我和家人住在芝加哥的那一年，开辟了一个菜园。因着神的恩典，这使得我们越过栅栏，和一个邻居建立了关系。
先知耶利米传达了神的信息说，神的百姓将住在巴比伦这个外国城市很多年。“栽种田园”背后更深的原因很可能是，使一个好的园子运转起来，是需要花时间的。神希望祂的百姓在这个将要居住七十年的城市落地生根。在他们的一切惧怕或想像之外，神仍有祂的计划和目的。
有时神将我们带到不熟悉、甚至是不舒适的环境中，无论这段日子有多长，祂的远景不会是让我们没意思地呆在那里，日复一日地过活。当你落地生根，并为神差你去的那地方求平安求兴旺时，你也会顺服祂的命令去为那里的群体祷告。
若我们努力顺服神的命令，就必得着一个丰盛的应许，就是“你们也随着得平安。”在芝加哥的一年，神让我一瞥这应许的实现。但自那以后，我的祷告和异象一直在成长。今天，你有没有为你所住的地区付上祷告呢？
天地的主啊，是祢定了我们居住的地方。求祢感动我们，使我们为那社区的平安与繁荣祈祷，和努力在那里作工。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
耶利米书 29:4-14
4信上说：“万军之耶和华－以色列的神对一切被掳去的（就是我使他们从耶路撒冷被掳到巴比伦的人）如此说：
5你们要盖造房屋，住在其中；栽种田园，吃其中所产的；
6娶妻生儿女，为你们的儿子娶妻，使你们的女儿嫁人，生儿养女。在那里生养众多，不致减少。
7我所使你们被掳到的那城，你们要为那城求平安，为那城祷告耶和华；因为那城得平安，你们也随着得平安。
8万军之耶和华－以色列的神如此说：不要被你们中间的先知和占卜的诱惑，也不要听信自己所做的梦；
9因为他们托我的名对你们说假预言，我并没有差遣他们。这是耶和华说的。
10“耶和华如此说：为巴比伦所定的七十年满了以后，我要眷顾你们，向你们成就我的恩言，使你们仍回此地。
11耶和华说：我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。
12你们要呼求我，祷告我，我就应允你们。
13你们寻求我，若专心寻求我，就必寻见。
14耶和华说：我必被你们寻见，我也必使你们被掳的人归回，将你们从各国中和我所赶你们到的各处招聚了来，又将你们带回我使你们被掳掠离开的地方。这是耶和华说的。
"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." — Jeremiah 29:7
During the year my family and I lived in Chicago, we planted a garden. By God's grace, this led to an over-the-fence relationship with a neighbor.
God's prophet Jeremiah relayed the message that God's people would be in the foreign city of Babylon for many years. The deeper reason behind the command to "plant gardens" could well have been that it takes time to get a good garden going. God wanted his people to put down roots in this city where they would be living for seventy years. God had plans and purposes beyond anything they could have dreaded or imagined.
For whatever length of time God plants us in unfamiliar and perhaps uncomfortable surroundings, his vision is for much more than our day-to-day existence and passing time. When you put down roots and "seek the peace and prosperity" of any place where God sends you, you will also more likely obey his command to pray for that community.
The promised harvest that comes with a cultivated obedience to this command is that "you too will prosper." I caught only a glimpse of that during our year in Chicago. But since that time my prayers and vision have been growing. Do you pray for your neighborhood?
Lord of heaven and earth, you have determined the places where we will live. Move us to pray and work for the peace and prosperity of the communities where you have placed us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
