Jeremiah’s Gems
Many claim Jeremiah 29:11 as a favorite verse: “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.” But what’s the context? Jeremiah wrote these words from Jerusalem in a letter to the people of Israel who’d been carried off to Babylon. Their exile would last seventy years, and during that time the city of Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed (Jeremiah 29:1,10).
Jeremiah, who’s been called the Weeping Prophet, had much to weep about. His job was to deliver warnings to the people. God had patiently endured their sinning, including their idolatry, but they wouldn’t repent. Jeremiah preached and prophesied for at least forty years, but very few heeded his warnings.
But God also gave Jeremiah messages of hope: they would survive as a people and God would bring them home. Moreover, someday a Messiah would come and usher in a New Covenant, written on their hearts.
The book of Jeremiah is long and complicated, filled with biography, sermons, poetry, and laments. But our study zeroes in on some of Jeremiah’s gems. Many of these verses may already be favorites; some may be undiscovered treasures. Consider this one, which explains how Jeremiah was able to persevere: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies” (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT).
God had told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). This is true for all believers: God formed us and knew us before we were born, and he gave each of us an appointment. As we keep our eyes on the Big Picture, God’s eternal plan, we’ll have hope for today and the future.
See the devotions in the series:
Jeremiah Saw the Nation’s Sins
Jeremiah Prophesied a New Covenant