God’s Plans for His People are Good—and They Haven’t Changed Since the Beginning of Time
The Lord recently reinforced this truth for me as I was reading through Jeremiah. At that time, Israel had strayed far from God. Their hearts had grown cold, their leaders were corrupt, and judgment was imminent. The culture was in chaos—idolatry was rampant, and sin was blatant. God’s judgment was not only inevitable but deserved.
But then comes the incredible truth: BUT GOD. How wonderful He is!
In Jeremiah 29, God offers His people promises and hope to cling to, even in the midst of their rebellion. He says in verses 11-13:
“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’”
Even though there were hard times ahead, God’s plans for His people were always good, designed to lead them through a period of learning and growth toward a brighter future.
What struck me most during this reading of Jeremiah was God’s instructions to His people on how to thrive during their exile. What did God emphasize, and how did it prepare them for the future and the hope He promised?
Let’s take a closer look at the verses preceding the well-known passage above:
“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.” (Jeremiah 29:5-7)
God’s plan for His people to thrive, even during difficult times, centered around the family.
From the very beginning of creation, God’s design for human flourishing has always focused on the family unit—one man, one woman, and their children, growing together and serving Him. Is it any wonder, then, that the forces of a wicked culture work tirelessly to pull us away from that?
It’s fascinating that God emphasized the importance of family as He instructed His people on how to thrive in exile. He told them to marry, have children, raise their children well so they would continue the cycle, be good citizens, and pray for the land where they were living.
Pretty simple instructions, right? And by God’s grace, He has given us His Word to guide us on how to do exactly that. We don’t need to fret or fear the future because we know what to focus on right now—and we have the confidence that our God is coming again, and those of us who have claimed Him as Lord will be with Him eternally.
Is there a better future and hope than that?
So, while we wait in a world that seems increasingly dark and evil, let’s do as God commanded. Let’s focus on strengthening our marriages and raising our children well. For those whose children are ready to launch, let’s help them navigate that transition—and continue to guide and disciple them as they enter adulthood. Let’s invest in our communities, building relationships that point others to Jesus. Let’s grow together, making a difference all along the way.
That’s how we’ll thrive in this new school year and the years to come.
