GOD’S PLAN to give us HOPE and a BETTER FUTURE
August 16 Bible Reading: Jeremiah Chapters 28-30
GOD’S PLAN to give us HOPE and a BETTER FUTURE
"For I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give
you a future and a hope." (Jer 29:11)
In 597 B.C., the Babylonians began to deport the Jews to
Babylon. To those who were deported, Jeremiah sent a letter in which he told
them to prepare for a long stay in Babylon. Instead of hoping for Babylon’s
quick destruction, they were to seek its peace and prosperity. The Lord would
restore the exiles only when the seventy years of judgment that He had
announced were completed (Jer 25:11–12).
In the above key verse, we can understand that God places
considerable emphasis on His unchangeable plan to bring peace and not evil in
our lives. He wishes to give us hope and provide us with a better future. Even
though Judah was in captivity, God has not terminated His relationship with His
people. God remembers His covenant promises of restoration that He had promised
in Deut. 30:1–10.
In his exposition of Jer 29:10–14 in ‘Preaching’, Yates makes the following observation: "God’s Word to His people in the day of
Jeremiah is still His sure word for men who have sinned and lost touch with the
Infinite. He is always available. His longing is that all men may look to Him
and live. His arms are always open in loving invitation to any who will turn to
Him. Cleansing, peace, joy, victory will be his at the hand of a loving God who
delights to welcome His children home."
According to the Bible scholar Warren Weirsbe, Jeremiah’s
letter to the exiles helps us understand how we can make the best of a
difficult situation:
- Accept it. We should live as normal a life as
we can and put up with inconveniences without complaining. We should try to be
a blessing to others, and be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker.
- Be patient. God has the timing all worked out,
and His plans never fail. He knows how long and how much.
- Trust God. Verse 11 is a powerful promise to
claim when we are “in exile”. God
thinks about us personally and is planning for us. His plans are for peace, so we need not fear the
future. His plans are purposeful, so
we should let Him work out His will. No matter how difficult our situation may
be, we should not waste our suffering by resisting God.
- Avoid false hopes. It is human to indulge in false
hopes and grasp at every straw, but this approach leads to despair. We should
avoid the subtle voices of the false teachers with their false hopes. The Word
of God will tell us what to do.
Today, we are somewhat like the Jewish exiles in Babylon, for we are away from our heavenly home and living among those who do not accept our way of life. We live with a future hope in the return of Christ and spending eternity with Him. In the meantime, we are just visitors and pilgrims on earth. This is what Apostle Peter tells us to do within our context: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:11-12)
