Trusting God's Good Plans in Seasons of Waiting

Read: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Pray:

Intro: Illustration: First part of the Nate Saint Story and the family asking what God was doing in the midst of their call?

Recently, I was talking with a friend who was deeply frustrated—and even doubting—God's plan during a really tough season. He asked me, 'Why would God let me go through all this struggle if He really has a good plan for my future?' I think many of us have wrestled with similar questions. Waiting can feel like silence from God, a holding pattern that truly tests our faith and patience. Today, we're going to explore Jeremiah 29:10-14 and discover how to trust God's good plans, even in seasons of waiting.

1 Trust God’s Plan In Prolonged Wait:

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

- The nation of Israel found themselves in an unimaginable season of waiting. They had forgotten their first love, turning away from God. As a consequence, King Nebuchadnezzar brought them into exile in Babylon. Jeremiah 29:10 reveals a shocking truth: "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place." Seventy years! That's a long, painful season of displacement, loss, and waiting. Yet, in the midst of this, God speaks hope.

Illustration: The Refiner's Fire Think about how precious metals are refined. Gold and silver aren't found pure in the earth; they're mixed with impurities. They have to go through intense heat in a refiner's fire. The refiner watches carefully, knowing the metal is purified when he can see his reflection clearly in it. The seventy years of exile were a refining fire for Israel, intended to burn away their idolatry and pride, to bring them back to a place where they could truly reflect God's glory.

The "point of the 70 years" was a generational shift, a wake-up call for a new generation to rise up. We see this in figures like Ezra and Nehemiah, who emerged from this period to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the spiritual renewal of the people.

Hebrews 12:5-7 reminds us: "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons and daughters. For what son or daughter is there whom their father does not discipline?' This passage reminds us that God's allowing us to go through difficult times is often a sign of His love and care, shaping us for our good. Even in the waiting, God has good plans for us plans for welfare and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

2. Trust God’s Good Plans:

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

- This is God’s plan, and he does not always tell us the plan

Illustration: As a parent do you give your kids all the plans? NO

God's good plans don't always involve us knowing every detail upfront. As parents, we don't always reveal the entirety of our plans to our children, especially if they wouldn't understand the scope or the process. Similarly, God, in His wisdom, doesn't always show us the whole blueprint.

Illustration: The Unseen Architect Imagine a magnificent cathedral being built. From the outside, all you see are scaffolding, cranes, and dust. It looks like chaos. But there's an architect, with detailed plans, overseeing every beam and stone. We are often like observers of the scaffolding in our own lives, not seeing the grand design God is meticulously crafting. Our waiting isn't inactivity; it's a vital time of dependence and growth.

This also connects powerfully with Proverbs 3:5-6: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 'The notes here explain: 'Trust involves a wholehearted reliance on God’s wisdom, which often works in seasons of delayed blessing or unseen purpose. Acknowledging Him actively declares our dependence on His sovereignty.'

Psalm 62:1–2 “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

This reminds us that God is worth trusting at all times!!! But how to come to that place of trust, but going into a deeper dependance in God.

3. Trust God Plan in Deeper Dependence:

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

When we recognize that God's plans are not about our earthly position, but rather about our posture and trust in Christ, we are driven to our knees.

Illustration:

- Becoming a Navy Chaplain (10 year wait 2006-2010)

- Becoming parents through miscarriages (2000-2008)

- Stepping into church planting (2010-2024) 

So, our trust is rooted in acknowledging God's sovereignty and loving kindness, even when our circumstances don’t immediately change.

Look also at Jeremiah 17:7-8, which beautifully illustrates the blessing of trusting God: Jeremiah 17:7-8: 'Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.'

This passage paints a vivid picture of stability and flourishing for those who place their trust in God, regardless of the challenging circumstances around them."

4. Trust God’s Plan Through Heartfelt Seeking:

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 I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Just like nation in Israel we see here in Jeremiah, David gives a charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 29:9: 9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

Waiting isn't inactivity; it's a vital time of dependence and growth. Jeremiah 29:12-14 encourages us to pray and seek God wholeheartedly.

Illustration: The ESV Study Bible elaborates: 'Seeking God with all our heart signifies sincere devotion and dependence, trusting that He is actively working in our lives—even in seasons of apparent silence. It’s not about frantic effort but wholehearted pursuit.' These seasons of waiting are often God's way of preparing us for future fulfillment. His plans are unfolding as we trust Him."

Conclusion:

So what does this mean for you and me. How can we live out these verses in our own seasons of waiting, hurting, or uncertainty?

Trust God's Training Ground: Instead of resisting or despairing in seasons of waiting or difficulty, ask, "What might God be refining in me during this waiting period?" View these times not as punishment, but as divine discipline designed to shape you. God is treating you as a beloved child, and like a loving parent, He allows challenges to grow and mature you for His good purposes.

Practical Step: Journal about a current "waiting" season. What character qualities (patience, perseverance, deeper faith) might God be developing in you? How can you cooperate with His refining work?

Cultivate Wholehearted Trust God’s Good Plans, Even Without Full Understanding: We are called to "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Are you truly trusting in His sovereignty, like the tree by the water, even when you don’t see immediate results? This means letting go of our need to control or fully comprehend God's timing and methods.

Practical Step: When you feel anxious about the unknown, intentionally shift your focus from "how" and "when" to "who." Remind yourself of God's character – His faithfulness, goodness, and love. What specific area do you need to surrender to His wisdom today?

Prioritize Prayer and Trust and Seek God with All Your Heart: Jeremiah 29:12-13 promises that when we call upon Him and seek Him with all our heart, He will hear us and be found by us. In seasons of waiting, our deepest desire should be to draw closer to God, not just to get out of the waiting.

Practical Step: Commit to a focused time of daily prayer and seeking God's presence, not just for answers, but for intimacy. What practical steps can you take to "seek Him with all your heart" this week? Perhaps it's setting aside dedicated time, engaging with Scripture, or finding a quiet place to simply listen.

Illustration: The second half of the Saint story about his sister, wife, and kids coming back to the people that murdered Nate Saint and the four other missionaries, and what God did through His plans

Remember, God has good plans for you – plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Trust Him in the waiting, lean into His refining process, and seek Him with all your heart. He will be found by you, and He will fulfill His promises.