“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

During a hard season, it is easy to become overwhelmed and feel alone. In those moments, we may be tempted to point the finger at God and ask Him questions like: How could You let this happen? Why am I going through this? Where are You? Difficult times often bring more questions than answers and more sorrow than joy making it hard to see any hope beyond the pain of the moment. When God spoke this message of hope to the Israelites, they were about to enter a very difficult time, they were going to be captives of another nation, foreigners, and would be faced with doubts, fears, and real struggles. Even as they faced that hard season, God’s word to them was not of despair or a condescending attitude of “I told you so,” but instead an invitation to draw near to Him in the struggle, walk with Him through the hardship, and look to Him as the One who could give hope and purpose in even the darkest places.

As you make your plans for your life, it may be easy to point at God when things go wrong, but this passage and others remind us He is not a God of destruction and turmoil; He is the God of redemption. Even the broken pieces of life that feel beyond repair or the sorrows we struggle to say out loud will be used for His purpose of redemption as we surrender to Him.

• Where do you need God’s redemption in a difficult situation right now? How do seasons of transition often bring about these challenges?
• What would change if you started to look to God as the hope in your struggle instead of the reason for your struggle?
• Pray and surrender the difficulties in your life and ask for God’s redemption and plan in those things.