Bible jeremiah 29 119/28/2023 The thing is, before he shares this promise, just a few verses earlier, he gives them this directive from God: “seek the peace and the prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. God does indeed have a good plan for the Israelites, and it is a plan that will give them hope and a prospering future. Jeremiah calls out Hananiah’s lie, and then states the promise we read in 29:11. The prophet Jeremiah confronts the false prophet, Hananiah, who had boldly proclaimed that God was going to free Israel from Babylon in two years (spoiler alert: God doesn’t do this). Here’s the context for Jeremiah 29: the Israelites were in exile, a punishment from God as a result of their disobedience. As she explains, the heart of the verse is “not that we would escape our lot, but that we would learn to thrive” in the midst of it. We often approach Jeremiah 29:11 as a security blanket: God has a plan for me that is good, so clearly this suffering I’m going through will end soon and then my flourishing will begin! But that is not at all what God was promising to the Israelites, and it’s not what he’s promising us, either.Īuthor and blogger Mary DeMuth addresses our misunderstanding of this verse in her article, Jeremiah 29:11 Doesn’t Mean What You Think. My Old Testament professor had this to say about the ever-popular Jeremiah 29:11: “I am going to destroy what this verse means to you, but then I’m going to reframe it so you understand it better within it’s original context, and then you will love it even more when we’re done.” He definitely had our attention! Put simply, when we walk with God, our lives will be full of joy and thoughts of peace.“’ 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.’” – Jeremiah 29:11 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way” ( Psalm 37:23). We should always trust in Him to lead us down the right path. This verse is telling us we can’t even comprehend the amazing things God has in store for us. “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). That’s why some of us refer to our professions as a “calling.” It’s a call to fulfill God’s devotional purpose for us. When you love God, He will call you to His purpose. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” ( Romans 8:28). No matter how extravagant our plans may seem, God is in control because His purposes always prevail. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” ( Proverbs 19:20-21). “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end, you will be counted among the wise. Some of our favorite Bible verses include: While Jeremiah 29:11 is the most popular verse when talking about God’s plans for us, plenty of other verses share similar messages. It's important to have cross-references when referring to the Bible to further enrich our understanding and study of God’s word. Even though some things may seem horrible or troubling for us at the time, we must have faith that God’s plan for us is what’s best. He knows everything that will or won’t happen to us. He merely told them that even though it’s hard right now, they must have faith. He wasn’t saying He’d swoop down and make everything easy for them. The people were asked to do the impossible, and it makes sense if they were hesitant at first.īy saying, “I know the plans I have for you,” God was reassuring the people that their faith in Him would be rewarded. ![]() Additionally, the city was in enemy Babylonian territory, which didn’t make things any easier. God tasked Jeremiah with delivering a message that God’s people would have to live and prosper for 70 years in a city that wasn't theirs. During this period, there were many emotional and physical stressors affecting God's followers. There, they are now under the enemy's control. ![]() When Jeremiah speaks, he is addressing his fellow Jerusalemites who were sent into exile in Babylon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |