SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND

 SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Jeremiah 29:1-14

This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.

It said: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 

Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. 

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

 

What happens when we don’t see God’s plan? 

In the Old Testament, Jeremiah was a prophet delivering a message from God to His people who had been exiled to Babylon. This certainly isn’t where they wanted to be. It wasn’t the plan. Instead of God rescuing them right away, He tells them to “build homes, and plan to stay” (Jeremiah 29:5 NLT) and to “work for the peace … of the city where I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:7 NLT)

A few verses later, God says, … “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.” Jeremiah 29:10 NLT

Seventy years! Let’s admit it most of us aren’t patient enough to wait for something for 70 seconds, let alone 70 years.

All of that is the context of the very next verse that you’ve likely heard before: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Here are three things about God’s plan we should always keep in mind:

1.) Good plans can take time. God told the Israelites they would be in captivity for 70 years. A lot of the people hearing that message would never see the other side of that promise. Sometimes, it might feel like it’s taking forever for God to reveal His plan to you. Do you remember yesterday’s emphasis? God’s plan for your life is more about who you are than what you do. That truth comes into play here, we keep trusting our faithful God, and walking in his way with expectation.

2.) Waiting seasons aren’t wasted seasons. Notice that God didn’t tell the Israelites to just wait and do nothing for seventy years. He told them to work for the peace and prosperity of the city He sent them to. Wherever you are right now, God will use you to glorify his name. Don’t miss out on making an impact in the now, the present, by waiting for a situation God hasn’t put you in yet.

3.) God’s plans are good. Whatever season you find yourself in right now, the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 holds true: God does have good plans for you, plans for a future and a hope. It may not seem like everything is working out right now the way you would like, but if you continue to trust God with your future, you’ll see good on the other side of it.

Let Us Pray

God, we want your plan for our lives. We may not understand everything, but we know your path is the best way for us. God, we trust in you completely. Please reveal your path for us, in your perfect timing. Help us to bring glory to you, in the meantime. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.