Advent: Hope
Most of us have heard the passage, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jer. 29:11).’” It is a beautiful promise of God’s character to remain faithful and provide the people of God with His plans of hope and a future. However, in the midst of this promise, many do not know the full context of what is happening in this passage.
The prophet Jeremiah is writing a letter to the people of Judah who had been taken captive by the Babylonians in 586. Jeremiah is writing to give them the Word of the Lord and remind them of His promise. The first portion of this letter is a call to settle down in the new country of Babylon. He tells them to build houses, plant crops, have children, and become accustomed to the land because they would be there for 70 years.
This is not encouraging to me. If I got a letter saying, “Get used to living outside the Promised Land,” I would be really quite bummed.
However, in the midst of this is when Jeremiah writes the famous verse above. In the midst of exile, depression, pain, grieving, loss, and waiting, there is a reminder of God’s faithful character to bring forth hope and a future full of prospering.
Our lives mirror this passage in many ways, and the beauty of the Good News is that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). So, let’s stop at the manger today and look at the One who reveals this hope and future. Let’s look at the One who came from another land, a land of promise, and stepped into the brokenness and pain of this world. When we feel at exile, He is faithful to bring us into a prosperous future and home.
Let’s look at the One who never loses hope. When we lose sight or possession of our dreams, He has not lost sight. Let’s look at the One who experienced every aspect of waiting for things to come to pass. When we go through the mundane of the day, He is empowering us with hope.
What am I getting at? Beloved, in the midst of our lives, there is Hope in our waiting. His name is Christ Jesus and He is calling you to rest in the Hope that He was, is, and will always be. Be encouraged this week to remind yourself of hope in the midst of your daily activities, and to find rest in the faithfulness of God’s character. He knows the plans. There may be waiting, it may not feel like home, but there is hope and a future. Rest in that hope, beloved. Amen.
