Hope and a Future

 
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
11 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.
 
In Jeremiah 29 God is speaking to the children of Israel who are exiled in Babylon.
 
Jeremiah 29:4 NLT
4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
 
They were not on a luxurious vacation.  Instead, because they had forsaken God, they had been driven out of their homeland in judgement.  They were discouraged. Their future appeared bleak.
 
Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT
5 Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
 
First, let’s note that hope in God does not mean that He is always going to remove all of the difficulty from our lives.
 
Author and blogger Mary DeMuth addresses these verses in her post, Jeremiah 29:11 Doesn’t Mean What You Think.  She explains that God does not always give us the assurance that he will immediately deliver us from our adverse circumstances.  She says God’s assurance is “not that we would escape our lot, but that we would learn to thrive” in the midst of it.”
 
“Yes, of course God knows the plans He has for us. And ultimately He will give us a glorious future. But as we walk out our lives on this crazy earth, let’s remember that the best growth comes through persevering through trials, not escaping them entirely. And when we learn perseverance, we find surprising joy.”
 
Indeed that is what Jeremiah 29:5-7 is counseling them.  In the midst of your struggle, don’t despair. Hope in God!
 
It does not seem we are going to see a quick resolution (escape the struggle) in America.  But rather than despair, we need to do our best to prosper and multiply – all the while maintaining hope in God.
 
The same goes for any of our current struggles – emotional, financial, spiritual, career, etc. – we need to continue to do our best in the circumstances we find ourselves.  We need to remain faithful to praise God and serve Him.  He will prosper us!
 
Jeremiah 29:8-9 NLT
8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.
 
Secondly, the Lord exposes Hananiah’s lie.  The false prophet Hananiah claimed the Lord was going to deliver them from exile in 2 years.  God gives the correct timeline in the next verse.  
 
Jeremiah 29;10 NLT
10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.
 
Hananiah said 2 years and God said 70 years.  Which one sounds better?  2 years, right? We have to be careful hearing the reports of false prophets that promise things God never inspired them to promise.  I would rather here the report of a prophet who tells me what I need to hear from God, than what I want to hear.
 
Through Jeremiah, God tells them they will remain in exile for 70 years, but he reminds them His desire is to give them hope and a future.
 
Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT
11 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.
12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
 
Your current circumstances may be very difficult, but if you will pray, God says He will listen.  If you look for Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him.  Ultimately, in His time, if you will continue to seek the Lord, He will fully restore us.  
 
Even though we are to do our best to serve Him and prosper here, our greatest hope is not even going to happen in this life.  Our greatest hope is not in our past or present, but in our future.
 
1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

 
There is a reason your windshield is much larger than your rear view mirror.  A driver is supposed to spend much more time looking ahead, and moving forward.  Let’s stop focusing on our past and embrace the future God will grant us as we seek Him. 
 
Prayer:
Jesus, we thank you today for the assurance of a better future.  We thank you for the assurance of ultimate victory in heaven.  We thank you for the admonition to prosper and multiply despite the struggles of this life.  We thank you for encouraging us to shun despair and rejoice in hope.  We trust in You.  We hope in You.  We know everything will work out in the end.  Because of the hope you have given us, we expect great things!  Thank you Lord that our best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us.