Art Toombs Ministries 

Online Bible Commentary

Jeremiah 29:11 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.

12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. (NIV)

These are the words God gave to the prophet Jeremiah to encourage God’s people who had been exiled into captivity because of their disobedience. As Christians these words also apply to us.

God has plans for us and His plans are to bless us and not to harm us. He hears all the prayers of believers, and when we “seek Him with all our heart”. He will reveal Himself to us through the Bible, circumstances and Godly counsel from people He sends into our lives.

We always must test what we believe God is telling us by the truth of the Bible. God will never instruct us to do anything that is not supported by Scripture.

It is God’s will to always bless us. Unfortunately, when we have unconfessed sin in our lives God cannot bless us. God cannot bless sin. When we are “seeking God with all our heart” it means we have confessed our sins and have repented, agreeing with God about our sin and turning away from that sin.

When we yield our lives to God in this way He is free to work His plan in us. We will have hope in Jesus Christ and a future someday in His Heaven.