My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “‘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.’” I just love the thought that God already has plans for my life, for a future beyond anything I could hope or dream.
I’m not as crazy about the verses which come before, however. They were written to the Israelites, who were in captivity in Babylon. They were miserable and just wanted to go home. But God essentially told them, “You might as well get used to this, because you’re going to be here awhile.” He instructed them to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, marry, have kids and “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:7 NIV).
We all have found ourselves in unpleasant situations like the Israelites. It could be a job or a relationship or something else, but the last thing we want is to be told to stay put. Sometimes, however, that’s exactly what God does.
There are two important lessons we need to recognize from this passage. The first is God was the one who put the Israelites where they were. He said, “I have carried you into exile.” Sometimes God puts us in unpleasant situations, because He needs us to learn something. At other times it’s so someone can learn something from us. Either way, we have to accept this is right where God wants us to be.
The second thing is sometimes the peace and prosperity God wants to give us is connected to how we serve others. If they prosper, then we will prosper too. That’s why God told the Israelites to not just seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon, but also to “Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
We’ve been put on this earth to bless others and show them God’s love. That includes our bosses, our spouses, and even that guy who just cut you off in traffic. If you seek to live peacefully with others and help them grow and prosper, you’ll find you are blessed in return. And don’t forget to pray for them, because “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”, both for the person being prayed for and the person doing the praying.
So, the next time God tells you to stay when you’d rather go, remember the Israelites. Who knows you may be right where God wants you to be. If that’s true, then you’re already in the best place on earth.