When you got married, you weren’t anticipating a painful divorce.

You didn’t think you’d ever be an addict, but now the drugs, alcohol, pornography or whatever else is enslaving you. You’d love to stop. But you can’t.

Somehow you avoided the first round of layoffs and even the second, but you got caught up in the third. Now you’re unemployed and nobody is hiring.

You exercised and watched your diet, but still you got sick. Doesn’t seem fair that your co-worker who sits on the couch and smokes two packs a day seems to be in pretty good health.

You never planned on waking up one day with $30,000 in credit card debt, but there it is.

Maybe nothing horrible has happened, but life just hasn’t turned out like you thought it would. You had hopes and dreams, but they never quite materialized. And now you find yourself in a never-ending cycle of wake-up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, repeat. And you wonder…is this all there is?

Where’s God in the midst of all our hurts, disappointments and broken dreams? Does He see? And if He does, does He care?

And what if our circumstances are at least partly our own fault? What then? Is God going to save me from my own mistakes?

In Jeremiah 29, the prophet sends a letter from Jerusalem to the Jews who’ve been taken into exile in Babylon. I can’t imagine what that would be like–to be taken from your home and carried to a foreign country against your will. Your home is gone. Your land is gone. Everything that was good and comfortable and familiar–all gone.

So why were the Jews living in exile? It’s because they chose to worship idols and not obey God’s commands. God had warned them what would happen, but it didn’t change their hearts.

A good and gracious God can’t let us continue down a wrong path, but He also isn’t going to leave His people in exile. He will not only be with them in exile, but He will one day restore them to their homes in Jerusalem.

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

If your present circumstances feel like an exile, be encouraged–God will not leave you there. He knows the plans He has for you. Call out to Him. He will listen. Seek Him and you will find Him.

But when you come to Him, come on His terms. Come desiring His will, His plans, His ways of living life. Let go of your plans. His are so much better. His plans for you are good. How do I know? Because He is good. He cannot do anything that isn’t best for you.

If you feel like you’re to blame, that you’re the one that got yourself into the mess you’re in–don’t let that stop you from seeking Him and asking Him for His blessing and favor. He is not holding your sin over you. If you are in Christ, your sin is forgiven. The slate is wiped clean. You are holy and blameless in His sight. Yes, there are consequences for our wrong choices. The exiled Jews are evidence of that, but God delights in restoring us and giving us second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances…

And remember, you stand before Him by grace. You discover His plans for You by grace. When you seek Him and find Him, it’s by grace. You can’t ever be good enough to earn His favor. Jesus purchased God’s favor for you. You receive it by grace.

Today, you may find yourself in quite a mess with no apparent way out. As far as you can see in any direction is an unfamiliar land that’s a constant reminder of where you don’t want to be. But don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. Give yourself fully to God today and seek Him with all your heart. If you stumble and fall, then get back up and call to Him for help.

Seek Him today. Seek Him tomorrow. Seek Him the day after.

He may do something that will turn things around quickly. Or it may take longer than you’d like. In either case though, a good God is working out good plans for you. He cannot do otherwise.