The Plans I Have

It's that time of year. Graduation open house invitations keep coming in the mail. People demanding that I attend, leave a card, and make sure it's stuffed with money. I don't mind all that, but there is one thing I've noticed that is in common with so many graduates. If they include a "life verse," nine times out of ten it is Jeremiah 29:11. I wonder how often people really take the time to find out what that verse is all about. Well, here is a study I did recently to better understand why Jeremiah wrote that wonderful verse.

Context, context, context. My hermeneutics professor told us over and over that those are the three most important things when studying the Bible. And in this instance it is of particular importance. The entire 29th chapter of Jeremiah is a letter written to Israelites shortly after the Babylonian exile began. The people were in great distress, wondering what was to happen to them. Had God given up on His covenant promise to them? Many false prophets were telling them that He had not and that they would soon be returning to their homeland. Jeremiah knew better. No, God had not given up on His covenant, but they were destined to live in Babylon for 70 years. So, through Jeremiah, God sent this letter to His people in exile.

He told the people to settle down. Live and enjoy life. Establish businesses, start families, do what they would normally do even when in their homeland. In spite of this, it was a very difficult time for the people. They were captives. They were living in exile, in a foreign land, a foreign culture. Life was hard, things were not making sense. Thus comes the encouragement of verse 11. He knows the plans He has for His people. He desires to cause them to prosper, to have a hope and a future, not plans to bring evil on them, but good. Even so, they must go through this trial for 70 years. It is a time of judgment, of punishment, of chastisement.

They sinned and are now paying the penalty. The temptation is to become angry with God for it, but God reassures them, stating that this is only temporary, and there is a goal in mind. The plan and goal He has for them comes in verses 12 through 14. His desire is for perfect, unadulterated fellowship with them. And when they turn and seek Him alone, then and only then will he return them to the promised land.

So how does this apply to us? All to often we approach this verse with a social gospel mentality. This is the idea that God will bless us at all times and that we will prosper in health, wealth, and all the other "good" things of this life. But that is not necessarily true. The true gospel is a call to suffering. When we come to Christ, we are promised trials, hardships, and persecutions. But these things are not meant for evil, but for good. These trials are meant for our growth. They cause us to grow in our trust and reliance upon Him. They drive us to seek Him. The ultimate good is the sweet fellowship we have with our God as a result. The true blessed future is an eternal future of perfect, fulfilling fellowship with God in the form of a deeper love, experienced only in part here on Earth, but in its fullest form in Heaven. That is our hope, our future, the place in which true prosperity comes.

I recently read this illustration.

A group of researchers once studied 100 caterpillars which were about to fight their way free from their cocoons. Instead of letting them struggle, the observers gently cut them out and released them. Then they set them on a table and tried to get them to fly. But none of them could. Not one.

The study demonstrated that the time of wrestling and fighting through the walls of the cocoon actually strengthens the wings of the butterfly to take flight. The very struggle - all the pushing and thrashing to free itself from restraint - is what makes new life possible. Without strife, there is no strength. (not a perfect quote, but very close)

If we hold to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 in this manner, we will not be disappointed. But if we hold to this promise expecting health, wealth and prosperity here in this life, we quite possibly will be disappointed. When the trials come, we may become disillusioned because of our false perception of verses such as this one.

The prosperity we will experience in Heaven, in eternal, perfect fellowship with our God, will far outweigh any suffering we may experience here on Earth.