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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Notes
What needs to be emphasized from the beginning is that Jeremiah 29:11 cannot be directly applied to us today. The message from the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel in exile was for them to not despair and be reminded of God’s goodness in not forsaking them. So, then, how do we understand this verse in the 21st century as it relates to us today, and not misuse God’s plans of prosperity for our own satisfaction?
What is good to remember is the declaration from the Lord of His ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster,’ is a message FOR us and not TO us. We are not in exile. We do carry the assurance of God’s control even in the bleakest of circumstances and that confidence should give us hope. A hope not in the guise of what this world has to offer, but a hope in eternity with a savior who sacrificed himself for us. We were never meant to ease our way through this life, and God states his assurance that he intends good and not demise for us, but we do need to seek him and not imagine that we can do all things on our own.
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. – Jeremiah 29:12
When God spoke these words in vs. 12 He was speaking to his people who were exiled in Babylon, unsure of their future. Although not in exile, it seems that the majority of people walk around in aimless pursuits, but have little confidence in their destination. What I am reminded of when reading, ‘You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen,’ is the comfort of when I want to be both seen and heard. The creator of the universe is interested in little old me and my sorrows and trepidations. He cares about me, but I need to take the first step. His care is not forced. There is no aggressive assistance from our Maker, instead, there is a bounty of relief and regard if only I would be willing to let go of my pride that tells me, ‘I can do this on my own,’ and let God help.
I recall an instance when I began my writing journey nearly two years ago. I found myself a bit lost and still grieving a decade of work that I had I did not feel was finished but knew a change was needed. I was in a small group where a woman spoke of her busy life and how she had kids and a job and she had written four books. When we discussed God’s purpose and how I was feeling lost, she directly said, “Did you ask? If you don’t ask, how is God supposed to answer.” Such a statement caused me to pause and reflect. I realized in my endeavors, whether photography or writing, I was not including God anywhere. If we do not seek Him, we will not find Him. If we don’t ask the question, He will not answer.
And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13
Vs. 13 emphasizes the need to not be half-hearted in our cries for God. Believing we are smart and capable on our own, we all sometimes feel as though we get enough of what we want and move on or we don’t seek Him at all. Then we wonder why our plans have ruptured and our dreams have soured.
‘And you will seek Me,’ reveals that at some point a hardship will be too much and we will desire to seek Him. Some may say a ‘higher being’ or an ‘orchestrator of fate,’ but in the end, we all seek Him. The key though is those who DO seek the Lord with ALL they have will find Him. The god people find that fits neatly into their well-designed plans and allows their indulgences to thrive is no real god. We must let go of what has a hold on us and thoroughly seek a God who only has good in mind for us.
I will let Myself be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ – Jeremiah 29:14
Vs. 14 speaks specifically to the people of Israel and the message reminded them of the hope they have in God. What has this to do with us today? We may not be in exile geographically, but we are being pulled back and forth in the spiritual battle that wars between this world and the next. We are plopped down at this moment in time for a purpose, but we also have a future with Christ to live in eternity. Although it can be hard to detect at times, that struggle within, the war inside ourselves, is the result of our time in the present and time in the vastness of eternity and the two have different intentions.
Another idea is to be reminded that our time on earth is short and our real destiny is God’s Everlasting Kingdom. I am reminded of Revelation 7:9 where John writes:
After this, I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
We, who believe in God, share a destiny that no amount of hardship or despair can take away. We are a community of believers, not individuals, who carry the hope of redemption and the purpose of God through our lives not for our amusement or recreation, but to do good and ‘speak truth, in love’ to share the good news that death is not defeat, but there is hope for the future. Hope for every single soul.
MEMORY VERSE
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection. Palace, 1885. The New York Public Library
Related Verses
More verses about God’s promises:
PRAYER INVITATION
““Twant me, ‘twas the Lord. I always told Him, “I trust you. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me.” And He always did.”
— Harriet Tubman
MANÁ 
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