Have you have ever wondered what God is thinking about you? You can read about His thoughts towards you and His plan for your life in the book of Jeremiah.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
This verse was spoken to the people of Judah who were exiled to Babylon. God was not speaking to those enjoying comfort, but to those living in displacement, loss, and uncertainty.
God had just instructed them to settle in the land, build houses, and seek the peace of the city where they had been carried captive.
“Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them; And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof, shall ye have peace.” Jeremiah 29:5&7
They were told their exile would last seventy years.
Yet even in this, God assured them: “I have not forgotten you. My plans for you are still good.”
These verses remind us that the promises of God are not cancelled by hardship. They are refined within it.
So what is God is thinking about you according to these verses?
The Original Hebrew Meaning of “Thoughts”, “Peace” and “Expected End”
For I know the thoughts” מַחְשָׁבוֹת, machashavot
The Hebrew word machashavot comes from a root meaning to weave or design with intention. It implies not a passing notion, but a deliberate, intricate plan, as if the Lord were an artisan weaving a tapestry. He is saying: “I know the designs I am weaving for you.”
Thoughts of peace” שָׁלוֹם, shalom “and not of evil” רָעָה, ra’ah
Shalom encompasses more than peace as absence of conflict. It means wholeness, completeness, wellbeing, flourishing. Ra’ah is not merely moral evil but calamity or harm. Thus, God is contrasting flourishing with destruction and saying: “My designs for you are for your wholeness, not your undoing.”
To give you an expected end” אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה, acharit vetikvah
This phrase may be rendered literally as a future and a hope. Acharit means the latter end, the outcome, or destiny, and tikvah means expectation or confident hope.
The Lord is saying:“I am leading you toward a divinely purposed conclusion filled with hope.”
What is God Really Saying in these Verses?
In these verses, God not is saying that He will instantly remove every difficulty. They do not promise an easy life or guarantee immediate prosperity. They reflect a declaration that the plans God has for His people are sovereignly benevolent, even when His process is painful.
He does not promise to spare you from being in situations that seem like exile. However, He does promise to be present with you, shaping the circumstances to work out for your good in the end.
How Should You to Respond to God’s Promise?
Trust His Process
You may not understand His pattern, but the Weaver never loses a thread. Every event in your life is woven into His greater design and redemptive purpose.
Seek His Presence, Not Just His Plan
Hope and restoration are found not merely in knowing God’s plan, but in knowing God Himself and being in His presence.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Hold Fast to Hope
The word hope tikvah in Hebrew also means a cord. It is something you cling to. Hold onto the promise that your story will end in peace.
Reflection
God’s plans for you are filled with peace, purpose, and promise. Even in seasons of uncertainty, loss, or delay. When you cannot trace God’s hand, you can trust His heart. You need not be concerned and wonder what God is thinking about you.
His thoughts toward you are not fluctuating whims but intentional designs of peace. You are part of a pattern far grander and more magnificent than your momentary trial. If you feel forgotten, take heart: you are written into the story of hope.
Prayer
Lord, You know the thoughts You think toward me, thoughts of peace and wholeness. Teach me to rest in Your intentions even when I cannot see their outcome. Let my heart be anchored not in circumstances, but in Your unchanging goodness. Bring me, in Your time, to that expected end You have ordained, my future and my hope in Christ Jesus. Amen”
