Sunday Summary: Misunderstood? For I know the plans I have for you.

Plans? What plans? Our topic last Sunday was on Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), which is often taken out of context:

"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."

Cody explained that a lot of people take this to mean that the Lord has plans for them... when in reality, it was a direct message to the Israelites, who had been driven into exile. Here's how it reads with the inclusion of the verses that come before and after:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

It carries a different meaning when you know the context now, doesn't it? We've probably all seen this scripture printed in graduation cards and had it quoted to us when we're experiencing difficult times or trying to figure out what to do with our lives. It's doled out almost like a prescription: "Take Jeremiah 29:11 and call me in the morning..." as if were a cure-all for any spiritual ailment.

Cody said this passage was something he'd seen a lot in his youth, from church camp to his college years, and at that time, it was a motivational force in his life — something to make him figure out where he was going. He thought, "God has plans for my life. Great, but how do I know if I'm on the right path?" We've probably all wondered that on a near-daily basis... and in those times, it can be comforting to know that God has a plan for our lives. It affirms out faith and drives us to do better.

But, as Cody explained, it's just bad theology when used out of context. Do we really believe that everything that happens is God's will, or that God is behind every disaster, every crime, every evil on the face of the earth? I'm not convinced that every tragedy or accident can be blamed on God's "mysterious ways." Life is simply not scripted. We have all been given free will. What we do — and moreover, what we fail to do — actually does matter... in my opinion anyway.

Which brings up another point: everybody's theology is their own. And diversity is okay (as long as it's not mean or hurtful). No two people believe the exact same thing or have the exact same dogma. At the Gathering, we value the opportunity to delve deep into these questions and be able explore hard topics. We try to do so with a fresh and open perspective.

Back to the topic at hand, when read in it's original context, Jeremiah 29 does still have value in our spiritual lives. Even though it was written for a specific group of people over 2,600 years ago, we can learn something about the nature of God from it. Lesson: God keeps promises. God made good on a commitment to the Israelites — to bring them out of exile, and return to them to their nation to prosper. God was faithful and answered their prayers.

The Bible teaches us lessons, even without our own, personal perspective on it... and it does so, even if the message isn't directed specifically toward us. God speaks to certain people at certain times for certain reasons. As Cody said, "God has been re-purposing since long before Martha Stewart got started with it." 

Perhaps not everything in this life is mapped out, but by looking to God along the journey, we can find love, redemption, and hope. God takes crappy, difficult situations and often makes good come out of them.

Update @ 5:20pm, 2/12/14:
Late this afternoon, I got word that my step-dad's brother passed away. He was 52 years old and had heart surgery about a year ago. He hadn't been able to quit smoking after doctors told him he needed to, and recently came down with pneumonia. When I spoke with my mom, she asked for prayers for the family and said, "I have to believe this is a chance for a not-so-close family to be together. Maybe some healing can take place." She gets it... she totally gets it.

 Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger

Jerusalem, Israel – The "Wailing Wall" was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967. At times tens of thousands of people gather here for prayer.