways we have wanted them to be answered.
But God said He would never leave us nor forsake us (see Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). And that is a promise that we can absolutely take to the bank... so take heart, God has not left us to muddle through the mess all by ourselves... and that even includes when it is a mess of our own making.
And according to Jeremiah’s letter, although God has promised to be with us... we have a part to play in all of this as well... there is a call to action that we must heed... and it’s written right here in God’s word... IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Taking a page out of what Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites who were living in exile... we have to get serious about our relationship with God... we have to be intentional about praying to God... and we have to make a point of seeking God with our whole heart...
Simply put, we have to want God more than anything or anyone else.
More than fortune and fame. More than big houses, fancy cars, or even hefty bank accounts. We have to want God more than anything and anyone else.
Jesus explained it like this in Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
We have to stop chasing after all the “stuff” that this world has to offer and stop trying to follow behind people who may or may not have our best interest at heart... and instead, we need to seek what is most important of all... and that is the gift of eternal life with God... the inheritance that is ours when we decide to follow Jesus.
Now, I don’t think it comes as any surprise to anyone here, but we are living in a day and time when people need Jesus more than ever before...
And here is the good news... He’s here with us where He has always promised He would be... IN PLAIN SIGHT... we just have to open our eyes to see Him.
The promise Jesus made to the disciples after He gave them the Great Commission was that He would be with them “always, to the very end of the age.”
And He has extended that same promise to us as well. Jesus promises to be with us always. In fact, He really is right here... right now... IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Can you see Him? I can. He looks a lot like....
The fact of the matter is that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, He takes up residence inside our hearts... He lives within us... so when I am looking at you, I am looking at Jesus. And hopefully, when you look at me, you see Jesus, too.
And that my friends is the key to how we can do the seemingly impossible... to love our enemies... because if we look for Jesus in them... and understand that they, too, are made in the image of God, just like we are... it will be hard not to love them.
We just have to be intentional about looking for God inside each and every person that we meet... the lovable ones as well as the not-so-lovable ones. After all, remember that we, too, have had our share of unlovable moments... and God still loves us anyhow.
And when we are the most unlovable... the Lord desires for us to seek Him even more with all of our heart... and here’s the best part... when we do seek the Lord... we have His promise that we will absolutely find Him.
God does not play a game of Hide and Seek with His children... His Word says that when we look, we will find Him... when we look with all of our heart... because He is right here... IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Now, maybe this all seems a little too simplistic in light of the complicated and complex world that we are living in... but let me ask you... is anything too hard for God? Is there any problem too difficult for God to handle?
Let me suggest, as upside down as this world feels these days... not one bit of it has caught God by surprise.
You have heard me quote John 16:33 many times, but it is one of those verses that bears repeating, especially with everything that is going on around us.
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Depending on which version of the Bible you are reading, that word trouble may be translated as trials and sorrows, or difficulties, or tribulation, or trial, or distress... but at the end of the day, it all boils down to this simple fact, we are going to have hard times in this life.
And it’s okay... because we do not have to face any of it alone... none of it... because the Lord has promised to be right here with us through it all... IN PLAIN SIGHT... so that His children may be at peace in the midst of whatever it is we are going through.
So, as we find ourselves dealing with the turbulent times that come with this life... let’s stop looking at the storm and instead keep our eyes open as we focus on Jesus... the One who is able to speak peace and calm whatever storm threatens to overtake us.
I am reminded of that story in Mark 4 (38 – 40), when Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat while a storm was raging all around Him and the disciples. According to the Scriptures, the disciples woke Him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
And that is when Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said, “Peace, be still!”
And just like that, the wind died down and it was completely calm.
There is one thing that is important to note about that story that seemed to elude the disciples in the moment... Jesus may have been asleep, but He was still right there with them in the boat... IN PLAIN SIGHT.
And that is what we need to remember as we go through these storms in our lives as well... as rough and choppy as the waters may be... Jesus will be right here with us in the midst of it all... IN PLAIN SIGHT. We just need to open our eyes so that we can see.
And if you want God to open your eyes so you can see the Lord at work in the midst of whatever storm you may find yourself going through... then I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Open My Eyes #586.
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