“This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT
Jeremiah 29:11 is not reassuring because it tells us God will shower us with successes and blessings in life, but it is reassuring because it affirms that God has a purpose that is custom-made especially for each one of us that will lead to a great outcome.
“For I know” – God said He knew His plan that was laid out for Israel. God’s knowledge and perspectives can be very different from the Israelites’, and also from ours. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts … and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Not only does God know ahead, in fact, He designs ahead and plants divine setups in your life such that it will all “work together for good” to bring you to the fulfilment of His perfect plan!
“They are for good” – The final outcome is divine perfection for this plan He has for you. While the ultimate outcome is good, there is a process involved to achieve that outcome. Behind the splendour and beauty of an elegant statue, there is the process of carving, chipping, sawing, smoothening and touching ups. Admire not only the final product of a good plan, but appreciate the process that the designer has put in place to make it good! That process is part of the plan.
“Not for disaster”- Why does God have to mention this? Can’t He just stop at “my plans are good”? He knows human are all short sighted. We always hope for instant outcome without wanting to go through the process. Painful processes are often seen as disasters. God needs to reassure you that His plan is not aimed at bringing disaster into your life, just in case you see some temporary unfavourable twists and turns in life and express your displeasure to Him. These could just be the transitional phases of the process to his perfect plan. Not surprisingly, when God announced the goodness of His plans for Israel, it was at a time where many were exiled to Babylon. The exile period may well be a churning process to bring out the best in them.
“A future and a hope …”- His plan is worked out and fulfilled in a life time progressively or maybe beyond. Some aspects may be fulfilled in 1 month, while some, 3 months and others even years. “70 years” was mentioned for Israel. We need patience to wait upon the Lord. That’s the reason why waiting upon the Lord is such a desired virtue of the matured Christian who learns to see things from God’s perspective.
Reflection Pointers:
- If things are not looking up as they should currently, don’t despair and start to doubt God. Pray, pray and pray. Trust God for the ultimate perfect outcome.
- Ask God to help you develop a patient heart to wait upon Him on the fulfilment of His promises for your life and a discerning mind to recognise the process He put in place to shape you for greatness.