What Does Jeremiah 29:11 Really Mean?
God is always working towards our good (Romans 8:28). He also works within the parameters of reality in a world full of people disconnected from his heart, seeking their way. The reality is, bad happens. It’s because God’s plan includes not only what is best for us but what we truly need to experience God’s best in us that God calls for obedience to his ways. He called the Israelites to love and obey him, and only him, not to seek other gods. Turning our hearts away from God’s plan keeps us from receiving God’s best. He can’t give us something we aren’t willing to accept.
Jeremiah’s story shows us that bad things still happen even when we follow God. Jeremiah received ridicule. He was lonely. More than once, his life was in danger (Jeremiah 11:21; 26:11). He was a prophet and priest in the thick of political tension who challenged the prophets and said the Israelites’ enemy would experience victory. You may have experienced ridicule, loneliness, persecution of some form, people who misunderstood you, and fear of doing the things God calls you to do. God doesn’t guarantee there will be no harm or hurt, but he does remind us that his goodness is available in and through it.
God Provides Good in the Bad
Throughout Scripture, and in glimpses of Jeremiah’s life, God draws near to us, and we draw near to him (James 4:8; Jeremiah 29:12-14). He calls us from wayward ways that keep us on a path of destruction instead of a path of good (Provers 3:5-6). He desires hearts that turn towards him no matter how bad things have been. Before Jeremiah sets out to speak to God’s people, God reminds Jeremiah that he knew him before he was formed. God knew the plan he had for Jeremiah, and it included challenging work in the face of opposition. God reassured Jeremiah of his presence with him and that he didn’t have to be afraid. Deliverance would come.
God sees you in the challenges you face too. Bad happens, but it never changes who God is or his love for you. He remains faithful to provide well for you in every circumstance.
4 Ways to Live Your Life According to 'For I Know the Plans I Have for You'
1. Acknowledge Our Desire to Choose Good for Ourselves
Everything changed between man and God when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We all want to decide for ourselves what is good rather than listen and respond to the one who gives good. Acknowledge this impacts you too.
2. Acknowledge Good and Bad as Part of Life.
God is not surprised by bad things. He is not overwhelmed by the bad we do or the bad we feel in life. He knows we are incapable of living perfectly good lives and that we need his goodness. Also, God provides the good we need to experience more of him and more of God’s goodness in our lives. Both are part of reality in this world. When we acknowledge and accept these two truths together, we are better able to join God in the plans he has for us without trying to take over with our plans instead.
3. Seek God’s Voice in Your Life
In order to know God’s plans for us, we need to know God. Our knowledge of God can’t be limited to head knowledge, which even the enemy knows (Genesis 3:1; Matthew 4:1-11). God’s Word penetrates and gets into our hearts where our plans are made (Hebrews 4:12). He speaks through scripture, through creation, and to our hearts. Explore God’s voice and get to know his heart more intimately. Consider using Unleash: Heart & Soul Care Sheets to engage with God’s voice.
4. Take Steps and Respond to Your Best Understanding of God’s Plan for You
One of the enemy’s sneaky ways of getting us off track and relying on our understanding of good and evil is to fear that anything we think is a good plan could be wrong. Ask God to give guidance and respond based on your best understanding of who God is, how he operates, and what you believe he’s asking you to do.
We won’t get it all right. Good and bad may happen as we move forward. When our hearts move forward in confidence and humility, we can follow God’s leadership with readiness to change direction when needed.
May we remember how much we need you, Lord. Give us the courage to listen and respond.
-Excerpted from Does Jeremiah 29:11 Mean That God Won't Let Bad Things Happen to Me? by Jolene Underwood on Crosswalk.com.
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