What is a Backstory? A backstory, background story, background, or legend is a set of events invented for a plot preceding and leading up to that plot.

We should be pretty familiar with it as movie lovers. All of our favorite movie franchises eventually add one, if not more. It is the new sequel. It is where a great franchise like Star Wars wants to make more money, so they go before the movies we love to create a background of how the characters we know came to be. 

I believe that is needed here for one of the most quoted scriptures of Jeremiah the Prophet. 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Wow, what great encouragement to know that God has thought about our future and has made plans accordingly. Plans that will bring about peace and give us hope for the future. Man, that must feel good. And while this feels so good to us now, can I tell you how exponentially better it was for Israel to hear those words when Jeremiah wrote them?

We live in a very chaotic time now; fear and anxiety are rampant like never before. Both of these feelings make companies and corporations Billions of dollars monthly so there is no reason they want to see those things change. 

Well, imagine living at a time where you are living in a country where the leaders don’t serve the Most High God but numerous other Gods (easy, right; 2 Tim 3:1-6). Well, now, imagine living your life during that time, then out of nowhere, another country comes in and destroys your land, kills many people, and then takes you and most of who you know that might still be alive captive and forces you to move (walking). 

And get this: today, the distance between Babylon and Jerusalem is only 750 miles (a much more direct route). Well, the route the travelers took in those days was more along the rivers, so they had to walk approximately 1,700 miles. So you are far from home and now captive, living as slaves. A new country is demanding you serve them; they have different rules, food, and customs. Everything is different. 

But check this: not everyone was taken captive; some people were ordered to stay back in Jerusalem (some family members) and forced to live in their homes under Babylonian rule. So they were ripped apart from their families and taken miles away. At the same time, their homeland became colonized by another powerful country (sounding way too familiar, but the devil has one play sheet to kill, steal, and destroy).

Now, as you go through this transition, people are speaking and telling you what the Prophets are saying. Now, a prophet back then was their voice directly from God. Usually, the country has one or two to three Prophets known and allowed by the King to speak, and everyone listens. Well know many prophets were rising up and numerous voices were saying “Thus says the Lord” yet they were not saying the same thing imagine the complete chaos this would bring? 

Many prophets were telling the people to rebel and to try to escape and go back to Jerusalem. Others were saying stay but rebel and do only what we did in Israel. Don’t do what they are telling you to do. You do not know what the mess is going on and what will happen next. “We are doomed.” With all of this background in steps Jeremiah, who had been called and known by the Lord from before birth. His was the most respected voice as what he’d prophesied always came to pass, and everyone knew God’s hand was on him. (It would be as if Pastor Joel came to our house and told us this is what God told me to say to you…). 

First he tells them in chapter 29:4-10 to live, dwell, do life. Live the best life you can, get married, have children, dwell in this land, and make the best of it because you will be here for the next generation (70 years is what he told them). Grow and increase where you are. Keep praying to God; He will give you peace where you are and still be with you in this foreign land. Don’t be fooled by those who say they are from God, but don’t speak for him (know your Word, and no one can fool you…It Is Written Matt 4:4). In all this, once the 70 years are over, I will step in and take you back home. Then comes this most powerful voice; how much more powerful is this verse now, given the backstory??? 

We live in a crazy time; but none crazier than when it was actually spoken to God’s people. So receive this same word today and everyday to help you navigate today’s crazy. I hope this encourages you. God’s Got Plans For You and they are sooo so Good.