是賜平安的意念、不是降災禍的意念、要叫你們末後有指望。(耶29章)

耶和華說：「我知道我向你們所懷的意念、是賜平安的意念、不是降災禍的意念、要叫你們末後有指望。」(耶 29:11)

是的！有時我們因為某些事情，未依照我們原先的期望完成時，心中會出現對神的不滿。但是這樣的事情，有可能是神在考驗我們，要看看我們：是看重眼前這件事依照我們期望成就重要？還是願意看重神超過一切？

每每讀到這節聖經，都有深深的感動！因為神在我身上的愛很明顯，這一路走來，祂在我身上所行的一切，都明顯為了愛我！使徒保羅也曾因感動寫下這句話：

我已經與基督同釘十字架。現在活着的、不再是我，乃是基督在我裏面活着。並且我如今在肉身活着，是因信神的兒子而活、他是愛我、為我捨己。(加2:20) 

請問已經釘在十字架上的我，人還能有自己的意見嗎？既然基督在我裡面活著，所以當然只有願主的旨意成全了，何況祂早已定意要叫我末後有指望。

對耶利米先知而言，眼前的國破家亡，王室、百姓被擄到巴比倫應該不是他原本的期望。但是神既然讓這樣的事成就，身為神的僕人，就只當接受。然而慈悲的神也多次應許：「七十年後，百姓必歸回」，這就像是在痛苦絕望中的一線曙光，周遭雖仍黑暗，但卻非完全陷入漆黑，因為「有光」！神的管教，終將就結束的一天。

就如我們有時正在執行合神旨意的好事，我們也認真遵照神的命令行道，但是卻面對不完全是預期中的發展，甚至還出現原地踏步，毫無進度的窘境。逆境往往是信心的試金石，沒有逆境，就顯不出人心中的真信心。人單憑口說自己有信心，還不如真的去經歷火煉所展現的結果。

神不會故意折磨祂的兒女，祂本為善、祂的慈愛永遠長存！凡事必有祂的美意，因為：耶和華說：「我知道我向你們所懷的意念、是賜平安的意念、不是降災禍的意念、要叫你們末後有指望。」

耶利米書這裡的「七十年」是個確定的時間，是神的憐憫，使苦難中的人不必猜測；但更多的時候，我們不知道神給我的七十年，真實到底是幾年？但是，這都不需猜測。

不管未來會不會再遭遇逆境，不管是否現在仍在逆境，都要細細讀這段經文，慢慢思考，明白這位永遠定意賜平安的神，這位要叫我們末後有指望的神，這回的作為會是甚麼？我們所當有的回應，就是耐心等候，不要心急發言，因為時候到了，所期待的事必照神的旨意來成全：

應當一無挂慮，只要凡事藉着禱告、祈求、和感謝，將你們所要的告訴神。神所賜出人意外的平安，必在基督耶穌裏，保守你們的心懷意念。（腓 4：6-7）

這是說我們該做的，就只要去禱告交託神，其他的動作，就是等候。神時候到了，賜下的平安，不是照任何人的想法，而是「在基督耶穌裡」，目的是要保守我們的心懷意念，使我們因為做了神所期待中的好表現，在「末後有指望」。阿們！

By Isaiah Kao

God's Plans Are for Peace, Not for Disaster, to Give You a Future and a Hope (Jeremiah 29)

July 26, 2026

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, NASB 2020)

Yes! Sometimes when things do not turn out the way we expected, dissatisfaction with God begins to arise in our hearts. Yet such situations may actually be God's way of testing us, to see whether we value the fulfillment of our own expectations, or whether we are willing to value Him above everything else?

Whenever I read this verse, I cannot help but be moved to tears. God's love for me has been so clear throughout my life. Looking back, everything He has done has clearly been for my good because He loves me. The apostle Paul was also deeply moved when he wrote:

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20, NASB 2020)

If I have already been crucified with Christ, do I still have the right to insist on my own opinions?

For the prophet Jeremiah, the destruction of his nation and the exile of the king, the royal family, and the people to Babylon were certainly not what he had hoped for. Yet since God allowed these things to happen, as God's servant, he simply accepted them. Still, the merciful God repeatedly promised: "After seventy years, My people will return." That promise was like a ray of light shining into the  despair. Though darkness still surrounded them, they were not left in complete darkness, because "there was light".

Sometimes we are faithfully carrying out work that is clearly according to God's will. We obey His commands and walk in His ways, yet the results are not what we expected. We may even feel as though we are standing still, making no progress at all. But adversity is often the proving ground of faith. Without adversity, the true faith cannot be revealed. Merely claiming to have faith is far less meaningful than allowing our faith to be refined through the fire of testing.

God never delights in tormenting His children. He is good, and His lovingkindness endures forever. Everything He allows has a gracious purpose, for:

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." 

The "seventy years" mentioned in Jeremiah was a definite period of time. It was an act of God's mercy, so that those who suffered would not have to live in uncertainty. However more often, we do not know what our own "seventy years" may be. How long will God's appointed time be for us? But we do not need to guess.

Whether we encounter more hardships in the future or are still walking through one today, we should quietly meditate on this passage. As we reflect on it, we come to know the God whose eternal purpose is to give peace, the God who desires to give us a future and a hope. We should patiently wait for Him, resisting the urge to speak. When His appointed time comes, what we have been hoping for will surely be accomplished according to His perfect will.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6–7, NASB 2020)

This means what we should do is simply to pray and entrust everything to God. After that, our task is to wait. When God's time arrives, the peace He gives will not be according to anyone's personal expectations, but "in Christ Jesus." His purpose is to guard our hearts and minds, so that by responding faithfully to what He desires of us, we may ultimately have a future and a hope.

Amen!

By Isaiah Kao