God\’s Greater Plans

The fog hung heavy in the air, making the next steps difficult to navigate. There was a dampness and chill to this January morn. And yet, there were several birds cheerfully singing to each other from the trees. It was almost as if they knew something I didn’t. The stately pines stood tall amidst the bare deciduous trees. Sometimes creation reveals the presence and glory of God best. And, it is ever before our eyes if we take the time to listen and marvel in its revelation of our Creator. 

The shift to a new year can bring such hopeful expectations of change in our lives. A clean start. New ways of living. New words to live out.

For me, the new year did not bring a dramatic miracle like I had hoped, but a definite shift in my heart, in my perspective. A freedom in my spirit that more fully recognizes God on his throne. And with it, a lessening of my grip on control and the fear that drives it. 

It’s easy to see our circumstances without the perspective of God‘s greater plan. Kind of like reading a verse out of context. Jeremiah 29:11 is one such verse that is often applied incorrectly because we fail to look at the bigger picture.

God’s people had been exiled to Babylon. Various prophets were giving words of false hope, “Everything will be fine. The exile will end soon. Things will be back to normal.” One such prophet, Hananiah even stated boldly that God would return them from exile in two years. In the midst of this, they receive a letter from Jeremiah. Half way through the letter we read the familiar words of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to you a future and a hope.” But preceding and following this contain words that are not so quickly quoted. God tells his people to settle down in their exiled land and multiply there. He warns them not to listen to the prophets offering false hope. After 70 years the Lord promises to return them to their land. Finally, after they return to God in repentance and seek him wholeheartedly, he will fill his promise to them. 

God’s good plan for them was not the quick and easy removal of their difficult circumstances. It was a much longer and enduring plan that was for the good and welfare not only of the exiles, but the coming generations, and eventually God’s kingdom to come.

Something we discover in walking with the Lord is that his plans often don’t line up with the ones we think of as “good.” Two years of remaining exile sounds like a far better plan than 70 years. And yet we know that God has a significantly greater understanding than we do.

Many say that 2020 is the year of vision. May the Father open our eyes to see through the lens of his perspective. He is still the same God who seeks our good, welfare and plans to give us a prosperous future. But he is also the same God whose thoughts and ways are substantially higher than our own.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is infinitely greater than any one individual, it is intended for the community of believers and for the building up of God’s kingdom. God will indeed fulfill his word, but it may be accomplished far differently than any way we might expect.