God’s Word Proves True

The Gift of the Word

It was beautiful to study Jeremiah 29 and its surrounding biblical passages. I had to stop and thank God for His Word while I was reading. The fact that we have the Word of God to turn to, His very own breath, is a miracle. I must admit I do not retreat to His Word often enough. In it is housed life, peace, hope, joy, and freedom. Truly, to read the Word is to sit with Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Word (John 1:1). I am deeply encouraged by the Spirit of God to sit with the Word more and more. May we not be so easily distracted as to miss such precious time with the LORD, who made us and loves us. 

I am sure many of us have heard Jeremiah 29:11 spoken. What a beautiful promise it is. However, it is often taken out of its proper context. When a Scripture is not read in its proper context, we do not fully understand and appreciate God’s heart for us. It is always helpful for me to read the entirety of an assigned passage as well as the verses before and after. So when we read verse 11, let’s also embrace verse 10 and verses 12-14. I am excited for you and I to see who God is through this passage. After all, the Bible is God conveying to you who He is. He is not hidden from you but desperately longs for you to know Him! 

God’s Character on Display

Verse 10 tells us that God’s people have been exiled to Babylon. This is because of their disobedience to God. It also tells us that God does not intend for His people to stay there forever. He makes a promise that in 70 years, He will bring them back home. Then, verse 11 beautifully displays God’s care and grace. God knows His people and has a plan to save them. Finally, in verses 12-14, God expresses His desire for His people. He tells them He will be with them in their exile and promises to restore them fully at the proper time. 

In this passage, both God’s judgment and God’s love are made manifest. God is righteous, perfect, and holy. He is above all and despises sin. Therefore, sin must be punished. In this passage, the people’s sin is punished through exile from the Promised Land. Yet, God’s love is displayed through His promise to restore them fully and bring them back to the land He gave to them. This is the deep grace of God. 

God’s Fulfills His Promises

As I ponder this passage, I can not help but think of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, in which both God’s judgment and love are on full display. On the cross, Christ was the sacrifice for all sin for all time—He took on the full judgment of God on our behalf. Now, we simply must believe in Jesus and place our faith in Him, and our sins are covered. Praise God! I truly have no words to describe how deep the Father’s love is for us—how mighty and endless His grace is towards us. 

I must leave you with a reason you can trust God’s promise. Take a moment to read Ezra 1:3 and 2:1. Here, God’s people are released from their captivity and brought back to their homes in Jerusalem and Judah. Indeed, Jeremiah 29 has been fulfilled. Why? Because God fulfills His promises. Always. His Word proves true. We can and we must build our lives on His Word, for it will lead us to God in a world that leads us astray. 

Friend, no matter what you are going through, God is able to restore you entirely (1 Peter 5:10). Nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:27). Call upon Him. Pray to Him. Seek Him. He hears you. You will find Him, and He will restore you.