Good Figs, Bad Figs: Finding God in the Unexpected
The vision in Jeremiah 24 has always struck me as both strange and surprisingly relatable. Two baskets of figs—one filled with good fruit, the other with bad. It seems like such an ordinary image for God to use, and yet, through it, He delivers a message that upends everything we think about how and where He works in our lives.
The story takes place at a moment of deep despair for God’s people. Babylon had begun taking exiles from Jerusalem, including the young King Jehoiachin and many of the city’s leaders. For those left behind, it must have felt like they had narrowly escaped disaster, while the exiles were destined for ruin. But God had a different perspective. Through Jeremiah, He declared that the exiles—the ones taken to Babylon—were like the good figs. They were the ones He would preserve, protect, and use to sustain true faith. Meanwhile, those left in Jerusalem, who assumed they were safe, were compared to the bad figs—destined for destruction because of their continued rebellion.
When Life Feels Like Exile
I can’t help but think about how this applies to the struggles we face today. There have been seasons in my life—maybe you’ve had them too—when everything familiar seemed to fall apart. Times when I thought, “How could this possibly be God’s plan?” But here’s the thing: Babylon, the place of exile and apparent despair, was exactly where God’s people needed to be for their faith to survive and thrive. It was the place where God did His refining, purifying work.
I’ve seen this play out in my own life and in the lives of those I love. The things that felt like disasters at the time—unexpected losses, disappointments, or being placed in situations I never would have chosen—turned out to be the very things God used to draw me closer to Himself. Like the exiles in Babylon, I’ve found that the places I wanted to escape were often the places where God was most present, most at work, and most faithful.
God Brings Life to Exile
Jeremiah’s vision challenges us to see our “Babylon” seasons differently. The exiles thought they needed to get back to Jerusalem to be close to God. They assumed their future was tied to what was familiar and comfortable. But God was saying, “I am with you in Babylon. I’m not limited by geography or circumstances. I can bless you, grow you, and use you even here.”
This reminds me of Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” I know that verse gets tossed around so often it can sound like a cliché. But here’s what I’ve learned: when someone is in the middle of their own exile—a season of pain, loss, or uncertainty—they need more than just the truth of that verse. They need to see that you’re willing to walk with them through the difficulty. The truth of God’s sovereignty doesn’t erase the very real pain of our circumstances, but it gives us hope that He is working even when we can’t see it.
Thriving Where You Least Expect It
The exiles in Babylon learned to depend on God in ways they never had before. Stripped of their earthly securities, they came to understand that God’s presence wasn’t tied to a specific city or temple. He was with them in Babylon, guiding them, sustaining them, and preparing them for the future.
And He does the same for us. When life takes us to places we never wanted to go, God is still there. He’s not absent in our struggles. He’s present, working all things together for our good and His glory. Sometimes, it’s in the places we least expect—the places we dread the most—that our faith grows the deepest and our relationship with Him becomes the most real.
Rest in the God Who Never Changes
If you’re in a Babylon season right now, I want to encourage you to take heart. The same God who preserved His people in exile is with you today. The circumstances you see as a disaster might just be the soil where your faith takes root and flourishes. You don’t have to understand His plan fully to trust that it’s good. Lean into Him. Trust Him. And know that you are not alone.