7 minute read 
by Bethany Rees

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

I’ve always heard Jeremiah 29:11 read at baby dedications and as a reminder of God’s good plans for me. It always sounded inspirational and I loved to think about all the good plans God had for my life. 

Heck, I would even fantasize about how God was going to bless me and how all the things I wanted for my life would happen because my plans were good…and combined with God’s plans, well together the plans would be amazing. (Hmm…without identifying it at the time, I think I wanted to believe in the prosperity gospel.)

Yes, the verse Jeremiah 29:11 sounded like a great promise from God that I definitely was ready for.

However, have you ever read the other chapters in Jeremiah? Chapters 1-28 and 30-52? 

The chapters before and after Jeremiah 29:11 are filled with announcements of destruction of the kingdom of Judah and “the life” Israel was used to. In Jeremiah, Jeremiah the prophet is delivering God’s message of destruction and begs people to repent of their wicked ways. 

However, because of Israel’s stubborn and unconsecrated heart, God’s chosen people would be cast off. They were going to be destroyed by the Babylonian Empire and only a remnant would remain in exile (e.g. Daniel was an exile). 

Shoot, let’s just read Jeremiah 29:10…one verse before our beloved “God has good plans for you” verse.

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.” ~Jeremiah 29:10 [emphasis added]

The exiles saw the fall of their nation, were torn from their home during the brutal siege, and sent to a foreign land…for 70 years!  In chapter 29, Jeremiah is delivering a message from God to the remnant (the few to survive) who are in exile in Babylon where God is telling them to grow where planted because the exile is going to last for 70 years, and then He’ll bring them home.   

And it’s then that God delivers the encouraging verse 11 message to the exiles: 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The encouragement of “God’s good plans” comes AFTER the reality of a major hardship. 

But wait, there’s more…Now take a look at the fruit of His good plan that will take 70 years to play out in verses 12-13: 

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” [emphasis added]

Notice how the fruit of God’s good plans is a closer relationship with Him. 

Now knowing the context of Jeremiah has forever changed my view of the beloved Jeremiah 29:11 Bible verse. 

Previously, my ignorant brain only saw the possibilities of God giving me happy circumstances and good gifts as part of his plan for my welfare, future, and hope. I guess you could say that I used to read that verse and only see rainbows and unicorns coming from my Heavenly Father.

But the older I get and the harder of situations that I walk through, the more I realize that the valleys, deserts, and times in exile are blessings from my Heavenly Father too because they produce a closer relationship with Him. 

Whether the hard situations are meant as discipline to correct my wayward heart or just a normal part of this broken world, God will use them to call me to repentance, build my character, and grow my faith so then I will call upon him, pray to Him, and seek Him with all my heart. 

Never underestimate the power of being removed from our comfort and complacency to help us refocus our eyes and hearts on God. 

Case and Point…

One of the hardest things I’ve done in my life was back in 2008 when Jason and I left small town Arkansas (a state population of 3 million) to move to the suburbs of Houston (a metropolitan area with 7.1 million people). 

Our first year in Texas was horrible!

Long story short…

• I had a new job that I hated because it was completely out of my expertise of teaching and curriculum (It was hardware technology focused…think Cat 5 cables, RAM, network outages, and computer viruses🤮) 
• Hurricane Ike hit the day we moved into our Texas House (We had flooding, fences/trees down, and no electricity for 2 weeks 😡)
• Both of Jason’s grandfathers passed away 😭
• Culturally, we felt out of place (city wealth vs country poor) 🥴
• We had no church home, no friends, and no social life 😥

Year 1 was rough!

BUT…God had good plans even though the process was painful!

He pulled us away from everyone we knew, every comfort we had, and everything we had previously relied on and put us in a place that felt foreign.

In that solitude we found Him. 

Not religion to worship God but a true personal relationship with God and faith to trust in Him through the hardship. We also found a stronger marriage/family unit, a desire to be taught, and the humility to grow where planted. 

God’s promises in His Bible are true, but we have to be careful to 1) know when they are specific to the person God is speaking to and 2) look at the whole picture context around what He said when He said it.

So I pray that you come to know that God does have good plans for you, but that doesn’t mean the process of those plans coming to fruition will be easy.

In fact, Jesus guarantees that it won’t be easy. 

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (trouble). But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33. [emphasis & definition added]

The New Testament is full of encouragement to Christians as they/we walk through hardship:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” ~James 1:2-4 [emphasis added]

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:6-10 [emphasis added]

As the song Good Plans from Red Rocks sings “He has good plans for me. So, I will take heart in deserts and gardens.”

Whether you’re experiencing deserts, gardens, or exile, you can grow where planted, sing praises, and know that God has good plans for you even if the process of those plans coming to fruition isn’t easy. 

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better. God has Good Plans.

Rocks before Sand!

Scripture: 

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

~ Jeremiah 29:10-14

Theme Song: 

Red Rocks Worship - Good Plans (Official Lyric Video)

References Used:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.