Jeremiah 29:11

"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." Jeremiah 29:11 ESV There are many people in different generation refer to this specific scripture as their comforts, their hopes, and encouragement for others which is not wrong of doing it so, but recently I read this passage over and over until I have the deeper understanding with its context and meditate on it, so I want to write it down to remind myself and share it with you. The verse before this scripture is "For Thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will visit you, and I'll fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 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." - Jeremiah 29:10-11 ESV. God told Jeremiah to write a letter stating this passage in Jerusalem and send it to the surviving elders of exiles and all people that Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon; to tell them build their houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce, take wives and have sons and daughters and so on. To those exiles and people this didn't make any sense to them because it contrasted with God's original plan. Since God gave the promise land to their ancestors, appointed the many great kings in their nation, and he mentioned about the Son of Man was going to come in David's town, so what was written in this letter seems to left them in Babylon until God visit them again. This is the reason why God continued to comfort their hearts with Jeremiah 29:11, so that these people would be able to trust God for his good plans and wouldn't turn away from worshiping him alone. Unfortunately, they were exiled and lived in Babylon because God allowed it to happen due to their sins of turning away from God and worshiping other gods of the nations around them.They failed to set them apart as the people of the Holy God, so God wanted to discipline them, make them to humble themselves and return to God again. As our God is always faithful and full with love, he already set a plan to rescue these people, and this chapter was about God's cared for his people in their difficulty even if was because of their sins. God never forsake them, and he is working on rescue his people in a good timing. Is this story sounds familiar to you at all? Yes, it is the same story that God keep repeating over and over; Noah built the Ark and brought his family and animal into the Ark, Moses brought the Israelite people out of Egypt, Jesus Christ rescued all who believe in him from the penalty of sins through his sacrifice. Since Israelite people kept refuse to God's plan, they fall short from God's glory, so there were many disaster to their nation, but God is still looking out for them and planning to rescue them. This scripture became more powerful when I personally understood that we are walking through some difficulty because of our sins or others people's sins, but God's promise of never forsake us is so real, and this is why he comforts us in our hardship and confusion that he knows the plan he has for our own good. However, we care about ourselves in the situation more than allowing God's plan to continue in our lives, so we end up taking control of it instead of God. Then it turns out that many time we are disappointed with God because we can't see far beyond, and we have no idea of what lies ahead of us. We want to become more and more independent when God's help is not quick enough or where God's plan seems so far from the reality, but we are missing out the good plan which God has for us because he wants us to know he is with us always, and there will be time of bringing us back to his fullness in his way after we have been through the hardship. He cares us so much, and his heart is pouring out for us so that we will continue to know him and walk with him with the humble hearts. The Jeremiah 29:11 is aligned with his purpose, for his people will trust in him and trust in his plans. My personal experience is similar to this passage, I once had a high hope that God would allow us to get our own house and settle in because the Thai government lets people get loan from the bank even they don't have certain salary. When we counseled with the bank, it seems impossible for us still. I was tempted to quit serving God and get the normal job so that I can effort to get the loan and buy the house. Then I started to ask myself 'Will I be ok if I don't teach bible and motivate others to love God as my passion is about?', my first respond is 'NO'. I won't be able to satisfy and be fulfilled if I don't do what I'm called for. After that arguing with myself, I completely surrender to God's plan about this issue. If I was meant to live in the renting house for the rest of my life including my family, then let it be because God knows the plan he has for me and my family, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give me and my family a future and a hope. Amen!