The Israelites were a rebellious nation. They served other gods and followed a path of adulterous unfaithfulness.
In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks to His people through the prophet Jeremiah to remind them that He has not forgotten them. And in chapter 29, Jeremiah pens a letter to the people who had been taken in exile to Babylon. In the midst of this historical context, we see God’s often-quoted promise to give us hope and a future.
“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
While the time in Babylonian captivity was partially designed as discipline for Israel’s infidelity, it also served as an opportunity to share with other nations more directly about who God was and invite them into relationship with Him, the sovereign Lord.
Remember Daniel and his friends? What a testimony they gave to the Babylonian and Medo-Persian nations. God has plans to give us hope and a future. It just may not look like we would want it to at the time.
Ultimately, God is in control. Whether the things that happen in our lives are a consequence of our actions, a form of disciple, the product of our decisions, or the design of God, the most important thing to remember is that God has a plan—a plan to give us hope and a future.
God’s plan is divine, infinite, supreme, and the ultimate source of hope for a redeemed future.