August 12, 2025 -All Your Heart

JEREMIAH 23:33-24:10

JEREMIAH 29:1-31:14

Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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.

I have heard people quote verse 11 many times. A verse that gives people peace and hope. In context we see that this is a promise that God gives His people as they are going to be going through trials. Trials that are lasting 70 years. When we are going through times of struggle. When we feel like we are at the mercy of our enemies, be they real people or things that are oppressing us like illness, a bad job, financial struggles. You name it. These verses together tell us that even though it may be a long time it is limited. Some of the Israelites did not see the end of the 70 years before they died but they had the promise that even in the suffering the Lord has plan to prosper the people and not to harm. There was hope to be found. We can cling to that promise too as children of God.

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

I wonder if it was 70 years because that is how long it would take for the people to turn back to Him and pray, seeking Him with their whole hearts. We have been reading how the prophets warned the Israelites about their detestable practices. I lean toward that because it says "THEN you will call on me and come and pray to me". That seems to imply to me that they did not do that before. If I recall correctly before this in the reading God said to them that He was not listening to them. It seems that if they did cry out to Him and seek Him it was insincere and half hearted. This is what we need to do when we seek Him. Seek Him with all our heart. How do we do that? Perhaps it means we give Him all the glory for all things. We need to let Him into all areas of life. Which means we need to confess all our sins even the ones we don't want to believe are sins. We need to look to Him and surrender to Him in all our situations, feelings and actions. Not easy but think about it. He knows all about it anyway. When we keep part of our hearts from God it only harms us so seek Him with ALL your heart and he will listen to you.