It is a familiar, well-loved verse for most Christians, quoted to reassure ourselves and our loved ones. A promise of great things to come in the future, especially when one cannot imagine how they will be worked out. “For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope”(Jer. 29:11). We would do well to keep the context in mind when we wish for the fulfillment of this promise.
The Israelites had been exiled to Babylon. They wanted desperately to go back to Jerusalem having believed the false prophecies of Hananiah reassuring them that King Nebuchadnezzar would be defeated within 2 years and they would soon be back home. On God’s instruction, Jeremiah rebuked the false prophet.
Warning them to get used to being in Babylon for a long-term stay, the Israelites were instructed to settle down and make a life for themselves there. They were to increase in number (to intermarry and multiply; to prosper), and to promote (and pray) for the welfare of the kingdom to which they had been exiled (which they hated) because their welfare for now, depended on the welfare of that kingdom.
When that sinks in, one has to pause and marvel at God’s expectations. They were to enjoy and make the best of their life in captivity under a hostile king. They were to normalize life in exile. Rebelling against the king would only make things worse for them. Then, and only then, 70 years after they obeyed that instruction, would God’s wonderful welfare plans for a future full of hope be realized for them.
This promise that we all love to personalize so much was based on obedience in an adversarial situation. It is likely the Israelites never stopped praying to God to change His mind and move their ‘freedom date’ up or better still to get rid of Nebuchadnezzar one way or another, but they knew they had to submit to God’s will in order to reap the benefits of a promised future full of hope. The same God who demanded their obedience to the hostile king also promised to destroy that hostile king after he had served his purpose in God’s long-term plan.
We can compare this to any number of current-day situations. Working with a boss who is determined to make one’s life a misery or to get rid of one by any means possible and not being able to find another job easily. Living with a disagreeable spouse and considering a divorce, but waiting to see how things will go. Living under a tyrannic ruler and wishing God could just get rid of him. Communing with fellow Christians under a Pastor with a questionable character but not wanting to change churches for any number of reasons.
In all these situations we normally long for a quick change in the status quo and pray for God’s promise of a hopeful future to materialize right away. But since we never know the length of God’s timeline for any adverse situation that He allows us to be in (for reasons best known to Him), we could imitate the Israelites and make the best of a challenging situation while we are in it.
Prayers for the hostile party are therefore important as our lives are intertwined with that person’s until our promised hopeful future is actualized; praying for their conversion or praying that their hearts would not be hardened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit is a good start.
Praying for rulers is required whether we love them or despise them. For as long as God allows them to be in authority, their rulings and decisions affect our lives and enable or disable social peace. We might as well pray that God will move their minds to make sensible decisions.
As we have seen with the Son of God, it is just human and perfectly normal to wish to get out of an agonizing or challenging situation. Jesus prayed to His Father in Gethsemane trying to see if He would allow a last-minute change of plans that would avoid the onslaught of terror ahead. No can do said Pops, and the Son understood and obeyed, knowing The Master Plan was for a future full of hope for all mankind.
He was determined to be obedient and to accomplish all that was in the script as prepared. Despite His seeming concurrence with the will of His Father that night, He would still cry out to Him a few hours later on the Cross. He was still human after all, even if it was for a few more minutes. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me???” (Mk.15:34). Nonetheless, He obeyed and went along with The Plan….so that we could all realize that universal future full of hope for all who believe.
We are probably marveling at God’s expectations from us in any adversarial situation we find ourselves in right now, but Yes We Can! Because we have been reassured that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, we are able to do the right things that we would rather not do. We can call on The Helper to strengthen us and help us cope through it and give us the charitable mind to pray for all parties involved even as we expect His good plans for our hopeful future to materialize ASAP!
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Lk. 6:27-28
“Whether it is pleasant or difficult, we will obey the command of the Lord, our God,……so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.” Jer. 42:6
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1
Hilltop Thoughts, Valley Strengths 