“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” –Jeremiah 29:11-14.
Many people (including myself) have said and shared the first part of the text Jeremiah 29:11, thankful for the reminder and the fact that God has a plan for their lives. An elder from church shared this text with me in college years ago. He told me to remember it and never forget it. It has stuck with me ever since. It’s upbeat and inspirational. It has encouraged a lot of people. But the caveat and the real gem is the rest of the promise!
There were 12 tribes of Israel. They then split into two separate nations, the other being Judah. The people of Israel had sinned greatly against God, and the leadership was mostly horrible. Israel became captive of Assyria, and Judah eventually fell captive to Babylon. God’s people, His chosen people, captive! God gave warnings all throughout this time for the people to turn back to Him, but they did not take heed. Overtaken by other nations, scattered around, they were simply a “hot mess” (can we relate?) Fast forward to the book of Jeremiah. God would not allow Jeremiah to intercede for the people of Judah and help them in any way. Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to share what the Lord had told him.
The text of Jeremiah 29:11-14 is one that acknowledges people’s pain and heartache. They were being punished by God because of their disobedience to Him. They basically had to suffer the consequences of their actions (I hear my mom in this sentence). They began to emulate other nations, bringing in idols, not praying and losing sight of all God’s promises. They were to be conquerors of the land not followers of the inhabitants within it. Imagine being chosen and set apart but forgetting this, not even acting like this is so. Everyone else knows and sees it but the one who really should—YOU! Jeremiah goes on to tell the people that when 70 years of being in Babylon is complete, God will confirm His promise to restore them. He was going to bring them from the land He sent them captive to and restore EVERYTHING.
God knows the promises He gives to His people. He creates and maps everything out before our births. With all the miracles He performed and battles won, you’d think there would be no question in His ability or power. But as we all sometimes do, yet instead we look at the world around us and compare or idolize what we think we want may be missing. And it would certainly be so easy for Him to touch every single person and force action upon His word, but He doesn’t exactly work that way. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
If you feel lost, alone, afraid, used, confused, not knowing if God cares or if He’s with you. If you think you’ve done too many bad things and that God could never love or forgive you take it from me, this could never be farthest from the truth. I used to say that if there were a picture to accompany “failure” or “messed up” in the dictionary, it would be me. I have fallen so many times, turned away from God both intentionally and unintentionally, whether it was from relationships that caused distractions or tragedy. But I’ve found that it’s not always another physical body holding you captive. It could be yourself, your own mind and thoughts. When I began to exclude God, I became my own prisoner. The world refers to the conscience, but believers know that the still small voice we hear and sometimes ignore is the Holy Spirit; that voice of God calling your name, speaking to you if one chooses to listen. And even when there were times, I knew I should’ve turned back, I found it hard to because of pride, embarrassment or feeling as if He wouldn’t love me the same or had simply gotten tired of me. Instead of talking to Him, I turned away equating Him with people and not the loving and forgiving Father He actually is.
So like me through learning on my own journey, take Jeremiah 29:11 as a reminder of God’s love for you, but Sis, don’t forget to read the rest so you know what it takes to rebuild and restore so that you can thrive being the best version of Yourself in His Image. The version He had in mind all along:)
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we humbly come before you, Lord, thanking you first of all for You. We thank you for growth, future and hope. We ask for forgiveness and that we use the wisdom you’ve given us to discern our next steps as we move forward to begin again. We pray that whatever land holding us captive whether internal or physical that we proclaim freedom and our belonging to You. We thank You for caring for us so deeply that we are always Seen, Valued and Loved. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen
With Love,
Missy Anne
