“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
Have you ever thought about what God is thinking about you? Especially when you are going through difficult times, when things don’t happen the way you expected, and you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I want to encourage you today with something very special from the book of Jeremiah, because there is a wonderful promise here that I believe we all need to hear.
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you.” I find these words so interesting. In Hebrew, the word for thoughts is machashavot, which can also mean plans or intentions. God is saying that He is thinking about His people. He knows His thoughts toward them. And when God says this, it means He has not forgotten them or what lies ahead.
Sometimes we make plans, and then suddenly something happens that we never expected. We go through trials, we face difficulties, and things don’t work out the way we hoped. But this doesn’t mean God has stopped thinking about us. He is still with us, still leading us, even when we cannot understand everything that is happening.
And notice what God says next.
His thoughts are thoughts of shalom. This is a beautiful Hebrew word that means much more than simply peace. It speaks about wholeness, well-being, and the fullness of God’s blessing. God wanted His people to know that even in the middle of their suffering, His intentions toward them had not changed.
Now, remember the situation when God spoke these words. Many of the people of Israel had already been taken into captivity in Babylon. Others were still in Jerusalem, and terrible destruction was coming. It was a very difficult time for the Jewish people. And God was not telling them that everything would change tomorrow. They would remain in exile for many years. But He was reminding them that He had not forgotten His promises and that He would bring them back to their land.
There is another Hebrew word in this verse that I want you to see. The word translated as “future” is acharit. But acharit can also mean the end or the final outcome. Isn’t that interesting? God was not only speaking about what would happen next. He knew how this difficult chapter in Israel’s history would end. Their present suffering was not the end of His plans for them.
And I believe there is something here that can encourage each one of us. We don’t always know what is waiting around the corner. We may be praying about our family, our children, our health, or some situation that seems impossible. But we serve a God who knows the beginning and the end. We can trust Him, even when we don’t see the answer yet.
Then, in Jeremiah 29:12–13, God says,
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
And listen to what He says in verse 14: “I will be found by you.”
I love these words. God is inviting His people to pray, to seek Him, and to know that He is listening. Even while they were far from their homeland, they could still call upon the Lord. And this is something we also need to remember. Whatever we are facing, we can always come before Him in prayer.
Dear friends, as we enter this Shabbat, I want you to be encouraged. Maybe you are walking through a difficult valley right now. Maybe you are waiting for something to change, and it has taken much longer than you expected. Don’t lose heart. Keep seeking the Lord and trusting in His faithfulness.
God knows your future. He knows what you are facing today, and He has not forgotten you. My prayer is that you will experience His shalom, that He will strengthen you through every trial, and that you will see His faithfulness in your life.
Shabbat Shalom and blessings from Israel!
Pastor Israel Pochtar