Jeremiah 29

I’ve notice that Jeremiah 29:11 is a significantly popular verse in the church today.  I’ve had it memorized for years, and I’ve heard it quoted countless times.   I was reading Jeremiah 29 for devotions this past week because I wanted to understand the context of Jeremiah 29:11.  Jeremiah 29 is a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the elders that were left among the exiles that had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon.  He was sending them a message that God had given to him.  Verses 4-5 are God telling the people to marry, have children, build houses and work for the country’s welfare.  He also tells them to pray for Babylon.  They are captives in Babylon, taken from their own homes and Jeremiah is telling them to pray for Babylon.  God tells the people, “Pray for Babylon’s well-being.  If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.”  Then Jeremiah tells gives them the verse that we all know so well.  I really love the “Message” version. “I know what I’m doing.  I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”  I kept reading after this, and I feel that the next few verses that follow this popular passage are just as powerful if not more than verse 11.  ”When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. ” Jeremiah 29:12-13   I was completely blown away by how powerful this chapter is.  To date, it is my favorite chapter in the whole Bible.

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