đŸ”„Behind the Fire #002 - Plans for Good, Not for Comfort

đŸ”„Behind the Fire #002 - Plans for Good, Not for Comfort

đŸ”„ Behind the Fire #002 — Plans for Good, Not for Comfort

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord


(Jeremiah 29:11)

Welcome Back to Behind the Fire

Behind the Fire — a weekly dive into the Scriptures that fuel Spirit and Fire. Every design we drop has theology behind it. Every phrase carries truth that demands to be lived out loud.

I started Spirit and Fire to remind believers that our faith isn’t meant to blend in — it’s meant to burn bright in a dark world. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:14–15
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”

Let’s Dive In

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.”

Who Wrote Jeremiah?

Jeremiah — the weeping prophet — wrote this book with the help of his scribe Baruch.

Jeremiah 1:2 says the word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of King Josiah’s reign — around 626 BC.
Jeremiah personally witnessed the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 BC, so his writings span the final decades before exile and its aftermath.

Who Did He Write It To?

Primarily, Jeremiah wrote to Judah — God’s covenant people living in rebellion.
But his prophecies echo beyond his generation. Centuries later, Matthew cites Jeremiah (31:15) to show God’s ongoing fulfillment through Christ (Matthew 2:17-18).

The message was — and still is — for God’s people in exile, then and now.

Why Did He Write It?

The book divides roughly into three sections:

  • Accusations and Warnings of Judgment (Ch. 1–25)
  • Disaster and a Message of Hope (Ch. 26–45) ← where this week’s verse lives
  • Judgment for Babylon and the Nations (Ch. 46–52)

The core idea:

Israel broke their covenant with God. God judged them — not to destroy, but to discipline. Even in wrath, He showed Israel mercy. He would keep His promise to raise a Redeemer from David’s line.

How Does the Text Apply to Us?

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most misused verses in Scripture.
It’s often quoted like a fortune-cookie promise — “Good things are coming!”
But that’s not what God was saying.

These words were spoken to a people under judgment, conquered and carried off by Babylon. Their comfort was gone. Their temple destroyed. Yet through Jeremiah, God told them:

“Build houses. Plant gardens. Seek the welfare of the city.” (Jer. 29:5-7)

That meant seeking peace in the land of their enemies — a shocking command that would have been incredibly offensive. But their flourishing in exile would display the faithfulness of God to a watching world.

God’s “plans to prosper” weren’t about comfort — they were about redemption. His plans are always for our good, but that good is defined by His glory, not our ease.

The fire wasn’t punishment alone — it was purification.

This passage is about God’s glory and covenant faithfulness.
Even in our rebellion, He remains steady. His plans will refine us until Christ is formed in us.

We may not always like what God has in mind, but if it glorifies Him, it is for our good.

                                                                                                                                                

Behind the Fire

Every promise of God finds its “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Jeremiah 29:11 was written to a people in exile—but that’s the gospel’s story too. Humanity has lived east of Eden ever since sin entered the world. We are all exiles, longing for home, and our comfort won’t be found until Christ restores what sin destroyed.

When God told Israel, “I know the plans I have for you,” He wasn’t promising an easy life—He was pointing to a coming Savior who would carry out His plan of redemption at the highest cost. The same God who disciplined His people through Babylon would later pour out judgment on His own Son so we could go free.

Christ bore our punishment so that our future could truly be good—not just comfortable, but redeemed, holy, and eternal.

Jeremiah’s words find their ultimate fulfillment at Calvary: God’s plan to prosper us wasn’t to give us ease, but to give us Christ, who is our peace, our hope, and our future.

That’s the heartbeat of Spirit and Fire. Every design, every verse, every message declares the same truth:

Redemption was the plan all along.
The fire that refines us is the same fire that reveals Him.

 

Reflection & Application

  1. Where might God be refining rather than rewarding you?

  2. How can you “seek the welfare” of the place you’re in — even if it feels like exile?

  3. What would it look like to trust that God’s plan is for good, not comfort?

đŸ”„ Fire Challenge

The first five people who send in written reflections HERE will receive 30% off their next order.
Submissions close Saturday at midnight.

Call to Action

This week, don’t despise the season that feels like exile.
The same God who sent His people to Babylon brought them home.

His plans are for good, not for comfort — and in the fire, He’s still faithful.

— Josh | Spirit and Fire
“Set Apart. Set on Fire.”

 


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