The Meaning of Jeremiah 29:11-13

Every year, we have a theme for our Student Ministries summer camps. In the past couple of years, we've tried to make it more of a point of focusing on one key passage of Scripture as well. It's been cool the last couple of years to see students grab on to these passages and really understand them.

This year, our theme is "SEEK" and our key passage is Jeremiah 29:11-13. As part of my own personal preparation for speaking at camp this year, a while back I listened to a message given on the book of Jeremiah by Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church in California.

As I listened to this message, my understanding of Jeremiah 29:11-13 took on a new meaning and understanding. Here's what I learned ...

I learned that Jeremiah 29:11-13 is not simply a “feel good” promise that God made to His people. It’s a promise that God makes to His People right after he has inflicted great discipline upon them for their intentional rebellion against Him.

The Israelites had been living in a time of prosperity. But they were also living in rebellion against God. God had appointed Jeremiah as his messenger to the people of Israel to warn them of God’s coming judgment if they didn’t change their ways.

Jeremiah suffered greatly at the hands of the Israelites who believed what he was saying was blasphemy and that in fact God loved them and was with them. After all, they were prospering.

Then, in a moment, everything changes. God's judgment comes as Jeremiah predicts. The world turns upside down. The Babylonians capture Israel and disperse them putting the Israelites into slavery.

As you can imagine, the prophets drastically changed their tone. After all, the people and the nation of Israel had just lost everything: their homes, their country, their cities, their belongings, their freedom, their land.

The sentiment among the people was that God had had enough of them and was through with them. It is at this point that the Lord gives the message of Jeremiah 29:11-13 to Jeremiah to give to the nation of Israel.

Jeremiah had warned the nation of coming destruction because of their sin. Jeremiah had declared discipline, destruction and judgment. And then it’s like Jeremiah is saying, now you are postured to listen and to see God do great things. This is what God knows…

“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. 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 seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13) It’s like Jeremiah is saying, “Now you are postured to meet God. And I want you to know it will be better than you think, better than you imagined.”

BIG LESSONS:

• God disciplines us because he loves us, not because he's "through with us."
• Sometimes it takes us coming to a low point in our lives, a point of brokenness, a point of humility in order for us to truly connect with God.
• When we get to that point and are desperate enough to seek him with all our hearts, we will find him.