Jeremiah 29:10–14 ‘I know the plans I have for you…’ (v11)
Jeremiah 29 has the famous verses about God’s plans that Christians very often quote! But let’s look at this promise in context.
Promises here are being given to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, sent by the prophet Jeremiah, who was in Jerusalem, to the ‘surviving elders’ (Jer. 29:1) – a grim phrase.
God is promising to bring them back from captivity. But He is also saying that they will seek Him and find Him – this to a nation that has so many times chosen to walk away from the God who rescued them from their Egyptian masters.
We can only imagine the hope that this promise brought to the captives at that time.
For ourselves, we may be very familiar with verse 11 – that God has plans to prosper us, to give us ‘hope and a future’.
But let’s not forget to read on: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you’ says God in verses 13 and 14.
We must be aware that we need to seek God’s presence wholeheartedly if we earnestly desire to find Him! The exiles needed to hear this as a nation.
However, sometimes we need to remind ourselves of it, too – God has good plans for us, yes; but we need to seek Him for who He is, not just for what He might do for us.
We also need to remember that verse 11 doesn’t read: ‘I know the plans I have for me, God.’ They are God’s plans – they may not always line up with what we are requesting.
It is only as we remain in His presence that we may be able to see and fully accept this!
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, help me to remember that I am called into loving relationship with Someone I can trust. Help me to surrender to Your will, knowing how much You love me. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Examine your prayer life! Do you come to God seeking His heart, or His hand?
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 119:1–16; Prov. 3:1–8; Matt. 10:1–42; John 10:1–30
