Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the great comfort passages in all of Scripture. Many have made it their life verse. But to understand the true meaning and the impact of such a verse one must grasp the context of the passage itself. Specific questions must be asked such as” To whom is the Lord speaking?” and “What were the circumstances of the times?” Only then can one see the beauty and the power of the words spoken.
God’s people were in turbulent times as destruction was upon them. God was using the kingdom of Babylon to bring discipline against His people who had forsaken Him for other gods, made mockery of the Jewish faith and polluted God’s land with pagan idols and corruption. A large contingent of Jews had already been taken captive to Babylon during the initial invasion while Jewish false prophets were prophesizing peace and victory while the worse was yet to come.
These comforting words from God did not come to those still living in Judah, but to those already taken captive. The words were part of a letter God wrote through Jeremiah to a people whom apparently had lost everything: their homeland, their families, their dignity, their religion, and their hope. Surely, they longed to return home from this pagan land and they must have understood themselves as the “unlucky” ones. Surely, they had cried out to God passionately for their deliverance, but instead of words promising immediately deliverance from their trials God instead instructed them to “build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat of their fruit. Take wives and begat sons and daughters…and seek peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive.” God was simply telling these captives to settle in and make themselves productive until He completes His purpose of which He was working in and through them, a purpose which would keep them sojourning another seventy years.
It was to these people, people living under captive circumstances and a people to whom God was telling to wait on Him that He gave these great words of encouragement, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God was reminding them that His thoughts were on them and His plans included them. Also, even in their captivity they were not the ones to be pitied as those who remained in Judah would soon face destruction.
God spoke these words to encourage people who were experiencing difficult trials so they would trust Him and wait upon Him. He had them exactly where He wanted them in order to fulfill His purpose and plan through them.
You may be in a very difficult place today, a place not of your own making, a place from where you long to be freed, but God does not seem to even hear your prayers. This is no different from the Israelites held captive in Babylon. Maybe God has you right where He wants you so He can fulfill a greater purpose through you. Remember, His thoughts are upon you and He has plan for your life.
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the great comfort passages in all of Scripture. Many have made it their life verse. But to understand the true meaning and the impact of such a verse one must grasp the context of the passage itself. Specific questions must be asked such as” To whom is the Lord speaking?” and “What were the circumstances of the times?” Only then can one see the beauty and the power of the words spoken.
God’s people were in turbulent times as destruction was upon them. God was using the kingdom of Babylon to bring discipline against His people who had forsaken Him for other gods, made mockery of the Jewish faith and polluted God’s land with pagan idols and corruption. A large contingent of Jews had already been taken captive to Babylon during the initial invasion while Jewish false prophets were prophesizing peace and victory while the worse was yet to come.
These comforting words from God did not come to those still living in Judah, but to those already taken captive. The words were part of a letter God wrote through Jeremiah to a people whom apparently had lost everything: their homeland, their families, their dignity, their religion, and their hope. Surely, they longed to return home from this pagan land and they must have understood themselves as the “unlucky” ones. Surely, they had cried out to God passionately for their deliverance, but instead of words promising immediately deliverance from their trials God instead instructed them to “build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat of their fruit. Take wives and begat sons and daughters…and seek peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive.” God was simply telling these captives to settle in and make themselves productive until He completes His purpose of which He was working in and through them, a purpose which would keep them sojourning another seventy years.
It was to these people, people living under captive circumstances and a people to whom God was telling to wait on Him that He gave these great words of encouragement, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God was reminding them that His thoughts were on them and His plans included them. Also, even in their captivity they were not the ones to be pitied as those who remained in Judah would soon face destruction.
God spoke these words to encourage people who were experiencing difficult trials so they would trust Him and wait upon Him. He had them exactly where He wanted them in order to fulfill His purpose and plan through them.
You may be in a very difficult place today, a place not of your own making, a place from where you long to be freed, but God does not seem to even hear your prayers. This is no different from the Israelites held captive in Babylon. Maybe God has you right where He wants you so He can fulfill a greater purpose through you. Remember, His thoughts are upon you and He has plan for your life.
Hey, bud! I didn't know you were doing this until I saw it on FB. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteGood Post -
ReplyDeleteIt's challenging to realize that God's good plans might include my suffering. Suffering was certainly part of God's plan for Paul (Acts 9:15). Further, if our Master suffered why would we expect less as his followers (John 15:19-21).
The consolation to be found is not that God will prevent our suffering but that it is part of His plan to make us mature and complete (James 1:2-4) and use us to magnify his Glory.