Promises, promises

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘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.

Have you ever been in a department store and seen a child separated from their parents? The fear is similarly evident on the child's  as well as the parents’ faces. It's a horrible feeling when the child turns around and can't find his parents. They frantically look through every nook and cranny and suddenly a sound of relief comes as they hear their name announced over the store intercom to come and retrieve their child.

You may have had a similar experience as a child or as a parent. Many parents have briefly lost a child in public. Maybe you have a memory from your childhood when you lost sight of your parent and you felt lost and alone.

I wonder if there has ever been a time in your life when you may have gone through some painful moments when you felt abandoned by God. It can be an empty and lonely feeling. You have heard me say and preach time and again how God says He will never leave us or forsake us. And it is so true. God simply wants us to feel secure as He assures us of His plan for us.

When understood in context, we discover that the words of Jeremiah 29:11 were spoken to people in the midst of hardship and suffering; people who were likely desiring an immediate rescue.  But God’s response is not to provide immediate escape from the difficult situation. Rather, God promises that He has a plan to prosper them in the midst of their current situation.

Christians facing difficult situations today can take comfort in Jeremiah 29:11 knowing that it is not a promise to immediately rescue us from hardship or suffering, but rather a promise that God has a plan for our lives and regardless of our current situation, He can work through it to prosper us and give us a hope and a future.

Furthermore, Christians can take comfort in knowing that God promises to be there for us in these situations. For in the verses immediately following Jeremiah 29:11, God proclaims through Jeremiah that when you “call on me … I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Almighty God,

across the ages

you have guided your people through the wilderness,

assuring us of a home in your eternal city.

Strengthen us along the way,

that we might not neglect our call

to serve the cities and towns where we live.

Help us to trust in your unfailing presence amid all of our fears.

Grant us wisdom to discern your way in this world

even as we hope for the next. Amen.