11 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 love this verse, don’t we? We tend to quote it a lot. I think we’ve all seen this verse printed on Christian t-shirts, journals, and mugs. It’s a scripture we declare over ourselves and others when we pray. It’s a go-to passage for Bible teachers and preachers in moments of encouragement and exhortation.
We love this verse. And why wouldn’t we? It reminds us that our future is in God’s hands, and that His plans for us are good. It’s truth that gives us hope, especially when we are facing present challenges with uncertain outcomes.
Jeremiah 29:11 provides a powerful promise we can stand on, BUT we often overlook an important piece of information when reading, quoting, praying, and meditating on it. When we read the entire chapter of Jeremiah 29, we realize that this promise was given to the Israelites during their forced exile into Babylon. God planned to prosper His people in the midst of their exile, not apart from it.
God’s plan isn’t always to get us out of the situation we are in. Sometimes, it’s to prosper us right in the middle of the mess we wish we were out of. I am sure the Israelites would have rather heard the Lord promise to quickly rescue them from their exile and defeat their enemies. Instead, God told them that their problems weren’t going away anytime soon, but that even in their loss, He would prosper them.
At times, the Lord will quickly intervene and solve the problem we are in. At times, we will experience the swift rescuing hand of God in our lives. Other times, He will keep us where we wish we weren’t. In these times, He will refine and mature us, grow and bless us. He will use the hardships and the difficulties for our good. It may not be the plan we want, but through it He will cause our lives to flourish.
Perhaps, you are facing a difficulty that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon… Maybe it’s a job you wish you could leave, but you know it’s not the right time. Maybe your marriage is struggling, and it’s going to take some real work to get to a good spot. Maybe you are facing some medical issues and you know you are going to have to make some significant changes to get healthier. Maybe you have growing financial debt that you can’t simply ignore anymore.
Know this: The Lord has a plan for you right where you are. He may not give you an easy out or a quick escape, but He can and will prosper you in the difficult and the hard. You can trust your today and your tomorrow to a God who knows how to bless even in the mess.