Context is everything. One of the most misused and misunderstood verses in all the Bible is found here in Jeremiah 29.
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NASB
For those of you who have been following along in the Jeremiah series, you know that these words are from Jeremiah to the people of Judah who are now in exile. They are under the rule of the Babylonians because after repeated efforts on God’s part to call them to repentance through Jeremiah, these people refused.
We need to let the context sink in. These people have lost their land, their temple and their city along with being marched hundreds of miles back to Babylon. Jeremiah has told them they must endure 70 years of exile!
Once you study and let this passage sink in, it means much more than just an encouraging word to place on a graduation card. How many of these people do you think will live to see this promise? How hard would it be to know that you must live the rest of your life in exile? What thoughts run through the minds of these people knowing that their land is 70 years away?
With all that being said, God does offer hope. It’s not a superficial hope. It’s not all about happiness. It’s about God’s plan from the beginning that was based on the promise he made to Israel as a nation. It’s about drawing the people to Him and revealing His glory.
Be careful not to be shallow or selfish in your interpretation of Scripture. Yes, there is a tremendous hope to be found in Christ Jesus. Yes, He has an amazing plan for us. However, that plan may look very different than what we have in mind. The hope and future of our lives may involve a period of exile. And many times it’s in those moments where God does his best work!