Thoughts on Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD; plans to prosper and not to harm; plans for a future and a hope”
I have been working with a group of precious gals who have struggled with broken marriages for numbers of reasons. At our last meeting I shared these thoughts with them and felt they were good for you, my readers, too! It doesn’t matter what situation any of us find ourselves in, this is God’s ultimate plan for each of us in Christ. We all need to remember this as we face the trials that have and will come up! Let’s look at the pieces of this verse:
GOD has plans for you- The sovereign- in –charge- of -everything God, the God who created you and sent Jesus to pay the price for your sins, the God who cares for you and wants to take care of you and promises to do that–this is the GOD who has plans for you
God HAS plans for you-This is a “given”, a fact, a foregone conclusion-a done deal!
God already has set this all in motion before ever there was a breath in you! He already HAS plans. Nothing has been a surprise to God as He has known the end from the beginning and is in both of them! You can make book on it!
God has PLANS for you-There are definite ways of proceeding, specific methods and actions, a particular diagram of events that God has laid out for you! You are not tossing about, to and fro, without rhyme or reason, without someone in control! God has PLANS!
God has plans for YOU!! Each one of you is the object of His efforts and He is at work on YOUR behalf! You are each, individually, the object of His affection and His care and His efforts!
Plans to prosper and not to harm-And you ask, how can this be true? This trial, this pain, this suffering, this difficult place has definitely NOT felt like prospering and it definitely HAS felt like harm!! Yup, that’s just the way it looks if you ONLY SEE IT from human eyes and not from the bigger plan GOD has. Let me ask you each some questions: Have you grown closer to the LORD through this trial? Have you found yourself more dependent on Him? Have you found Him THERE when you needed Him? Have you known He was your comfort and sensed that He was awake with you in the lonely nights? Have you found Him good even in the midst of pain? Have you found comfort from His Word like never before? Have you seen His grace when you have ranted and raved and yelled and hollered and even shook your fist at Him and asked for the 1000th time WHY GOD, WHY??? I would venture to say that, from GOD’S perspective, you HAVE “prospered” in that you have found Him faithful and true to His Word; you have been able to glorify Him in the tough times and, in the process, you have become more like His Son and that is what He has wanted all along! You will never know God is enough until God is all you have and I am convinced that you have found that true in a hundred ways through this valley. “Harm”would be something that does not bring you benefit or is not in your best interest. God is making you like His Son to prepare you for an eternity in heaven with Him. That’s looking out for your best interest-that’s prospering, not harming.
Plans for a future-Yup, some of you have already found this to be true. There is life beyond an adulterous husband. There is life beyond divorce. There is life beyond being a single parent. There is life beyond this trial and even if the trial ends in physical death, there is heaven next for the believer!!! For those just beginning this journey, you can trust this—God has a plan for your future! He is in charge of it all, so stand on Matthew 6:31-34: “Do not worry and say, ‘What shall I eat? What shall I drink? What shall I wear?? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father KNOWS you have need of these things! But seek ye first thekingdom of
God and HIS righteousness and ALL these things will be added unto you. DO NOT WORRY about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things! Sufficient for the day is the trouble therein”!
Plans for a hope-Do you sometimes feel hopeless? Do you sometimes think nothing will ever be good again, nothing will ever be like it was, nothing will ever change? Do you sometimes think it will always be painful and you will always be sad and mad and depressed? This is the truth—-GOD is the GOD of all hope and comfort and He will reveal this all to you in His time. The important thing is to realize is that HE IS FAITHFUL and HE WILL BRING HOPE BECAUSE THAT IS HIS PROMISE and HE does NOT lie!!
There are truths in GOD’s Word that stand out for all people for all time. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of them. Go ahead, my hurting friend, stand on this one! HE will hold you close and HE will hold you up. He promised and He can not lie!
