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 29:11).
Chances are, you’ve at least considered the thought that God may have had big plans for you once. But not anymore. That ship has sailed.
Maybe it’s because of something you did in the past, or something that was done to you. Perhaps it’s the accumulated effects of all the shame and guilt that come with addiction. Either way, you look at the path your life has taken and believe the lie that God can no longer use you.
You must realize though, nothing from your past will ever be bad enough to disqualify you from the amazing future God has planned for you. Just look at God’s prophecies to the Israelites through Jeremiah.
For the first 28 chapters of the book, God lays out a list of all the ways the Israelites have turned away from Him. There’s adultery and idolatry. They’ve listened to false prophets and allowed paganism to corrupt their worship. The entire nation has hardened their hearts toward God and rejected His ways.
As a consequence for these sins, God has allowed them to be taken into exile by the Babylonians. But even then, He doesn’t give up on them.
In the twenty-ninth chapter, God encourages His people to not lose heart even while they remain in captivity. He calls them to set their eyes back on Him and warns them to not be deceived again. He encourages them that this period of exile will not last forever, and that He hasn’t forgotten them.
Then, in the midst of one of the lowest points in Israel’s history, God makes this stunning promise to them:
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 29:11).
No matter how far the Israelites strayed from God, they would always be welcomed back into His good plan once they chose to trust Him again. And it’s no different with you and me.
Regardless of where you have been, God still has a plan for you.
A plan with a future.
A plan full of hope.
