One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:1: “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. (NIV) But it is helpful to understand the original context that is offered by the preceding verse: This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. (NIV) That’s next exactly good news, is it? Here’s the context. This is a letter from the prophet to Israelites who had been deported from their homes to exile in Babylon. When he wrote, Jerusalem and the Temple had not yet been destroyed, but the Babylonians had already attacked the city twice and taken the letter’s recipients as captives. And the prophet’s message is, “God has not forgotten you, but it will be sevent...
Comments from a Christ-follower on things that matter to him