iChaplain

  The Verse We Reach For When Words Run Out Jeremiah 29:11 appears everywhere. It is printed on mugs, cards and posters, and shared in messages to people who are having a hard time. It is often used as a quick reassurance, a comforting line we offer when someone is struggling and we do not really know what else to say. I have done it, and you probably have too. Sometimes we reach for this verse because we want to offer hope, and it is the first thing that comes to mind. However, Jeremiah 29:11 was not written for people who were about to step into a bright new chapter. It was not a motivational quote for someone starting a new job or waiting for exam results. It was not even a promise of quick rescue. It was spoken to people living far from home, trying to make sense of a life they did not choose. These were people whose world had fallen apart. They were confused, unsettled and unsure what the future held. In many ways, they were experiencing the same kind of uncertainty that many ...