My Jeremiah 29:11 Soapbox

Okay, so I know I’m going to step on a lot of toes with this post, but I’m just going to have to go out on a limb here. I think Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most severely abused scriptures in recent Christian history. It is difficult to find a graduation card that doesn’t quote it. It is on plaques, cards, bookmarks, key chains, etc. I know everyone is well meaning, but I wonder if they’ve ever read the context. One of the problems that comes from chapter and verse divisions added to the Bible is that it becomes easier to take one verse out of its context and give it a life of its own. Go ahead and open up your Bible now and read the entire chapter from the beginning. Look for the who, what, when, where, why, and how. When you look for the correct interpretation of Scripture, that is a good place to start. Please read before continuing to read my post.

Okay, so what does it say about the “who” in verse 4? This letter is written to the Israelite exiles living in Babylon. So you should substitute this for “you” when you read 29:11. “For I know the plans that I have for the Israelite exiles living in Babylon, plans for welfare and not calamity to give the Israelite exiles living in Babylon a future and a hope.” Some have used this to say Christians will have prosperity and be kept from harm. That is called scripture twisting. Others say we can apply that to ourselves in reference to spiritual prosperity and protection. You can’t get that from this verse. It wasn’t talking about spiritual blessings. It was talking about physical prosperity and literal protection from physical harm. God planned to give the exiles back their wealth and their land. Did He keep His promise to them? Yes, He returned them to Israel in the era of Ezra & Nehemiah.

There are times when God is very specific in Scripture and He gives a promise to a particular person or people group. You shouldn’t be so egocentric to think that everything He has to say is about you. For example, Luke 1:31 says, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” It is obvious that the reference to a womb rules every male out on this promise. The only person this promise applies to is Mary. I don’t mean by all this that there is no application. There is always application. In Luke, we benefit from the birth of this son promised to Mary, but she is the only one who had the privilege of carrying Jesus in her womb. I think that in Jer. 29:11, we are seeing God’s track record of giving and keeping promises to His people, Israel, in spite of their idolatry and faithlessness. The lesson to be learned here is about God and His faithfulness. Instead, so many people just think it means God’s going to give them their selfish desires. We get so focused on ourselves and what we can get out of Him that we miss Him entirely and it makes me sad.

What does God really promise Christians in regards to prosperity and harm? Many verses to the various churches addressed to early Christians promise persecution and suffering (which would be quite the opposite of protection from harm). See 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 and Philippians 1:29-30. In Luke 21:12-19, it talks about how, many believers living near the time right before His coming will be persecuted, imprisoned, and killed. We will be hated because of Jesus’ name. In verse 19 it says we will gain our lives by our endurance. That is where you can take “lives” to mean eternal or spiritual. How do I know? Context, once again. Verse 16 says some will die (physically) so it can’t mean a physical life in verse 19.

Think about it. All of Jesus’ disciples died martyr’s deaths except John (and even he came to a great deal of physical harm—I can’t imagine being dipped in burning oil is a pleasant experience or that being an exile is like a vacation). If He had promised no harm to Christians why did the disciples come to harm? I have my doubts that early Christians facing lions, sitting in dank cells, or being sawed to pieces did it while chanting Jeremiah 29:11. They weren’t focused on God’s plan for their lives. They were focused on God’s plan to save the world.

If you haven’t done the Experiencing God Bible study, I would suggest doing so. I imagine it is influencing how I see this. I learned from that study that it isn’t about me and God’s plan for my life. It is about God’s plan to bring salvation to every man, woman, and child. He is moving to that end and it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to join Him in His mission. When are you going to open your eyes to something beyond your own nose and your own little life? It is not about you. If you are already saved, His plan for your life is no mystery. He expects you to look for opportunities daily to fulfill the Great commission—Matthew 28:19-20. The only reason He left you here after your salvation was so that you could spread the good news to others. He didn’t leave you here to enjoy a pleasant, comfortable life. People aren’t saved so they can enjoy God’s wonderful plan for their earthly life (people need truth—not what will tickle their ears); they are saved from the wrath to come so that they can enjoy eternal life.

We will have fellowship with Him when we can fellowship with Him in our sufferings. Why? Because Jesus did not have a life of ease or prosperity. He had nowhere to lay his head. He was homeless. He was hated. Many whom He healed were ungrateful. His own family and hometown rejected him. He was beaten and crucified. If you live a life of ease, wealth, and popularity, you have nothing in common with Him so how can you fellowship with Him in His sufferings? Jesus’ early followers were hated, tortured, and ostracized. If they were blessed with wealth they sold houses and property to give to the needy. They didn’t just toss 20 bucks in an offering plate. There wasn’t a single needy person in the church. There are many needy in our churches, because we horde our blessings. That is not the Christian way (at least not according to the Acts account).

So, instead of thinking about God’s wonderful plan for our lives, let us focus instead on the bigger picture here. God’s plan is to save the WORLD. Wow! And I get to be a part of His big plan if I keep my eyes open to how He can use me in this plan instead of getting sidetracked by the idea that this plan is about me. It is about Him and others.