I remember an elderly gentleman who was very ill and near death, yet he was filled with the power of hope. How could that be? This man was hopeful because he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He may have been near death, but he also looked forward to being with the Lord for all eternity. We may lose our health in this life, but the Lord restores all things in heaven. Hope enables us to look past the hardships of today to see tomorrow.
Jeremiah, the prophet, wrote a letter to those in exile to give them hope. Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.[1]
The Lord Has Good Plans for You
Jeremiah 29:10-11 is often quoted, but people may not be familiar with the context from which it comes. The exiles would be in Babylon for seventy years, and only then would they be allowed to return to Jerusalem. Seventy years is over a generation. The adults who received this letter would be unable to return, and it would be the next generation. There would be a serious time of waiting before the return.
God knew they would need hope during the wait and told them this was part of the plan. Thus, as the Lord told them, they were to settle down and pray for their cities. The Lord was still with them, but He would use this time to train His people in a way only God could. Babylon would be God’s school of refinement for the Israelites, where He would keep His promises in His time and His way.
Hope is a Light in the Dark for Us
No matter the circumstance, it is only temporary in reference to eternity. Revelation 21:4 – He (Jesus) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” [2] The Lord keeps his promises. John 3:16 –“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”[3]
The Lord has plans for us. As we see in the above verse, the Lord has good plans for us, hope, and a future. How is Jesus extending you hope in your circumstances right now? Jeremiah 17:7 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. [4] To hear more about the power of hope, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/light-in-exile
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.