The practice of 'Jeremiah twenty-nine:elevening it'

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
- Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

The verse this irreguslackerly-updated-blog opened with. Probably one of the most quoted verses from the Bible... and quite likely one of the most misquoted too. Because people use it to mean "hey, I know things suck right now... but it's OK, God will get you out of it quick smart cause he has wonderful plans for you." But really, Jeremiah was rebuking false prophets who were saying that, because it was the will of the Lord to have the Babylonians prevail over Judah for a long while.

It's not about a quick-fix. Jeremiah was saying "hey, I know things suck right now... and guess what? They'll be lame for quite some time. But learn to praise God in the suckiness cause regardless of your circumstances, you can seek the Lord and find Him wherever you're at, right now. He is good and He does have wonderful plans for you - but you gotta let him do it His way. No matter what, you have to trust Him."

That is infinitely so much more beautiful. Hmmm. Yes, I have been through some hard times. And I will have to go through more. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33 (ESV)

Peace is found in Christ, not in the world. We are guaranteed to face hardship here - but Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. Through His sacrificial love for us, we have been adopted as God's children: our citizenship is in Heaven. How comforting, how lovely it is to know that when my short time on this troubled earth comes to an end, I will snuggle up at God's feet - exuberant, brilliant, triumphant.

"So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day."
2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV)

God is worthy of worship in worst times and best - through worries and war zones and through all the rest, let us practise Jeremiah twenty-nine:elevening it.


Through the darkness and the dreary
I will praise Your holy name
Through my weakness, though I'm weary
I will worship all the same

Through the high tides and the low
I will praise Your holy name
My enemies you overthrow
I will worship all the same

You are Almighty God
And You'll always carry me
Through the storms, past the thorns
I'm reborn and I'm Yours
You have plans for me

In the sunshine, in the rain
I will praise Your holy name
Be it pleasure, be it pain
I will worship all the same

You are Unchanging God
And You'll always hold me near
Through the storms, past the thorns
I'm reborn and I'm Yours
I will persevere

When I'm troubled, when I'm tense
I will praise Your holy name
Through it all, Lord, You make sense
I will worship all the same

I will worship
I will worship
I will praise Your holy name

I will worship
I will worship
Be exalted, I proclaim