One of the most popular verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Many claim this verse to assure themselves or others that everything will be okay.
The problem with so many people taking this verse literally is that it wasn’t a promise made to each of us but to the people of God when they were in exile. The Lord had sent Jeremiah to speak words of encouragement and truth to His people. He wanted them to know things would work out; they had reason to hope.
However, they still had to wait more than seventy years until God brought them back to their promised land.
This verse and others read out of context should not be treated like a horoscope or a fortune cookie. Doing so will leave you asking questions like, Why do bad things happen to good people? and, How could a loving God allow hard seasons in His people’s lives?
Comfort Amidst the Struggle
God never promised us an easy life. Even as He declared a future and a hope over His people, that verse and the ones that follow were intended to remind them of who God was and how they could find comfort in the midst of their struggle.
Jeremiah had just let the people know that they needed to settle in. Verses 5–6 told them to build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat of the harvest; get married and have babies. They were not expecting that verse 11 would mean they would instantly go to their promised land. In context, they knew they were settling into a place that wasn’t meant for them forever.
The point of Jeremiah 29:11 is that we learn who God is, not what is about to happen to us. We learn that God knows the plans He has for us.
Seek and You Will Find
I still get slightly irritated when I hear this verse quoted without the full context. God knew the plan, but my life feeling a little stuck in exile, much like the Israelites’, seemed a bit cruel.
Then I began to understand the context that verses 12–14 offer: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear 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 I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Again, this tells us about God: He can hear us, He can be found, He can restore, and He can bring back. All we have to do is seek Him. Are you seeking God or just going through life on autopilot?
As I read those verses, my understanding of God’s intention began to grow. God assures us that He knows the plans for our lives and wants us to seek Him. Not the internet, a friend, a family member, an article, or a specialist — none of those people or things can do what God can do. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pursue wisdom and talent, but we are to pursue God and His will first, above all else.
But God Can
Adapted from But God Can by Becky Kiser.
Tired of trying to be enough? The truth is you were never meant to be, no matter what culture might tell you.
Christian women today are bombarded with confusing messaging — they are supposed to do and be it all but also die to themselves. They are supposed to believe that women can do anything and also surrender everything to God. Adding to that pressure, many women feel stuck in their current reality — spinning on the hamster wheel of life. They scroll past images that tell them everyone else has it together and is experiencing a purpose-filled, adventurous, fun, loving, and God-honoring life. Overwhelmed and at a loss, most women go one of two places: defeat or self-help empowerment, even Christian self-help.
In Becky Kiser’s But God Can, women realize this truth: on their own, they were never meant to be enough — that is the gospel message, that is why Jesus came. But God Can get her unstuck and find a purpose she has never known! She will identify the lies she’s internalized, replace those with new truths, and find freedom through realistic, practical, and life-changing strategies.
Becky Kiser will use her foundation as a Bible teacher and unique skills as a life coach to take women on a journey to
- find freedom from lies as she changes how she thinks,
- identify what God says is actually true,
- remember that God is more than capable of doing anything,
- discover how He has uniquely created her, and
- propel her into the abundant life of deep purpose.
But God Can will show you that you don’t have to be enough because God is more than enough! On your own, you can’t, but God totally can!
But God Can is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
Becky Kiser is committed to seeing women know, love, and follow God and His Word so they can live freer and fuller lives. She is a certified Life Coach, teaches at Christian women's events and prisons, hosts the Hearers & Doers with Becky Kiser podcast, and authors books and Bible Studies. Becky is the founder and lead teacher for Online Women's Retreat and Online Women’s Bible Study. Becky and her husband, Chris, live with their three girls in The Woodlands, Texas.
