‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’
Jeremiah 29:11 NASB
I’m sure this verse sounds familiar. First off I just want to acknowledge that I do believe God has plans for all of our lives and that those plans are filled with hope. But there’s quite a bit we miss when we don’t view this verse in its original context.
This verse comes in the middle of a letter the prophet Jeremiah sent to the Israelite leaders who were exiled in Babylon. This is what he says leading up to verse 11, that I think is important for us to understand.
“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
‘Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.
Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease.
Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’
For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst or your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to their interpretations of your dreams which you dream.
For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.
For this is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.'”
Jeremiah 29:4-10 NASB
I want you to notice several things here.
- The Israelites were in exile. They were in a difficult season, likely being mistreated by the Babylonians, completely out of their comfort zone, and ultimately this was a consequence of not obeying God’s commands.
- God told them to build families, build homes, essentially to live their lives in Babylon as if it was their home. When we are in seasons of difficulty, despair, grief, or pain, what we often want to do is to wait on God to deliver us. This is not what God told the Israelites to do, and it is not what He wants us to do. We have to learn to persevere in His strength in those hard seasons.
- There were false prophets telling the Israelites that everything was going to be okay, that God was going to deliver them. Ummm, 2020 anyone? Maybe you’re unaware, but there were many “prophets” claiming many things, from the coronavirus being wiped out to Trump winning the election, to Jesus’ imminent return. None of these “prophecies” were fulfilled.
- God told them that this difficult season would end, and ultimately they would return to their home in Jerusalem.
God’s plan was good! But that doesn’t mean the Israelites didn’t have to endure hardship, pain, and suffering. Instead of delivering them out of their suffering immediately, God allowed them to be refined and to grow, both numerically and spiritually, in their season of exile. They were able to hold onto hope because of the promise of their future return.
When we’re in a difficult season, we can hold onto the hope of Jeremiah 29:11, that God does have a plan for us, and it is a plan to prosper us in whatever way He sees fit. The ultimate plan He has for us is to be with Him for eternity.
When I read this passage and see “70 years”, it makes me think about our life on this earth as being our exile, and our home being with Christ in heaven. That is what fills me with hope and helps me persevere through the most difficult times in life! It helps me to keep going, to keep living, to keep sharing Christ!