Friday, April 4, 2025
11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. // Jeremiah 29:11-13
For Biblical interpretation, the saying goes like this: “Context is king.” Not only can lifting Bible verses out of context leave us with inaccuracies, sometimes it leaves us with a less powerful meaning. Today’s text was written to Israel while they were captives in foreign Babylon! God gave this prophecy to Jeremiah before Israel had even been taken away. Even in God’s judgement on Israel, whom He loved, He inserted encouragement like this. God promised that after 70 years in captivity, He would bring them home again. These were the great plans He had for them. He invites them to seek Him and search for Him and assures them He will be found by them. God loves it when His people seek after Him. It is an act of worship when we humble ourselves and admit how badly we need Him! And He is anxious to allow Himself to be found by those who seek Him.
- Pray and thank God that He has plans for us that include a good future and a hope.
- Ask God to give you a heart that always seeks and searches for Him.
- Ask God to help you turn your whole heart to Him.
- Ask God to help our church turn all our hearts to Him.