Have you ever read this verse and thought, “Life certainly doesn’t feel good to me right now, or I’m not prospering.” Most likely we all have. This verse is a perfect example of why scripture must be kept in the context it was written. If you read Jeremiah chapters 28 and 29 a very different perspective of this verse takes place.

God had sent the children of Israel into capitivy in Babylon. Sometimes God allows bad things to happen in our lives to get us back on track.

Hananiah, a prophet, was misleading the people of Israel, telling them that the Lord would break the chains of bondage off of them within two years. He was giving them false hope.

Jeremiah, on the other hand was a true prophet of the Lord. He told the people to build homes there, start families, seek peace in the land and flourish there, because they would remain there for seventy years. THEN the Lord would deliver them and bring them back to the promised land. God allowed them to stay there BECAUSE His plans were for their good, not for disaster.

God has a good plan for your future … even when the present seems anything but good. Let your hope rest in His faithfulness and PERFECT timing, not in your circumstances. It’s all about the timing … God’s timing.