Day 5

I Will Give You a Future and a Hope

from the Promises of God reading plan


Jeremiah 29:1-29, Psalm 33:11, Ephesians 1:4-5, Colossians 1:27, 2 Peter 1:3-11

BY She Reads Truth

Too good to be true. The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 can feel just too good to be true. Often spoken over another person as an encouragement to combat a disappointment or setback, the words can ring hollow when understood in their original context. That’s because God wasn’t talking about career success, dating relationships, or winning the JV soccer game. And He wasn’t addressing anyone and everyone. He was talking specifically to the people of Judah in exile. The “plans” God had involved restoring them as a nation and bringing them back from Babylon into the promised land. So unless you happen to be a sixth-century-BC Jew stuck in Mesopotamia for the duration, keep on moving—there’s nothing to see here.

In one sense, this is true. It won’t do to simply pick up a promise meant for someone else and take hold of it for ourselves or someone we love. But God has grafted all believers into His family tree of God (Ephesians 1:4–5; see also Romans 11:17). So the “future” God promised to His people in the Old Testament is now ours in Christ if we know Him, and the “hope” is bigger and better than anything we can imagine, because it is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), of eternal life in the presence of the King (2Peter 1:4; Revelation 21:3), and of all things being made new (Revelation 21:5).

When faced with life’s challenges, the promise we have in Jeremiah is not that everything will work out the way we want, but instead that Christ will bring good from even the darkest moments this world can dish out. And in that, there is something lasting to hold onto.

Post Comments (105)

105 thoughts on "I Will Give You a Future and a Hope"

  1. Dej Scott says:

    Amen ❤️

  2. Shannon Savaglio says:

    Such an eye opening thing to read these verses in context instead of using them in our own, selfish, context!!

  3. Allison Sherwood says:

    Thank God that He can bring good from even the darkest moments this world can dish out to us!

  4. Ashley Cesare says:

    For such a long time in my life, I’ve done everything I could to be proactive. When I sense trouble ahead, I try to prepare. It’s such a toxic circle I put myself through. I try to do damage control even before there is damage to be had. How relieving it is to know that even when damage does come my way, Jesus has it under control. He has amazing plans for me and even in the darkest of moments, he promises light. To trust in him is the ultimate damage control I can ever do. I’m so blessed!

  5. Anne S says:

    This one really touched my heart. That last paragraph especially drove home the point that we are not alone, that God is with us and able to bring good from the worst situations. All thanks be to Him.

  6. Deana G. says:

    I really love the fact that SRT uses many Scriptures to accompany their devotions. They use OT and NT verses!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *