It would be hard to trust a financial adviser if you thought that person didn’t really like you. It would be difficult to take advice from someone you believed would do you harm. We expect a few people might make our lives difficult at times, but it’s hard on our faith when God allows us to suffer. One of the tallest hurdles we face with God is learning to trust him when our circumstances don’t feel like the results of his promised favor and blessing.

God told the prophet Jeremiah that even when circumstances become difficult, God’s children could continue to trust their future to God. Jeremiah wrote to the captives of Israel, many of whom were faithful followers of God. The faithful Israelites were taken captive alongside the unfaithful. 

Consider the story of Daniel and his friends. The faithful hadn’t led perfect lives, but they didn’t deserve their enslavement. Their feelings of disappointment toward God would have been understandable. God told Jeremiah to teach them to trust God’s plan for the future despite their personal suffering in the present.

God said, “Trust the plans I have for you. My plan is to prosper you with hope for the future.”

The nation of Israel was held captive for seventy years. Many of the captives never saw their hopes fulfilled, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have hope for their future and for their future generations.

We seek advisors whom we trust will have our best interests in mind. We hope their advice will pay off quickly, but sometimes our investment is meant to be a blessing for others. Good advice should prosper other people too, and God’s advice always does. God’s plan encompasses much more than our present circumstances.

We trust God because we are his children. He has promised to give us “hope and a future” with him in heaven. Even the most difficult circumstances of our earthly lives can work for the good of our welfare and our eternal future. When we are God’s children, we always have future hope. That is our promise from God.

To know God is the beginning of wisdom. Trusting God is the hope and assurance that our future is secured by his perfect plan.