"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)
If you're not familiar with that phrase, it describes verses that can typically be seen on a mug, painted on the wall, or in other visible locations. I think this is great, and Jeremiah 29:11 is a fantastic verse to decorate your homes with! However, it's important to know the context of these verses instead of just decorating your homes with the out of context ideas the verse "could" mean.
This Monday will mark the 8th year anniversary of when my dad passed away, so Jeremiah 29:11 is on my mind quite frequently. I decided to begin reading through the book of Jeremiah this afternoon, and the first chapter itself is exactly what I needed to hear!
The book quickly begins with God speaking directly to Jeremiah, and in chapter 1 verse 5, God says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nation".
Wow. What a refreshing thought in the midst of a stressful finals week! While this verse may be specifically calling out to Jeremiah, don't you think that God thinks the same about us? Before we even existed, God had a specific plan for us. During finals week (and I'm sure this relates to people actually doing real adult things as well), it is so easy to become consumed with grades and appearances. Studying and using the knowledge God has given us is definitely good, but being consumed with our studies or work may not be the best.
What God is calling us to do is SO much bigger than the letter grade we will receive at the end of this week. I realize that is easier to say then believe, especially with applications for grad schools, med-schools, internships, and jobs looming on the horizon, but it's still gonna be okay.
A big thing I am learning is that God calls us to things even bigger than our careers! I have felt confident for years in the career that I feel God is calling me toward, but I am realizing the direct little path I thought I could take to get to that career may not align with His path. This year God is opening up my eyes to being okay in the here and now.
Let's go back to Jeremiah for a sec. The next verse (1:5) is Jeremiah saying "Oh sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young".
~Question I need to start asking myself more often: if God knows how to create literally everything, why do I keep questioning him creating a path for me...?~
Anyway, God responds to Jeremiah by saying "Do not say "I am too young". You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you." (1:7)
Have I mentioned that the idea of growing up is a little terrifying for me? I'm gonna be a senior in college in just a few short days and I don't know how to process that. I think it's really easy for college student (especially during finals) to look at school like a transitioning phase. We will learn and grow now, and we will produce and teach later. Right now we just have so much going on that we can just do all the scary stuff later, right? Wrong.
God goes on to tell Jeremiah in verse 8 "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you".
Notice how God doesn't say "I will be with you in the future". God IS with Him, and He IS with us. Right now!
If everything I had planned for my own life had turned out the way I had wanted at one point, my life would be so entirely different. This morning a blog post I had written a year ago today popped up on my facebook feed, and I decided to re-read it. The post reminded me of how badly I wanted some things last year that I now know were not right at all for my life. A year ago, I hadn't learned how to be content in where I am. Today, it is still a struggle sometimes, but I am realizing how freeing it is to live in the moment with complete satisfaction from Christ. Sometimes, this means not having everything I think I want, and sometimes it means having to go out and do things that seem scary.
Let's jump forward to that famous verse:
"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)
Earlier I mentioned that this verse can be taken out of context. God is not saying that He has this amazing earthly future in store; that tomorrow you will wake up with a million dollars living in a mansion married to your celebrity crush. Honestly, God isn't even saying that that you will wake up tomorrow and be able to pay the pills or ace your test. Actually, God isn't even saying that you will wake up tomorrow, period.
Sorry to bum you out, but the verse is so so much more than that!
In my Bible, I have notes from some sermon I heard once talking about this verse. I wrote "This verse is like a "rose in a bush full of thorns". The context proves that times may be hard, but as long as God is with us, He will protect us. He won't necessarily keep us from experiencing hardship, but He will get us through the hardship. He gives us hope that the future WILL get better."
So, how does the verse and the context relate? Jeremiah is full of disobedience, hardship, and war, but God offers Himself.
God didn't take away the pain of losing my dad, but God allowed me to move through it. Without Him, I would have never been able to crawl out of that dark place. It's still hard and I still feel the darkness coming in sometimes, but God has given me hope that not only is there so much left on this earth to do, but I can take Joy in the fact that Heaven will be a place with no more tears!
Jeremiah 29 goes on to say in verses 12-13 "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart".
Time to bare with me through a very cheesy illustration:
Jeremiah 29:11 may be a "coffee cup verse", but that isn't always bad. It's a great verse, just like a cup of coffee is a fantastic thing. However, if my mug is empty, it's not gonna do me much good when I am up late studying. The verse is empty and has no meaning until you decide to look at what God is really saying and take in the fullness and richness of the verse, context and all.
To tie everything together during finals week, God is showing me that He has huge plans for all of our lives, and (while we still need to study), He isn't gonna let His plans be stopped by a test grade. The only thing that can stop it is if we use excuses and run from the plans he has created for us. Even during college and finals, or wherever you might be in life, you aren't too young, too busy, or to inadequate to be used in God's perfect plan if you seek Him with all your heart.
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