A PROMISE FOR 2009

“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).

When Jeremiah shared this prophetic promise, the Jews were in exile in Babylon. Being in exile did not mean you were sent away for a vacation. Exile was very much like going to prison and serving a hard sentence as a slave in a foreign and hostile nation.

The Jewish nation had become so corrupt and disobedient that God decided to bring an end to it. God decreed defeat and exile for the rebellious and corrupt nation, hoping to bring it back to its senses. Jeremiah prophesied to the Jews and told them exactly what would happen, and how long they would remain captives and be in exile. The drama unfolded precisely as he said it would.

The Jews were in a very discouraging and troubling time as the conditions of the exile unfolded. To make the situation more confused for the exiles, false prophets began to say that Jeremiah had God’s message wrong; that everything was going to be fine; that very shortly the Jews would be going back to Jerusalem.

It is into this confusion and discouragement that Jeremiah shares this powerful promise that has strong implications for us in the “tough times” in which our world has found itself.

Here are a few thoughts for your consideration:

“For I know” - The Hebrew word for know is yada. This is the word used in Genesis 4:1: “And Adam knew (yada) Eve.” This phrase speaks of the very intimate involvement of the Lord in our circumstances. The fulfillment of this promise is not just for the nation, but for you as an individual.

“The plans I have for you” - The picture here is of the thoughtful preparation and planning by a master craftsman as he begins to work on a piece of art. He carefully selects just the right materials, the right colors and the right tools to bring the work to perfection. The craftsman knows exactly how and where the finished work will be used and under what conditions, and his plan takes all that into account. God has personally laid out detailed plans for you for your future; no detail has missed His attention.

“To prosper you” - This encompasses all aspects of your life—your safety, health and well-being. The promise is that God will watch over and protect, provide for, and bring prosperity to those who return to Him. God’s plans for you are not only thorough but are thought-out with your best interests at heart. The word “prosper” is a bigger word than just the limited definition of financial blessing, for it includes all aspects of our physical, spiritual and emotional health.

“Hope” - This is an extremely interesting word. It speaks of an expectancy that God is going to do something great, but it also speaks of a rope (see Joshua 2:18, 21). Joshua tells us the story of the scarlet cord that Rahab the prostitute hung out her window that protected her during the Jewish invasion. The Hebrew word used in Joshua for cord/line is the same word that is used in Jeremiah 29 for hope. Hope, then, is a type of spiritual lifeline for us to hold onto when things around us are not going well at all. Hope is not inferior to faith; hope is the expectancy that as God has worked for us in the past, so He will again. We are literally to grab onto hope and not let go. God has thrown us a prophetic lifeline and it is hope; it is trust in Him and His eternal purposes and plans for our life.

Into the chaos of circumstance, with a laser-like sharpness, there comes a promise that the Holy Spirit quickens to our heart and we realize that we have not been forgotten, we have not been abandoned, we are not adrift on a sea of chaos—but God is still on the throne and is still guiding the affairs of our life.

Like all promises, this promise is conditional. We have to ask ourselves, “Will we accept it, will we embrace this truth?” Will we pursue the heart of God knowing that He has our best interests at heart or will we try to tell Him how He should do things? Are we ready to pray as Jesus did, “Thy will be done” (Matthew 26:42) or will we, through our actions, say, “My will be done, what I want is what counts”?

God’s will is that you will know Him in His fullness in 2009!