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Coffee With God: 9/20/2024 | Jeremiah 29:11
Many people cite Jeremiah 29:11 as their favorite Bible verse. After all, who doesn’t love the idea of God having “plans to prosper you, and to give you a future”? It sounds wonderful, but is this verse a universal promise for all who lay claim to it?
One important rule of exegesis is that when interpreting a biblical text, we must be aware of the context. In other words, we cannot treat individual Bible verses like fortune cookie sayings.
Another is that a given verse or passage of scripture cannot mean something to us that it did not mean to its original audience. With those concepts in mind, let’s take a closer look at the context and meaning of this verse.
At the time of writing this passage the prophet Jeremiah was located in Jerusalem, writing to the Israelites who were in captivity in Babylon. The prophet was relaying a message to the exiles that at the end of seventy years God would fulfill his promise to bring them home.
He also encouraged them to “build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce” while waiting for that time to come.[1] Additionally, he instructed them to “…pray to the Lord on [Babylon’s] behalf, for its welfare…”[2]
Can you imagine longing for home while being held captive in a foreign land, and having the Lord compel you to pray for your captor’s well-being? That adds perspective to God’s promise, doesn’t it?
While many love to quote Jeremiah 29:11, when was the last time you heard someone quote the verses that follow?
Jeremiah 29:12-14 “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.”[3]
The thought of seeking God with all our hearts does not always sound as appealing as a promise to prosper us; seeking God requires action on our part. Plus, it often requires surrendering personal plans, since his plans for us may not align with our dreams, goals, or personal ambitions.
In the New Testament, Jesus implored his followers to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” with the promise that “all these things will be added to you.”[4]
"...as we truly seek him with all our hearts, he will transform us to be more like himself. As this process unfolds, we will notice that our desires and aspirations shift."
Does that mean that if I pray steadfastly for what I want I have a guarantee that he will give it to me? No. That is not how prayer works. Just prior to this statement Jesus encouraged his followers not to worry about “what you shall eat, drink, or wear.”[5] He assured them that “your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.”[6]
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” To delight in the LORD is to find satisfaction in pleasing him.
In other words, our Heavenly Father will certainly take care of those who earnestly seek him with pure motives. He will not necessarily give us everything we want (certainly not the desires of our flesh), but as we truly seek him with all our hearts, he will transform us to be more like himself. As this process unfolds, we will notice that our desires and aspirations shift.
So, is Jeremiah 29:11 for you and me? In a way, yes. But not in the specific way it was meant for ancient Israel. If we truly seek the Lord, he will work out his plans for us, assure us of eternal life with him, and plant desires in our hearts that perfectly align with his will. That kind of prosperity is worth far more than the worldly, temporal kind.
[1] Jeremiah 29:5
[2] Jeremiah 29:7
[3]Jeremiah 29:12–14.
[4] Matthew 6:33
[5] Matthew 6:31
[6] Matthew 6:33
The Context and Meaning of Jeremiah 29:11
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