If, by chance, for some reason, you find yourself in suffering-maybe even because of a lack of faith-if you will only return to God in faith, your suffering will end in a short time.
God wills to keep you from all suffering, if only you will trust Him and have faith in Him. Many of the fastest-growing, supposedly Christian churches and movements, as well as best-selling, supposedly Christian books, are built on teaching that says, “God wills for you to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous in this world. This is not just here in the United States it’s happening all around the world. Jeremiah 29:11 does not teach that God’s will is for us to always be prosperous or to keep us from all suffering. This is mainstream, common teaching that is drawing supposedly Christian crowds. So this is not just “out there” teaching. There’s a church that draws tens of thousands of people, and they say explicitly, “It is God’s will for every believer to become whole, healthy, and successful in every area of life.” They claim that on the cross, Jesus bought for us, not just spiritual provision, but physical and financial provision. Many of the fastest-growing churches in our country today are built on this false hope. It was in the mouths of prophets then and it’s in the mouths of preachers today all across our country. It abounded in Jeremiah’s day and it is abounding today. Don’t believe people who tell you that God will keep you from all suffering or that God will bring you out of suffering really quickly. Now the key for us here is the same thing that was key for God’s people in Jeremiah’s day. Amidst your heartache and pain, know that I am plotting for your good.” Jeremiah 29:11 Does Not Teach Us to Believe in False Hope This is God saying, “Amidst your turmoil, I have plans for your peace. It’s the Hebrew word shalom, which means all-encompassing peace. In the middle of suffering, in the middle of situations when we wonder where God is or what God is doing, God says, “I have good plans for you, plans for your welfare.” In some translations, it says, “plans to prosper you.”īut the word that’s translated as “prosper” in those translations is the same word that’s used for “welfare” a few verses earlier (v. “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 Jeremiah 29:11 does not guarantee us health or that God’s will is for us to always be prosperous or to keep us from all suffering.
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