God's Plan to Prosper

                                                                                                                                                

Aloha Dearest Family,

                Every year around high school and college graduation time, people send out graduation cards to all of the new grads. Many of these cards quote this verse of scripture as a word of God’s encouragement.                

“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) 

This scripture is very encouraging to us today, but few know the history of this verse or why it was written. Many people consider the entire Bible written to them. But it is vital for students of the Bible to recognize “to whom” certain scriptures are written, for if a certain scripture is not written to us, then it must be for our learning (Romans 15:4). We can learn something from every scripture in the Bible given the correct context but sometimes God is writing to or about a very specific group or person. With that being said we must ask ourselves, can Christians claim that this scripture in Jeremiah is for them or about them? 

                Jeremiah was a prophet of God that was sent to prophesy to the people of Judah and Jerusalem and warn them about the Babylonians coming and invading the land. Jeremiah tried desperately to bring God’s people back to God’s side where they could be protected but they rejected God’s many warnings. And just as Jeremiah predicted, the Babylonian army came and took most of Judah and Jerusalem captive to Babylon. It’s hard to imagine this kind of catastrophe happening in this country. This is probably what the people of Jerusalem thought, especially when their own “prophets” had convinced the people that they were safe. Jeremiah was the only one prophesying disaster and calamity if Israel did not turn back to God. And in the end Judah was taken into slavery by Babylon for their many years of disobedience.

                In Jeremiah 29, God instructs Jeremiah to write to the people already in captivity in Babylon. I’m sure at this point they were thinking, “What do we do now?” God tells them by way of Jeremiah,             

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.” (Jeremiah 29:5 and 6)

God is telling the captives to continue to live their lives. Build houses, plant gardens, marry, find spouses for your sons and daughters amongst yourselves and have grandchildren. In short God wants them to be fruitful and multiply. Even in captivity.                

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Verse 7)

Wherever they are placed in the Babylonian empire, they are to pray for those cities. Why? So that God can bless these pagan cities and in so doing, the captives would prosper as well. But the false prophets among them were telling the people that God would break the yoke of Babylon in two years and they could return to their land. But in verse 8 and 9 God tells them that he did not send these prophets and they should not listen to them.                

“For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.”

God further tells them that instead of going home they will stay in captivity for the next seventy years.         

 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place (Jerusalem). (Verse 10)

This would be quite a blow to these captives. Most would never go home again. Therefore God gave them these keys to prosper in this foreign land - pray for God’s blessings on these cities. And yet God had greater plans for Israel,

 “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.” (Verse 11) 

 These words of encouragement were spoken to God’s people of Judah when they were captives in Babylon. (Remember that if they were to stay in captivity, then God’s promise of a Messiah could not be accomplished, and God is always true to His promises). God wanted His people to know that even in the midst of catastrophe, He still thought about them, had plans for them and wanted them to prosper.

                Now you may ask, “Can Christians today claim this verse for themselves?” The answer is Yes! For even though this verse was originally addressed to Israel, who were His servants, would God do any less for His sons and daughters today? No, He wouldn’t. In fact he would do much more. God had originally given this encouragement to Israel but God’s people today can learn about the Father’s heart for His people in this wonderful passage of scripture. God’s heart has not changed toward those that truly love Him.

                

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)

 These are God’s plans for those who love Him. His heart is always to prosper and protect us. It is only when we walk contrary to His will that we find trouble and distress. However we will find safety in God’s loving arms. And just as God promised the captives of Judah a ‘hope and a future”, God has promised us a future to hope for, that we will see when Jesus Christ returns for us. What a good Father we have.  

                                        Love Always, Ray