Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most famous verses to recite, yet we’re so focused on finding comfort in the words that we miss what the Lord asks His people to do.
Addressing Judah, the Lord declares that at the end of their seventy years in captivity, He will bring them back to the Land (vs.10), sealing the promise with the assurance that He knows the plans He has for them, plans for prosperity, hope, and a future. However, while they wait for the fulfillment of God’s promise, Judah is not to sit idly. Instead, the Lord instructs His people to grow (vs.5-7) and, most of all, call on Him and seek Him with all their hearts (vs.12-14).
Like Judah, the Father has His hand on our lives and has promised to direct our steps; but, while it’s encouraging to hear that the Lord knows the plans He has for us, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a duty to obey. I love what Changed Women’s Ministry wrote in their devotional, Living Change: Provision, “God is still giving us gifts today. He gives us peace, strength, comfort, and wisdom. He’s faithful to care for our every need. In return, He asks us to seek Him, spend time with Him, and trust Him. He asks us to surrender control and offer Him our whole lives.”
Especially in hard times, it can feel difficult to come before the Lord, yet that’s precisely what the Father instructs us to do. It’s not enough to memorize Jeremiah 29:11; we must actively obey verses 12-14:
“‘Then you will call on 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. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
No matter which season you’re in right now, I want to encourage you to dedicate each day to the Lord. Spend time with Him. Build your relationship with Him. Fervently seek His face. And meditate on the Word. When we do these things, not only will the Lord’s plans be revealed, but you’ll be taking active steps to ensure that they come to pass!
