Saturday Scripture Gold: Jeremiah 29:11

Hi, all!

Each week, I will take a verse (or scripture) from the Bible and dig beneath the surface to uncover the precious nuggets of truth, wisdom, and knowledge that lie waiting to be discovered. I pray that you too will be inspired to do some of your own digging into God's scripture!

This week's Bible verse: Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most universally known verses quoted by Christians to encourage others going through difficult times, or trying to perceive what God is doing presently in their own life. One of the tendencies of Christians (and yes, I have done it, too) is to quote a verse that by itself sounds applicable, but if you take the time to study the verse within the context of the Scripture around it, you’ll hopefully see a different meaning intended by God.

I will try my best to walk us through this. But, please keep in mind that I am not an Old Testament theologian by any means. For sure, there are many others that are more biblically trained than I, and I am thankful for them. However, in my heart I truly believe that God lovingly speaks to us, the average-everyday-person, in a way that we can all understand. Trust me. We just need to open our hearts and minds to Him. He will take care of the rest.

In order to get a better understanding of verse 11, we will take a look at Jeremiah 29:1-20. In verses 1-9, we see the people (Israel) were divided geographically, some already in exile and listening to false prophets concerning their return; and those still in Judah listening to false prophets say that they had escaped judgment and nothing further was coming. Yes, they have been physically moved, but they still have to undergo the necessary spiritual shift that would reconcile them spiritually.

God clearly lets it be known that He is the God of the armies above and below, who, in this case, uses the earthly forces of Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish His will. It’s a message to Israel of God’s sovereignty over the whole situation no matter where they are physically or spiritually. Regardless of physical conditions, God is in control. That’s it, plain and simple!

Judgment doesn’t actually “end” when the physical acts of judgment are completed, but only when God’s purpose for judgment has been accomplished. He doesn’t want punished people, He wants people who respond to punishment and return in sincere repentance and commitment from the heart. Why?

In verses 10-14, they are going through God’s judgment in order to be refined and changed into the kind of people who will conform (or change) to His plans for their hope and future. He is not simply “erasing” everything and pretending nothing happened. If you learn anything from our discussion today, I hope you learn this: “Becoming what God intends involves a personal commitment of faithfulness and obedience to his words and ways on our part.” That’s it! How simple and basic is that?

In Old Testament times God allowed His disobedient children to be carried off into captivity as well as having them put into slavery for willful sin. Verses 15-20 tells us that false teaching tries to get you to excuse your current circumstances so you can justify continuing to please yourself, and living according to the ways which brought on the circumstances in the first place. Just as the Lord allowed the disobedient Israelites to become servants to the Babylonians, God allows the disobedient to become servants to sin today. The only cure for disobedience is obedience.

Now, you have seen that when studied in context, Jeremiah 29:11 is not a blanket promise of God that covers everything. It’s something God said within a specific context to Israel which certainly applies to us as well, but it’s not a blank check to keep on doing “business as usual”. In reality, it’s part of a call to specific action to ensure that His plans are realized for our best hope and future.

Let's Pray:

Father, You bless those who revere Your name and delight in Your commands. In the midst of inner turmoil or outer conflict I will not be shaken for my heart remains steadfast trusting in You and Your overall plan for my life. I want to remain firmly grounded as I overcome the daily obstacles common to all who live on earth. Help me to learn the valuable lessons along the way as I press on toward the goal for which You have called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Until next week...

God bless you,

Rochelle