Make Jeremiah 29:11 Come Alive in Your Life
Jeremiah 29:11 provides hope in the midst of suffering and helps you make things happen. None of us say, “God, please give me a huge helping of adversity so I can suffer.” Everyone skitters away from difficulties because going through valleys is unpleasant.
God placed Jeremiah over nations and kingdoms to “root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, and to build and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10) He delivers a message to the Israelites they don’t want to hear regarding Babylonian captivity. Does this scenario sound familiar?
Do you sidestep scripture that makes you uncomfortable? Can you yield to God’s truth even if it makes you feel prickly and awkward? That’s what the Israelites had to do—yield to Jeremiah’s message—to restore favor with God. I write this short sermon on Jeremiah 29:11 for me as much as anyone.
The Jeremiah 29:11 Meaning
So., what does Jeremiah 29:11 mean? Here’s some background on the book of Jeremiah. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote the book between 630 and 580 BC announcing God’s judgments upon Judah, a tribe of Israel. He also delivered messages of repentance and righteousness on behalf of nations and people. Judah worshipped false Gods and offered sacrifices to idols, becoming a faithless and sinful nation.
The prophet delivers hope to a fallen nation by prophesying their deliverance from captivity. Deliverance comes with a price—70 years spent imprisoned by captors. God instructs the captives through Jeremiah to build houses and gardens and seek peace.
That is not what they wanted to hear, but it was the command from on high. Today’s Christians aren’t any different. We prefer an easier route to spiritual development. Going higher means you allow God to change you and yes it hurts. He is the only salvation available. Wealth, religion, and anything else provides a false sense of security factoring out God’s requirement to honor Him.
Even though Judah abandons God, He has a plan of protection and restoration. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-The Living Bible).
Don’t Change Jeremiah 29:11 to Suit Your Circumstances
A copy of Jeremiah 29:11 on an easel in my kitchen reminds me God is the author of my future. I rarely think about what it meant to the Israelites. Like other people, I seek a quick fix for an instant message of hope without digging into the Bible for answers.
The problem with approaching scripture like eye candy is taking it out of context. I once had a box full of scriptures to pick at random. I gratified my soul by reaching for a favorite verse to speak to a situation without seeking God for counsel. When I didn’t like the scripture I pulled out, I returned the card and looked for a verse that suited me.
Jeremiah 29:11 from God’s Perspective
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, people abandoned God and The Word. Scripture can be written on scrolls or in a Bible and people still stray. They choose to ignore the person (God) along with His words written with inspiration from The Holy Spirit.
God doesn’t like a cold shoulder and neither do you. Somehow humanity thinks they can go it alone without God’s help. Just as the kings of Israel built high places to worship Gods of stone and wood, people nowadays also have idols. Cars, houses, money, and any number of things outweigh in importance over God.
People continue to practice witchcraft, gain counsel from soothsayers, and consult with mediums and spirits. God becomes angry when people commit these evil atrocities. Backsliding and moral decay seem to haunt the past and present-day lives of God’s people, but there’s always hope for us and future generations.
How to Make Jeremiah 29:11 Come Alive
God had problems with His people (Judah and Israel) because they turned to anything or anyone but Him to feel complete. He still doesn’t like that. People become experts in learning how to sin rather than rely on God. They believe that whatever is in your heart and seems good is a higher standard than the blueprint God provides in the Bible.
There are consequences to sinning as seen in the Book of Jeremiah. God knew the hearts of His people had to change. The season of the Babylonian captivity was a wake-up call. After 70 years went by, a remnant of a faithful few returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. They also proclaimed the Word of God, worshipped Him, and confessed their sins.
If you’ve strayed from God, you can return at any time. Just know that the time you spend away from Him delays your progress. That’s the consequence of turning away from the one true God, your Father.
Reminders to make scripture come alive:
- Seek scripture to find God. Yield to scripture to find favor with God.
- Get rid of idols that take God’s place.
- Meditate on specific scripture verses and take into account the circumstances surrounding the writing to discover its meaning.
- Realize you always need God.
- God and His Word are the highest standards you can aspire to. Don’t trust your heart to lead you.
Make God a priority and scripture comes alive such as the Jeremiah 29:11 scripture. Revelations come quicker and understanding scripture seems easier. God reveals knowledge a little at a time to anyone who puts Him first. Christians can learn to cling to scripture treasuring the words in their hearts.