Day 3 — Plans for Hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

— Jeremiah 29:11 (BSB)

You might have seen this verse on posters, mugs and graduation cards. It’s one of the most famous verses in the Bible. But do you know the story behind it?

When God first spoke these words through the prophet Jeremiah, His people were in big trouble. Their enemies, the Babylonians, had conquered them and carried many of them far away from home to the city of Babylon. They were living as exiles in a strange land, far from everything they knew.

Some false prophets were telling them, “Don’t worry, you’ll be home soon!” But Jeremiah wrote them a letter with a different message from God. He told them they would be in Babylon for seventy years. That’s a long time! Many of the adults would never make it home.

So God told them to build houses, plant gardens, raise families and pray for the city where they were living. And then He gave them this promise: “I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you a future and a hope.”

That’s important. God’s good plans didn’t mean their troubles would disappear right away. His plans included waiting. They included living in a hard place for a long time. But God promised He hadn’t forgotten them. He had a good future planned, and He would bring them home.

That’s true for you too. God has good plans for your life. But His plans don’t mean everything will always be easy. Sometimes His good plans include hard seasons, waiting and things you don’t understand. But you can trust that He knows what He’s doing, and that His plans for you are good.

And look at what God said next: “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12–13). The best part of God’s plan is God Himself. He wants you to know Him.

Think about it: Why do you think it matters that God spoke this promise to people who were in a hard place?

Try this: If you’re in a hard or confusing season, write Jeremiah 29:11 on a card. Next to it, write, “Even here, God has good plans.”

Dear God, thank You that You know the plans You have for me, and that they are good. Even when life is hard or I have to wait, help me trust that You haven’t forgotten me. Most of all, help me seek You with all my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.