I Have a Plan: Jeremiah 29:11

Out of Context, Part 4

When I graduated from high school, someone gave me a card with Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) on it. You know the one…

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.”

Beautiful handwriting. Thick cardstock. Probably a bit of glitter. Straight off the shelves of Hobby Lobby (not sponsored). It sounded like God was promising me a bright future, which was great, because I had no idea what I was doing. (Still don’t, to be honest.)

Over the years, I’ve seen this verse on journals, bookmarks, coffee mugs, Instagram bios, and yes, even tattoos. It’s often used to say… “Don’t worry, God has a great plan for your life.”

Now… listen. I do believe God has a plan. And I do believe he is good. But this verse? It doesn’t mean what most people think it means. Sorry.

Here is the truth—when you hear the real story behind it, I promise, it’s actually better. Hooray!

What’s Happening in Jeremiah?

The book of Jeremiah is wild. It’s written by a prophet during one of Israel’s lowest points in history. The nation has been repeatedly unfaithful to God, and Jeremiah’s job is to tell them judgment is coming. And, well, it does.

In 597 BC, Babylon invaded. Many Israelites—especially the young and promising ones (I will spare you the horrific details)—are taken into exile—ripped from their homes, marched to a foreign land, forced to live under enemy rule. It’s trauma on every level.

In short, Jeremiah 29 is a letter sent from Jerusalem to exiles in Babylon—not to everyone, not to the whole nation, not to people in comfy situations, but to exiles.

And the letter basically says something to the extent of, “Yeah… you’re gonna be there for a while.” More specifically, in Jeremiah 29:5-7 (ESV), the prophet writes, “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters… seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile…”

Wait, what? God is telling them to get comfortable because this exile will last 70 years.

Then, after all that… comes verse 11.

“For I know the plans I have for you…”

So, in context, this verse isn’t a quick pick-me-up. It’s a promise after years of exile, loss, and waiting. It’s not a guarantee of individual success. It’s a word to a people—that even when it feels like they’ve been abandoned, God hasn’t given up on them.

[[ For what it’s worth, this is not a “dream big and go crush it” verse. It’s a “sit tight, trust me through the mess, and I’ll restore what’s been lost” verse. ]]

What the Verse Means

In light of that, let’s reread Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) in full…

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The word “welfare” in this verse is the Hebrew word shalom, which means not only peace but wholeness. God is saying… “Even though things feel broken now, I haven’t forgotten you. There is healing ahead.”

This is a corporate promise, not a personal fortune cookie—and that’s important. If you claim this verse as an individual guarantee, what do you do when life doesn’t go well? When the job falls through? The marriage ends? The prayer isn’t answered?

This verse doesn’t promise that your life will always go up and to the right. It promises that God is always faithful to his people, even when it feels like he’s gone quiet.

The Problematic “Shallow” Reading

To be blunt (sorry if this offends), the way we often use Jeremiah 29:11 can lead to a kind of spiritual entitlement. Like, “I should get the job because God has a plan,” or “this relationship has to work out because God wants me to prosper.”

But Scripture doesn’t guarantee us comfort or convenience. It guarantees God’s presence and faithfulness. If you misunderstand this verse, suffering can feel like failure. Or worse—like God didn’t keep his promise.

But Jeremiah 29:11 doesn’t promise that everything will be easy. It promises that God is not done with you—even in exile. Even in Babylon. Even in waiting.

[[ For what it’s worth, the verse doesn’t say the plan feels good. It says the plan is good. Even when it takes seventy years to see it. ]]

Can We Still Use It?

Yes! Duh!

But read it for what it really is—a promise that God doesn’t abandon people in hard places, that his story is longer than your timeline. That he’s still faithful, even when the path doesn’t look like progress.

If you’ve been through something painful… If you feel like you’re stuck in the in-between… If you’ve lost something you thought you couldn’t live without… Jeremiah 29:11 is your reminder that God is not finished. Exile isn’t the end of the story. It just might be the beginning of something better than you imagined.

An Alternative

If you want to remind someone that God sees them, hasn’t forgotten them, and still has a purpose for their life—Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t wrong… but there might be a better place to start.

You could use Philippians 1:6 (ESV) …

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (This is Paul writing from prison, not from a throne, not from a dream fulfilled—from a jail cell.)

Or you could use Romans 8:18 (ESV)…

“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (In other words, God doesn’t always rescue us from suffering. Sometimes he redeems us through it. That’s the real hope. Not just that things will get better, but that we belong to a God who makes everything new.)

[[ For what it’s worth, if God’s plan takes longer than you thought it would—that doesn’t mean it failed. It just means it’s still unfolding. ]]

Hopefully, That Made Sense

Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t a verse for when you’re on your way to college, or about to get married, or stepping into your dream job. It’s a verse for when you feel forgotten. For when the dream has died. For when you’re in Babylon, wondering if God still sees you.

It’s the Lord’s way of saying, “I haven’t left. This season won’t last forever. Hold on—I’m not done yet.”

Until next time,
Petey