 This is a really, really good verse. A promising verse, an encouraging verse. Problem is, it has nothing to do with you. One of the most popular Bible verses and one of the verses that seems to be brought up and applied, unfortunately, misapplied, misused, misquoted is Jeremiah 2911. Let's go there and let's see the encouraging news about it and discover that it has nothing to do with us. As a matter of fact, the vast majority. There are some people that it might apply to, that it does apply to, but I can promise you for us, most of us, this is not about us. This has to do with application, primary or secondary applications. Let's go to it. In 2911, you guys know the words, for I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Now let's think about this for a second. Remember, there are writings that are meant for certain people. We talked about this before that there are, there's this chronology of the Old Testament. So I want to put it on the screen so you guys can see if you haven't seen before. In the Old Testament, we have these prophetic books. And if you look and see, you'll see that there are prophets to the Northern Kingdom. There are prophets of the Southern Kingdom, prophets during the exile and prophets during the restoration. If you look in that part for the Southern Kingdom, you'll see that Jeremiah is prophesying to the Southern Kingdom. The question is, what is he prophesying to them about and when? Well, Jeremiah is prophesied and letting them know that you are getting ready to go into exile, into Babylon. And there's going to be this 70 year exile because of their disobedience. He tells them to get married, to have children, to set up roots and so forth, because you're going to be a while. But he goes on to tell them that take heart, you are going to be brought back. Look what he says. Let's put it back on the screen. Let's start in verse 10. He says, For thus says the Lord, when 70 years have been completed from Babylon for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you and bring you back to this place. So he's clearly not speaking to us as Gentiles. This cannot apply to us because where have we been in exile? Where has he taken us back from and taken us to? But he's speaking of bringing them back to Israel. Look what he says, For I know the plans that I have for you. God has these plans for who? For Israel. I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Meaning God is going to exact that plan with Israel to bring them back into the land and to fulfill his plan that he has for them. He says, Look what he says. Verse 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. After they've been put back in the land, didn't say exactly when, but sometime after, in this case a lot longer than they probably thought, that after that point in time, then they will call upon him and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. And he says, I will be found by you, declares the Lord. I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile. That has nothing to do with us. It's encouraging to know that God still has a plan for Israel that he's going to do something for them and that his plans will come to pass. But sometimes, oftentimes, many times, most cases, because it's one of the more popular Bible verses, we want to take that and apply that to us. This passage has nothing to do with us. We have not been gathered from all the different nations and brought back into the land, which land, America, Canada, the UK, South America. No, this is about Israel. And then after that, he is going to cause their hearts to cry out to him and to seek him. So this is not talking about us, it's talking about them. Is there something that we can glean from that? Yes, there is. Maybe that God will keep his promises. But again, this particular promise is not for us. So I know it's a popular verse. I know people like it. You've seen it on T-shirts and you seen it on billboards and folks would cry this out and say it in churches and so forth. But we would be mindful to apply the scriptures properly so that we can see God truthfully working not just in our lives, but also in this case, in the lives of Israel. Amen.