Jeremiah 29:11
There is an extremely popular Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11 that says, "I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster and to give you a future filled with hope." This might be a little controversial but
Take a moment and read the entire scripture from Jeremiah 29:1-14. Hit the link, don't worry I will be here waiting when you get back.
A little context for Jeremiah: the people of God have worshipped other Gods and now they had been taken to exile by Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. A prophet named Hananiah had told them this was a temporary situation, but it wasn't and Hananiah had died because he was a false prophet. Now Jeremiah is letting the people know they need to settle in: build homes, have children - let your children have children. Basically, you will be here a while. He even tells them, "Don't pay attention to your dreams"?!? This is the scripture we put on keepsakes to give to college students? So what is it really all about and what does it have to do with today?
First, God is reminding them that even though they have been separated from the land of their birth and the Temple that God resided in, that God is still their king and in control. This is not the kind of control that means that the Lord is micromanaging every moment, but rather God's providence is guiding the overall course of events. The Jewish people would suffer as a result of their choices, but after their period of exile, God would provide a way home. God does have a plan, one for peace and to give a future; however, they are not quite the plans that the people were expecting. Part of that plan was to prosper the very people who took them into exile! How radical. Where we want to kill and destroy our enemies, God is saying pray for them because their well-being affects your well-being. Pray for them because we are all interconnected.
Here are the actions steps that Jeremiah tells them:
1. When you call me and come pray to me I will listen. (verse 12)
God listening does not mean God gives us what we want. God's promise to us, just like to them, is that God will be present if we are. Want God's plan for you? Spend time with God!
2. When you search for me, you will find me. I will be present for you. (verse 13-14).
We all say we want a deeper relationship with God. The promise is that if we even try, we will find God. Find Christ. What is holding you back from doing so?
Jeremiah 29:11 is a tremendous scripture but it should not be taken away from its context. What it tells us is that God doesn't always take away our pain and suffering, but God is always with us. IF we seek the Lord; IF we search out our savior. This is so important today! I don't know any Christian, no matter what your background is, is happy with the way our world is today. We are not in exile to a foreign nation but we have allowed ourselves to be exiled by our worship of idols and our sin. God wants us to come home, every person has a place in God's kingdom. As we deal with yet another mass shooting, if you are like me, you probably are at a loss as to what to do. So follow Jeremiah's advice: pray and seek God. Then we will know the plans that God has for us and maybe we can figure out a constructive way forward.
Take a moment and read the entire scripture from Jeremiah 29:1-14. Hit the link, don't worry I will be here waiting when you get back.
A little context for Jeremiah: the people of God have worshipped other Gods and now they had been taken to exile by Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. A prophet named Hananiah had told them this was a temporary situation, but it wasn't and Hananiah had died because he was a false prophet. Now Jeremiah is letting the people know they need to settle in: build homes, have children - let your children have children. Basically, you will be here a while. He even tells them, "Don't pay attention to your dreams"?!? This is the scripture we put on keepsakes to give to college students? So what is it really all about and what does it have to do with today?
First, God is reminding them that even though they have been separated from the land of their birth and the Temple that God resided in, that God is still their king and in control. This is not the kind of control that means that the Lord is micromanaging every moment, but rather God's providence is guiding the overall course of events. The Jewish people would suffer as a result of their choices, but after their period of exile, God would provide a way home. God does have a plan, one for peace and to give a future; however, they are not quite the plans that the people were expecting. Part of that plan was to prosper the very people who took them into exile! How radical. Where we want to kill and destroy our enemies, God is saying pray for them because their well-being affects your well-being. Pray for them because we are all interconnected.
Here are the actions steps that Jeremiah tells them:
1. When you call me and come pray to me I will listen. (verse 12)
God listening does not mean God gives us what we want. God's promise to us, just like to them, is that God will be present if we are. Want God's plan for you? Spend time with God!
2. When you search for me, you will find me. I will be present for you. (verse 13-14).
We all say we want a deeper relationship with God. The promise is that if we even try, we will find God. Find Christ. What is holding you back from doing so?
Jeremiah 29:11 is a tremendous scripture but it should not be taken away from its context. What it tells us is that God doesn't always take away our pain and suffering, but God is always with us. IF we seek the Lord; IF we search out our savior. This is so important today! I don't know any Christian, no matter what your background is, is happy with the way our world is today. We are not in exile to a foreign nation but we have allowed ourselves to be exiled by our worship of idols and our sin. God wants us to come home, every person has a place in God's kingdom. As we deal with yet another mass shooting, if you are like me, you probably are at a loss as to what to do. So follow Jeremiah's advice: pray and seek God. Then we will know the plans that God has for us and maybe we can figure out a constructive way forward.
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