A Future and a Hope

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.      Jeremiah 29:11

During exile, one God had engineered due to their disobedience and idolatry, He reached out to his beleaguered people with hope.

He does the same with us too.

It would be seventy years before the Jews began coming back, as prophecized, and coming back to a ravaged land in need of rebuilding everything. The nation would return. They did rebuild.

But not yet.

In the meantime, He told them to pray for the prosperity of the land of the conquerors. They were encouraged to grow and increase there. There they could thrive.

For now.

Where is your Babylon? To where has your life carried you away? How can you grow where you are despite the troubles you are living in, whether it was due to your mistake or not?

If you are His, then it is possible, even if it be in the valley of the shadow of death, He promises to be with us. He gives us hope. He holds it out for us wherever we are. Eventually, we will find our way out.

And if not, we have found our way in.  Into His loving care!  He has promised.  Take Him up on it.

THAT is hope!

Painting by Jorge Giménez Vives at Artquid.com found on Pinterest.