Jeremiah 29:1-14
For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)
This verse imprinted on coffee mugs, posters, t-shirts, key chains, and many other memento items is given regularly to mark a new time in a person’s life. Graduation, a new move, a new job—all these get the encouragement from Jeremiah 29:11.
Would Jeremiah have made it onto as many coffee mugs, posters, and shirts if people read chapter 29 carefully? Sellers of merchandise pluck verse 11 out of context and offer a seemingly appealing affirmation. Buyers of the merchandise clutch on to the assertion that God has a plan for their welfare and for hope. Perhaps those who display verse 11 hope that God’s plan includes improving the outward circumstances of their lives. As the old saying goes, most people carry burdens and fight battles very few others know of. The promise of welfare designed by God sounds good.
No one, however, slurps coffee from a mug bearing verse 10, about the long wait before the welfare happens. This chapter does offer important instruction about divine activity in our lives, even if we ought to exercise caution about expecting welfare on our own terms. Even if this passage does not support warm fuzzy feelings about how God will make things turn out our way, it teaches something most Christians need to learn.
God assures those in captivity in Babylon, that they have a long time ahead of them, but no matter where they are, God has a plan for them. The presence of God is not signified by everything going well and our lives finding comfort. No, even when the news is hard to hear, “you will be there for 70 years,” we are assured that God is present and God is in control.
Pastor Greg
