Daily Devotional For Saturday, September 12, 2026
Good morning Southside! I am following the One Year Chronological Bible reading suggestion and any Bible verses you see highlighted in bold (ex. John 3:16), means it is a link to that verse. All you have to do is click on the reference and it will take you to the verse online. Our daily devotional reading for today comes from Jeremiah 29:4-14:
“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: (5) “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. (6) Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! (7) And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (8) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, (9) because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD. (10) This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. (11) “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (12) In those days when you pray, I will listen. (13) If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (14) I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land” (NLT).
This passage has one of the most misused and misquoted verses in the Bible in it: verse 11. The context of verse 11 is God has punished His people for their sin, rebellion and idolatry. He warned them repeatedly through His prophets but they mocked God and the prophets. God kept His word. He used King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon to defeat them and enslave them. This was over the years of 607 BC – 587/86 BC. Everything in Jerusalem was destroyed. The city, the Temple and the wall around Jerusalem laid in shambles. Thousands were forced to travel across the desert to serve as slaves in Babylon. Many died along the way and God used their rotting skeletons in a vision of life in the future for these exiles (Ezekiel 37).
For 70 years God’s people would live in exile. God told them to marry, build houses, have children, get jobs and pray for their captors. 607 BC to 537 BC is 70 years. Prophecy fulfilled. Verse 11 sits within the context of punishment, enslavement, loss of lives, abandonement, banishment, exile and defeat. 70 years they would have to wait for God to fulfill His promise to them. Not 7, 17 or 27, but 70 years! This means in captivity generations were born and generations died. No one who left Jerusalem would see it again.
I am not against people quoting Jeremiah 29:11. I’ve quoted it. The promise from God is one of my favorites but for us to experience it, we may have to have our lives upended and uprooted in very painful ways first. This promise from God is a future promise due to a present punishment. How do you share this verse with a Christian who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer or has had a child to die or they are finding themselves in a divorce?
I believe that the Scriptures teach that no matter what happens to us, even evil, God will be redemptive, merciful, and compassionate to us. It may take years like with the Jews before we experience this from Him, but God does not like to abandon His children (Ps. 103:8).
Reflection Assignment: In what ways have you experienced Jeremiah 29:11 the contextual way we saw in our devotional for today? Knowing the context of this verse now, how does it change how you might use it and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: Psalms 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, no matter what I may go through in life, joys or jeers, ups or downs, life or death, I believe You are good and will always do what is best for me. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly