TwistedSample

"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 NIV

We’re not going to pad this, so get ready. Ready now? When the prophet Jeremiah wrote about God’s prosperous and hopeful plans, he was not talking to you. Before you go destroying Pinterest boards, coffee mugs, and Instagram quotes, wait a minute. God still said it, and it made it in the Bible, so let’s find out why and what it means to us today.

From reading further in the chapter we discover a few things. God was talking through Jeremiah to Jewish exiles in Babylon. We also read that God caused them to be taken captive there. Why? If we look further into Jeremiah and the Old Testament, we learn they had blatantly rebelled against God. We also read in Jeremiah 29:1-10 that they’re to settle down in Babylon because they’re going to be there a while—70 years, to be exact. On top of this pile of context, God said the famously twisted words of verse 11.

What can we take away today? We can look at the story as a whole and extract godly principles. Rebellion against God has consequences, but He can still redeem us. God’s redemption isn’t always fast. Sometimes it’s years before we fully realize His promises. God speaks to His people. God’s story isn’t about His people; it’s about Him.

Today, we Christians can understand the hope promised in this verse is given to us through Jesus. If we can endure this world filled with trials (John 16:33), our hopeful future is our eternal reward in heaven with Christ! If we quote verse 11 by itself, life looks easy and God exists for us. If we untwist it and read it in context, God looks good and we’re here for Him.

Consider: Which version of Jeremiah 29:11 have you lived by? How has your faith been impacted?