God Has a Plan

by Kevin Tillman | Feb 26, 2024 | Bible Study

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most memorized and quoted scriptures:

 “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.”

There is good reason for it to be often quoted. This verse is inspirational. It is a reminder of God’s goodness. It is a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

Though it is often quoted, many casual readers may miss the context. This passage was given to the prophet Jeremiah to be delivered to the nation of Israel in a time WHILE THEY WERE IN CAPTIVITY (emphasis added).  That’s an important tidbit. This message came at a low point. It came as a reminder of the nature of God.

The verse starts with “I know”.  Though the situation seems dire, God knows. Though the future is unknown, God knows. Though there seems to be no way out, God knows. God knows each and every detail about our lives. Yes, times get tough, and yes, at times it seems that God is distant. But here is the reminder:  God knows.

The verse continues with what God knows.  He knows “the plans I have for you”.  The plans are to “proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Can you imagine the nation of Israel hearing that message while being enslaved? Likely there were doubters. “Ok, God you have these plans, how about we start showing some of them?”. “How about You get us out of this predicament?”. It’s one thing to hear the words, and quite another to take them to heart, even when the immediate situation isn’t changing.

There is no human being that has ever lived that has not been in a hopeless feeling situation. Pain and suffering are a part of life. The reminder to the nation of Israel, and to us is to hold on and wait on God. Admittedly, however, we don’t always handle things that way. At least I haven’t always done it that way. Maybe there are some superhuman Christians among us (sarcasm intentional), that have always done it exactly the right way, but not me. In my life I have had seasons where I waited on God. I sought after Him, and I waited expectantly. But yeah, there are other seasons where I “took the bull by the horns”. I took charge to move forward. I had a sinking feeling on the inside that God was distant. So, I did what I thought needed to be done.  The result? Not good. However, God is still good even in our wanderings. God can still gently steer us back on path.

Here is a key to remember (like seriously, write this down somewhere):  DON’T EVER LET YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES BE A BAROMETER FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE.

There is a nugget in this passage of Scripture that can wreck some theology circles. In Jeremiah 29:4 it is revealed that the Israelites went into captivity in the first place because, God “carried” them.  Wait what? God took them into slavery? That doesn’t gel perfectly with some theologies.

Think about these:

Was God with Jonah in the whale? Was God with Joseph in prison? Was God with Paul when he was shipwrecked and in prison? Was Jesus on the boat with the disciples during the storm? This list can go on and on. Was God absent in these situations? No. Had God forgotten? No. If God is there, and God is allowing, then there must be a purpose.  And indeed there is, the purpose is to “prosper you and not to harm you.”

The verse says that the plan is to give us “hope”.  In our modern day vernacular we interpret hope almost the same as wish.  I “hope” my team wins. I “hope” I do well on this test. But Biblical hope is different. It’s a “sure thing”. It’s a “done deal”. In life we desperately strive for hope. But hope is not something we achieve, it is something we receive. No amount of trying will ever achieve what God freely gives.

Not only do we receive “hope”, but God also promises a “future”. A key to understanding this is to understand the nature of God. (Warning, this is about to be one of those head exploding type of things)! God does not exist in time the way that way exist in time. We live linear lives. We get up, eat meals, work, do some stuff, go to bed, and repeat. We do this day after day, month after month, year after year, over and over and over again. God is not limited by the calendar and time. God just exists. God is in all times at the same time. (I told you it was head exploding). This means that God has the whole view of all of our lives at one instant. Beyond that, He sees all of eternity in one glance. With all of that knowledge and lack of limitations, it makes sense that He would move the needle of our lives one little iota to help steer us down a different path. We don’t even have the smallest fragment of information that God has. Before I leave this, think about it a bit. When you were just a small little embryo in your mother’s womb, God not only saw that present situation, but He also saw your whole life and death. When God says, He will give us a “future”, it’s not just some little plan, it’s much much bigger than that.

I think it’s worth taking a short little detour here. We are to WAIT ON THE LORD (emphasis added). That is what God wants us to do. But, like many things in the Word of God, this can be taken to a wrong extreme. Someone may say, “Ok, I’m waiting on God. Until He shows up, I’m just going to sit right here on this couch and eat Cheetos until something happens.” Obviously, that’s not the right approach.  In Jeremiah 29:4-7 God gives the immediate action to be taken:

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Do you see the instructions God gives in the waiting? Build houses, plant gardens, EAT (Hallelujah!), Keep marrying and focusing on family.  Basically, keep on doing life. Keep moving. I love the advice given in verse 7: “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into EXILE”.  While everything is wrong for you, help others. Not only help others, but help those that are enslaving you. Ouch, wait what? That seems impossible. Do you see the promise though … seriously don’t miss this. Do you see what God says He will do if we seek peace and prosperity for others. Do you see it, “if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  And this, is even while in the exile.

This passage beautifully wraps up with a promise from God found in Jeremiah 29:12-14

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

The start of this verse is the word “then”, which implies something comes before it. God says “call on Me”, “come and pray to Me”, and the promise is He will listen. When we seek, we fill find Him. The promise is that the slavery will end, the time of wilderness will cease. This comes, but the journey of the captivity is what makes it possible.

No matter the season of life you are in, God is there. He is far above any limitations of time, place, or circumstance. This blip of time that we live in is nothing compared to eternity. No matter how difficult your situation is, always remember that “God knows the plans He has for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jacob: Deceiver to Receiver

by Kevin Tillman | Sep 25, 2023 | Bible Study

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three are what we refer to as the “patriarchs of the faith”. God established His Holy nation of Israel through them. The foundations of the lineage of Jesus are traced back here as well. Jacob was the last of the three patriarchs. From him the twelve tribes of Israel are established.

The name Jacob means “deceiver”. Can you imagine naming your child that? In Biblical times names held great weight. A name was not just a name. A name was a revealer of character, of destiny, of prophecy. Jacob lived up to his name. For years Jacob was a deceiver. He tricked and bargained his way into every success he had. And it worked! Jacob manipulated his way into receiving the birthright and blessing from his father. This was more than just an inheritance, it was a promise of spiritual anointing. Jacob through his trickery received the mantle of the patriarchs. Jacob had run scams his whole life, and it helped him succeed.

But, this is where the story turns. God has allowed Jacob to receive the blessing. Jacob is now carrying the future of God’s people. Jacob is now firmly seated in the lineage of Jesus. But there’s a major problem. Jacob’s character did not line up with God’s standard.

Here’s a truth: Even when God gives a promise, character needs to handle it. God is not satisfied until we are ready for what He has prepared. The pathway to character development is brokenness. It’s not fun, it’s not easy. It’s painful and it often brings out the worst in us. But, brokenness is essential. Character matters! The character needs to match the assignment.

Here’s Jacob in need of some major correction. In Genesis 32 Jacob is running from his brother Esau. He had cheated Esau out of the birthright and blessing that should have been Esau’s because he was the oldest. Now, Jacob is fearful and is on the run. During his fleeing a truly life altering event happens. Jacob is left alone, and he wrestles with a “man” all night long. Later in the passage, it is revealed that this is no ordinary man. The Bible states in Genesis 32:28 that Jacob had wrestled with God himself. My guess is that at first Jacob may have thought this was Esau or one of his men that had finally caught up with Jacob. But, after several hours or wrestling it became apparent that this was no ordinary “man”.

A side note: Do we stand a chance in a wrestling match against God Himself? “In this corner, weighing in at 175 pounds (I wish) with an arm reach of 70 inches, and in this corner, the Creator of the Universe that has no weight, His reach is unlimited.”  Yeah, not a fair fight right? But Jacob wrestles all night. What we need to understand is the fight extended because God was working. Jacob needed the struggle.

During the night of fighting, at some point the “man” touches Jacob’s hip socket and dislocates it. I’ve never broken a hip, but I’ve heard stories. I’m sure the pain was overwhelming. But, Jacob held on, he kept wrestling. When God is ready to shape a character, it can hurt for a while. It might even hurt a lot for a while. The old saying “no pain, no gain” is just as applicable in the spiritual realm. But, despite the pain, Jacob holds on. When the sun is coming up, the “man” was ready to end the night of fighting. But Jacob declares, “I will not let you go unless you bless me”.  Yes! Jacob has made it to his point of revival. During the night Jacob had a realization that this was much bigger than a wrestling match. Jacob was fighting for his life, his future, his destiny. And, he knew he needed blessing.

For the first time, trickery wasn’t going to work, submission was. Jacob couldn’t manipulate his way out of this one. At this point, the “man” asks Jacob his name. They both knew his name, but it brought out a moment of confession. A concept I see here: We have to confess the past in order to step into the future blessing. After Jacob says “Jacob” (which once again means “deceiver”). After Jacob confesses, “I’m a deceiver, I have been all my life” … Then, the “man” says, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel”. The name Israel means, “One who struggles with God”.  Jacob then asks the “man”, what is your name? The man simply says, “Why do you ask my name?”. Then he blessed Jacob (now Israel), and he disappeared.

On this night a major correction occurred. The deceiver transitioned to the receiver.

In life we don’t like pain. Pain hurts. To be clear, not all pain is from God. There are painful moments in life that are orchestrated by evil. There are painful moments in life that are simply the degradation of society and the yearning for the perfection of Heaven. But, it many instances, pain is coming from Heaven. God is allowing, and even causing pain for a greater purpose. I know that last sentence ruffles some theological feathers, but I believe it to be completely true. God allows and even causes pain for a greater purpose. When we face difficult days and obstacles I think we need to consider what is going on in the spiritual realm. God will often use things in the natural world to do supernatural things. The situation may seem “human”, but it’s actually “divine”. God can and does work through earthly circumstances. Here is the great news when pain comes:  it means it is not too late. If God is allowing pain, He’s still working and refining. Think about surgery. If a doctor says, “no need to operate”, it means no hope is left. Surgery isn’t fun or easy, but it provides a way of recovery. God is a great surgeon. If he’s “operating” it means He is still working!

We don’t change our first names any longer, but we certainly can change our reputation. What is it that you have been known for? What trait is it that has defined who you are and how you operate? God is in the name changing and character correcting business. He took one of the “greats” in the Bible from a deceiver to a receiver. He can do that with each of us as well. Our job is to hold on until we have received that blessing. We hold on until all of the fight has left us. We hold on until we get to that point of submission. One last thought to ponder: Jacob’s most painful point was just before the breakthrough. Just before the blessing, he had the dislocated hip. Are you in a painful season now? Hold on! God has not forgotten you, God has not left you. Actually, God might just be about to bless you. The promise awaits!