Devotion: Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to hard you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This verse is one that I have always taken great comfort from and have relied on to carry me through the rough times in my life. But it was not until this year that I learned that this verse is not actually what it seems. It is easy to take out of context and make what we want it to be – in my case, a verse of support, hope, and inspiration.

But the actual meaning is determined when you look at the verse in context. There is no denying that there is an inspirational message here and one of hope. But  we need to first understand who this message of hope was meant for – who it was written to and why.

This verse was intended for the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They had been forced into captivity in Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzer. Jerusalem had not yet been fully destroyed. Jeremiah wrote his letter to the exiles to encourage them and let them know that there truly was a future for them, despite how bleak it seemed at the time. God used Jeremiah to reassure the exiles that He was still in control and would redeem His people and take them back to their native homes (though that would not happen for 70 years).

While we can still draw hope from this verse, the original intent was for the Jewish exiles, not the modern day Christian. Yet modern day Christianity has taken this verse and commercialized it. You can find it on wall hangings, blankets, mugs, tshirts, water bottles, notebooks, bible covers, license plate frames, etc.

Does that mean we cannot use it? Of course we can! We can still draw hope from this verse and countless others from the Old Testament. Just because it was not written to us specifically does not mean it does not still have value for our lives. Remember what we have said already – ALL Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching and rebuking (2 Timothy 3:16). But before we draw from Scripture to hide His Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11), we need to understand the context in which it was written and the original intended meaning. Then we can evaluate whether it can be applicable to today’s Christian and how.

Draw hope from Jeremiah 29:11 and know that He DOES have a plan for you and He DOES want what is best. Know that this verse might be written to a different people and time, but can be applied today for encouragement’s sake.

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