Jeremiah 29:11 – Verse of the Day 7/24/14

Can you think of a time when it was very hard to believe that God’s plan for you was good? For some of us, this happens when we or our loved ones are suffering. For others, it happens when God’s commands seem too hard to follow.

These words were part of a letter that Jeremiah wrote to the people of Judah in exile. Imagine how it would feel to be exiled from your home and living in a foreign place under the rule of a ruthless foreign power! The letter encourages the people to accept God’s judgment and the exile as a consequence of their sin, and through their acceptance to prepare themselves to be restored to the Promised Land. God’s plan for Israel was good and trustworthy, and so Jeremiah encouraged them to find their hope in God’s will rather than in their own plans.

God’s ultimate plan to restore Israel was fulfilled in Jesus. The people’s longing for an earthly land will ultimately be realized in the provision of an eternal salvation (Hebrews 11). Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His good plan of salvation, and ask Him to help you trust as you wait for your future hope. Only God provides a future worth living for, so ask Him to help you trust Him.