“ ‘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.‘ “ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
I love this verse. In late 2010 I adopted it as my go-to inspiration in battling cancer. You see, my prognosis wasn’t so good, and my wife and I prayed feverishly that God would direct us to the right treatment.
For weeks I carried a glass token in my pocket printed with Jeremiah 29:11. I acquired an inexpensive ring with the verse inscribed around the band. These constant reminders helped me keep a positive attitude throughout nine weeks of treatments.
However, I took this verse out-of-context and applied it to my own situation. Believe it or not, the prophet Jeremiah didn’t have me in mind when he wrote it about 600 years before Jesus. Scholars believe it was meant for Jews in exile in Babylon, who would have to wait for 70 years before returning to their homeland as God had promised them.
Wow! That’s quite a bit different from the way we use and interpret this verse. It doesn’t quite have the “feel good” factor that we want to attribute to it.
We are promised that we’ll be able to survive the trial and eventually we’ll prosper. In my case, I hoped for beating cancer. Nonetheless, I recognized that I’d be healed one way or another, either here on earth or in heaven. In my book, that’s victory!
In my personal view, I could use this verse for my situation, even though it wasn’t written specifically for me. By the way, God answered our prayers, directed me to the right treatment, and healed me. Today, seven years later, I don’t feel like I’ve ever had cancer.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for the inspiration You provide through Bible verses. May we apply them properly to our daily lives. Amen