Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

This has been a favorite scriptures for many people. A lot of people read this scripture as if it refers to God as a security blanket for our lives. That He will always take all of our suffering away. If you spend some time reading this scripture over and over in full context by reading the full chapter and book before and after. You will begin to see this scripture differently. When going through a hard time we should cling to Jeremiah 29:11, but for the right reason, not in the false hope that God will definitely take away our suffering, but look at it in the true, confidence that He will give us hope and peace in the midst of it. This scripture now should speak to us more as God giving us peace, hope and comfort through trials rather than an immediate rescue. We are to learn from the suffering.

God knows what He has planned for us and in time we will receive the future He has planned for us if we make the right use of the free will He has given us  and we choose the path that is His will for our life. However it is clear for us all to remember as we go through this life and travel through the many heartaches, trials and tribulations we all face that our greatest growth as a Christian and our most helpful lessons come from persevering through the difficulties and not from escaping them entirely. After going through our toughest trials it is there on the other side of it where we find true joy, the greatest peace and feel the totality of God’s true blessings on our lives. It is the walk with Jesus Christ through the trial that taught us the most and left us feeling joyful, loved and at peace. We serve such an awesome God.