“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Even if we think we have planned our futures perfectly, there is no way to predict what will happen truly. My life has been a perfect example of how things can go from horrible to even worse. Each year, I think, “It can’t get much worse than this,” and then it does. I cannot quite keep up with all the terrible things, as it feels like each day, things grow worse.
Sadly, as Christians, many of us will face futures like this. Just because we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t mean we will have extraordinary lives. While we will have joy in our hearts by knowing Jesus Christ, we will not be immune to the effects of living in the sinful world. These facts can be overwhelming at times, leading us to sink deeper into our own pain, fear, and suffering.
God will bring to account those who have caused us problems on this earth, whether the devil or individual people (Ecclesiastes 12:14). God’s judgments will always prevail. He will bring wicked individuals and their sin down to the depths of the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15, 21:8; Matthew 25:41). Although we may suffer now, we will reign victorious over wickedness and sin at the end of all things.
Unfortunately, this means we cannot protect all our family members either. As much as we can try, we cannot be with them at all times. Furthermore, we cannot protect them from developing certain illnesses. While we can do our best to foster healthy eating, exercise, and regular doctor visits, nobody can defend themselves or others from every disease.
These terrible events are not reflections of ourselves or God’s love for us, but rather the reflection of living in a fallen world. God is not causing these horrible things to happen in our lives. Actually, God is fighting for us and protecting us from things we don’t even know about.
In this way, I can echo Paul’s words, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). And you can echo these words too. Yes, we won’t ever be fully prepared for the future, but God will be with us always, and we can trust Him. He will protect us and fight for us (Exodus 14:14).
The Bible tells us, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). While these words were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah, they do apply to us today. There is no reason to believe that God doesn’t have great plans for our lives, even amidst the pain.
If there is one thing we can be certain of in this life, it is uncertainty. However, God will still bring His plans to fruition. This might mean times will be challenging, but it could also mean we are already reaching the end of the tunnel. What we need to do is to lean into God, trust Him, and continue to follow Him despite the pain.
I understand this is not the hopeful, happy message we want to hear, but it is the truth. We live in a fallen world, and we cannot honestly know what will happen. However, we don’t need to live in a state of fear. Fear will hinder our lives. Rather than allowing the uncertainty to scare us, we need to follow God and continue to trust Him. He loves us, and He will protect us.
Prayer: “Dear God, the future scares me. Due to all the scary things that have happened, I’m afraid of what might happen in the future. Please protect me and keep me safe. I also ask that you protect my family and loved ones. You have wonderful plans for my future, and I want to embrace them fully. Please help things get better, God. I cannot stand this pain and pressure. I ask all of this in Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Daniel_Kay
Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Thursday, 12 February 2026.
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