How can we rise above a life that so often bombards us with a succession of struggles and problems? One way is by cultivating a steadfast and relational awareness of the Creator, who is constantly weaving goodness into our lives, no matter what happens. 

Perhaps the best-known part of our passage is verse 11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord—plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future full of hope.” Consider how beautiful the Lord’s words are, especially when we remember that this verse was addressed to those who were defeated and overwhelmed by their circumstances. Judah had been defeated by Babylon; the captives were taken to the land of Babylon, and they suffered unimaginable loss – from the loss of lives to the loss of possessions. To make matters worse, the Lord had just told them that this suffering would last for 70 years. So the Lord commanded His people to move on and carry on with their lives. To begin rebuilding their lives in a foreign land and even to bring prosperity to the city into which they had been exiled. 

Does this mean, then, that the Lord wanted the people of Judah to give in to their circumstances? Not at all; rather, He wanted His people to face their new reality—however bitter it might be—as best they could. Is it not true that sometimes, when problems come thick and fast, all we want to do is run away from reality and escape to a situation of our own choosing? We find ourselves wondering when the trouble will end. Yet it is precisely in the midst of such struggles that God wants us to keep moving forward. Step by step, until we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Do not be afraid or worried, for He is our companion on this journey. Treading across barren, desolate land, yet still abounding in grace and refreshment.