10/13/2024
From my devo this morningā¦He has plans for us ALWAYSā¦even when we are going through trials and tribulations. It is SO important that we always remember this when we are going through tough timesā¦and we WILL go through tough times. That Hope will sometimes be the ONLY thing we have to pull us through those times. š„ŗā„ļø
The Best Plans
Jeremiah 29:11 is a popular verse thatās often slapped onto journals, etched into coffee mugs, and printed on t-shirts.
āFor I know the plans I have for you,ā declares the Lord, āplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.ā
āāJeremiahā¬ ā29:11ā¬ āNIVā¬ā¬
And God does have a plan for you.
God does want to bless you.
God does want to give you hope and a future.
Butāwe should also pay attention to the original context ā¦
In this case, God was speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judahāpeople whoād recently been exiled to Babylon for 70 years.
The Jewish people were banished to a foreign land because of their insatiable appetite for sin. In fact, for 23 years Jeremiah had been warning them to stop rebelling against God or prepare to face the consequences.
God is patient, but He is also just. In the preceding chapters, God made a case against His beloved people:
Theyād exploited foreigners, orphans, and widows. Theyād denied the rights of the poor. Theyād refused to stand up for truth or obey Godās instructions. Theyād murdered the innocent and committed adultery. Theyād rejoiced in doing evil and their lives were ruled by greed. Theyād even built pagan shrines, sacrificing their sons and daughters in the fires. It was a dark time. And yet, somehow, Godās mercy always extends to the darkest places on earth.
Thatās why, just a few verses later, God said they could seek Him and find Him, and Heād bring them back from captivity (Jeremiahā¬ ā29:13ā¬-14).
Thatās why he encouraged themāwhile in exileāto build houses, plant gardens, get married, have children, and work for the peace and prosperity of their temporary home (Jeremiah 29:5-7).
He wanted them to know: He hadnāt forgotten them. He still wanted good for them. He still had plans to restore them.
God is serious about sin, but Heās just as passionate about redemption.
Though Jeremiah 29:11 was meant for a specific people at a specific time, Godās heart for the restoration of broken people is generationally timeless.
Even when we feel stuck in the process, God still has a plan.
We can put our trust in the God whose goal is always redemption.
