A Hope & A Future

A Hope and a Future

Jeremiah 29:11  “’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 a hope and a future.’”

In 2020 we can begin to wonder: Where is hope?  Sarah Lipson, a public researcher at Boston University writes, “The pandemic has unearthed so much uncertainty, and that is what anxiety is all about.  Likewise, students in the COVID-19 era might find it especially hard to think about the future, one of the hallmarks of depression.  There is a sense of hopelessness among young people.” 

Many of us can relate to what Ms. Lipson wrote.  So, how should one live during turbulent times when hope is a premium?  Thankfully, scripture gives us a template. 

Jeremiah lived in a war-torn land.  Isreal was divided, wars raged, there was a shift taking place among world powers.  People split into fractions on what to do next.  Sound familiar?   Eventually Judah revolts and its people were deported to Babylon.

In this season of confusion God gives his people a message of hope:  In Jeremiah 29, He tells his people to live life (v5), don’t give in (v6), and pray for your community even when it’s a hostile nation (v7).  What a great reminder for us today. 

How about you?  Have your lost your sense of hope?  Are you finding it difficult to see a future?  

Take a moment to read and reflect on Jeremiah 29.  Look at the example that Jeremiah gives us on how to find hope in the most difficult times.  Remember, God has a good plan.