Jeremiah 29:11 is one of those verses we put on coffee mugs and inspirational posters: "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." It's an inspiring verse, but we forget the context in which it was written. God's people (the recipients of those words) were living in captivity, exiled in pagan Babylon. They were hearing from false prophets that their captivity would be over soon - two years, tops. But God said otherwise. God told the people to settle down for the long haul; their captivity would last SEVENTY years. That's not something you put on the coffee mug. God told them he had plans for them, plans to bring them home, but not soon. It's not what they wanted to hear. We also live as exiles in a foreign land. We want God to make things right, and he will! But until he does, we wait. Jeremiah's words from God give us some instructions on how to wait it out.
