“‘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. ‘” Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse in the Bible that is often-quoted and for good reason. This verse reassures us that God Himself wants to prosper us and He has big plans for us. This is why we have to make plans too and work hard to follow His lead.

It is not always easy navigating life’s journey. Often we face difficult situations and we need the reassurance that someone is going to come to our rescue when hardships become unbearable. This scripture then reminds us that God has a plan for our lives regardless of our current situation and He gives us hope for tomorrow.

Unlike us, God sees the big picture, not just the broken pieces like we see. He sees from the beginning to the end and He knows how to bring good things into our lives, even after decades of destruction.

Sometimes the hardest thing in life is realizing our own worth. Too many times we have listened to other voices tell us who we are instead of listening to who God says we are – His Chosen and His Beloved. In our human mind set we struggle with truly believing God could possibly love us when we mess up our lives by poor choices. Yet, He loves us even beyond those choices and chooses to walk with us through every season in our lives. God looks ahead and sees our future self, smiling with hope and joy.

When we are unsure of what’s next and doubting if our plans are from God, we need to turn back to Him in prayer and ask Him what steps to take next. God wants us to seek His will, not just our own.

So maybe there’s a lesson to learn in Jeremiah 29:11. Perhaps God has a purpose for all our trials. Perhaps it’s to push us back to Him and His will for our lives. We must remember that our mistakes don’t derail His plans. He still loves us and offers forgiveness to keep us on the path.

Yes, even in the darkest night God is the light punching through the darkness. He is continuously working all things for our good and still has great plans for us. Just remember God is the absolute power and supreme authority in this life. He is still the One in control and He has some awesome plans for our future.