God Promises Hope
Can you really have hope for today?
Verse of the Day
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Today’s Devotional
Having something to look forward to helps with the mundane of today. But how can we thrive in the middle of the mundane?
Today’s verse is not trying to teach us that the future we hope for will happen tomorrow, or any time soon for that matter. Let me explain. Jeremiah was calling out a “prophet” named Hananiah who was telling the Israelites that Jerusalem would be restored to its former glory in two years. This is after the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and carried off a large portion of the people to be slaves in Babylon. I’m thinking this “two-year” prophecy sounded pretty good to the people. But Jeremiah heard directly from the Lord, and it was a very different message. So Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles in Babylon. In this letter, he tells the exiles that their captivity will last seventy years. Seventy years! They should plan their lives according to this time frame. They should plant vineyards in this new land. They should make homes for themselves, marry and have children. Also, they should “work for the peace and prosperity of the city where [God] sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Stop for just a second and think about that. Seventy years. That’s a long time. Compare that to the relative short-term craziness of our current world. And God’s prophetic word for Jeremiah to give His people (and to us) is the equivalent of “bloom where I’ve just planted you.”
I’m going to hypothesize for a minute. Here’s what I think this whole section of Scripture can teach us today about hope and God’s promise that He has good things planned. Let me paraphrase God’s message in my own words. “I know that where you are today is not ideal, or what you would choose. I need you to know that I’m still in control. I’ve got plans for you that you can’t fathom today. Remember that I don’t allow your pain to be wasted. (Romans 8:28) Remember that I care about the details of your life. (Matthew 10:30) Today, I need you to leave the future to me. Today, I need you to choose to thrive exactly where you are. You can choose resentment and self-pity, or you can choose to live your life for My glory exactly where you are.”
So which do you choose? I don’t love every facet of my life, but I can have hope that God can use all of it if I’m willing. I can choose to believe the promise that God really is in control and cares about the details of my life. I can have hope that when I’m uncertain, since God has sent me a Helper. I can have hope that I don’t have to worry about the future because God is already there and He is in charge of it.
OK then, how do I have hope for today? First, I need to invite God into today. I need to intentionally allow Him to lead me. I need to be willing for Him to change some things that I have gotten wrong, including the way I think and how I behave. I need to actively invite the power of the Holy Spirit into my life so that I have some help. If I am willing to do those things, then today, no matter where I am, can be a day of hope.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
If you are in a difficult season, how can you have hope for today?
How can you invite God into your life today specifically?
How can you show God that you are willing for Him to change some things?
How can you intentionally leave the future in God’s hands where it belongs?