When Surrender Becomes Joy
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 28–30; 1 John 3
God doesn’t just call us to survive the trial—He invites us to plant, build, and celebrate right in the middle of it.
Scripture focus
““Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”” Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”” Jeremiah 29:11-14
NLT “For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.” I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”” Jeremiah 29:23, 32 NLT
Reflection
In today’s reading, we see Jeremiah confront a false prophet—one who not only lied in God’s name but also thought his hidden sins would remain unseen. Yet the Lord exposed even his secret deeds, including adultery with his neighbor’s wife.
Just as Scripture warns, “…you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). This is a sobering reminder: nothing is hidden from God.
There will always be people who try to present themselves as spiritual, even as Christians, while in truth they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. They may speak with authority, even using God’s name, but their lives reveal disobedience and hypocrisy. Scripture warns us to be discerning, to test every spirit by God’s Word, so that we can recognize false teachers and prophets and not be deceived by those who pretend to speak for God.
As Paul wrote, “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women…” (2 Timothy 3:6).
But while that is one observation from the text, the heart of today’s message is something deeper the Lord impressed on me.
Yesterday we read how God told His people to surrender—to yield to the captivity of King Nebuchadnezzar. Those who resisted would perish, but those who surrendered would live. Today the instruction goes further:
Build homes. Plant gardens. Marry and raise families. Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where you’ve been placed.
In other words, don’t just survive in the trial—live fully in it. What an incredible picture of surrender! God was teaching His people to take a devastating season and turn it into an opportunity for flourishing.
It’s a metaphor for us. Jesus often used metaphors to teach spiritual truths, and here God paints a vivid one: surrender is not merely giving in—it is leaning into His will with joy.
Think of a wedding: the bride and groom radiant, the dancing, the laughter, the sense that everything else fades away in celebration. That’s the kind of joy God wanted His people to cultivate even in captivity.
And isn’t that exactly what James echoes?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2–4).
God never wastes our trials; He transforms them into opportunities for growth, maturity, and joy.
So yesterday, the call was surrender to the trial.
Today, we see what surrender looks like—choosing to build, to plant, to rejoice, to seek peace, and to trust that God’s plans truly are for hope and a future.
Digging Deeper – Hebrew Word Insights
To see God’s heart more clearly in this passage, let’s look at some of the Hebrew words He used and the richness they carry:
Lesson for Me
When I face trials, I often just want them to end. But the Lord is showing me that true surrender means more than enduring hardship—it means choosing to thrive where He has placed me. Instead of shrinking back in survival mode, I am called to keep building, keep planting, keep seeking peace, and keep trusting His plan.
Application Questions
🙏 Prayer
Father, thank You that even in seasons of hardship, Your plans for me are filled with hope and a future. Teach me to surrender—not just by yielding, but by truly living where You’ve placed me. Help me to build, to plant, to seek peace, and to trust Your purposes. Guard my heart from false voices, and anchor me in Your Word. May my life reflect the joy and flourishing You intended, even in the midst of trials. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
““Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”” Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”” Jeremiah 29:11-14
NLT “For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.” I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”” Jeremiah 29:23, 32 NLT
Reflection
In today’s reading, we see Jeremiah confront a false prophet—one who not only lied in God’s name but also thought his hidden sins would remain unseen. Yet the Lord exposed even his secret deeds, including adultery with his neighbor’s wife.
Just as Scripture warns, “…you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). This is a sobering reminder: nothing is hidden from God.
There will always be people who try to present themselves as spiritual, even as Christians, while in truth they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. They may speak with authority, even using God’s name, but their lives reveal disobedience and hypocrisy. Scripture warns us to be discerning, to test every spirit by God’s Word, so that we can recognize false teachers and prophets and not be deceived by those who pretend to speak for God.
As Paul wrote, “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women…” (2 Timothy 3:6).
But while that is one observation from the text, the heart of today’s message is something deeper the Lord impressed on me.
Yesterday we read how God told His people to surrender—to yield to the captivity of King Nebuchadnezzar. Those who resisted would perish, but those who surrendered would live. Today the instruction goes further:
Build homes. Plant gardens. Marry and raise families. Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where you’ve been placed.
In other words, don’t just survive in the trial—live fully in it. What an incredible picture of surrender! God was teaching His people to take a devastating season and turn it into an opportunity for flourishing.
It’s a metaphor for us. Jesus often used metaphors to teach spiritual truths, and here God paints a vivid one: surrender is not merely giving in—it is leaning into His will with joy.
Think of a wedding: the bride and groom radiant, the dancing, the laughter, the sense that everything else fades away in celebration. That’s the kind of joy God wanted His people to cultivate even in captivity.
And isn’t that exactly what James echoes?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2–4).
God never wastes our trials; He transforms them into opportunities for growth, maturity, and joy.
So yesterday, the call was surrender to the trial.
Today, we see what surrender looks like—choosing to build, to plant, to rejoice, to seek peace, and to trust that God’s plans truly are for hope and a future.
Digging Deeper – Hebrew Word Insights
To see God’s heart more clearly in this passage, let’s look at some of the Hebrew words He used and the richness they carry:
- “Build” (בָּנָה – bānāh, v.5)
More than just construction, bānāh means to establish, to cause something to continue, or to bring forth. It carries the idea of permanence and stability, not just “putting up a house.” God was telling His people to root themselves with endurance, not wait passively for escape. - “Multiply” (רָבָה – rābāh, v.6)
This verb means to become great, to increase in abundance. It echoes the original blessing in Genesis 1:28 (“be fruitful and multiply”), reminding the exiles that even in hardship, God’s covenant purpose for His people—to flourish—still stood. - “Seek the peace” (שָׁלוֹם – shalom, v.7)
Shalom is far richer than our English word “peace.” It means wholeness, completeness, prosperity, and well-being in every sense—spiritual, relational, physical, and communal. God wasn’t asking them to settle for mere survival; He was commanding them to work toward the flourishing of the place where they were, because their shalom was tied to its shalom. - “Plans” (מַחֲשָׁבָה – machashavah, v.11)
This word means “thoughts, purposes, intentions, or designs.” God wasn’t speaking of vague good wishes; He had intentional, carefully formed designs for His people’s good. It paints God as an architect with blueprints for a hopeful future. - “Hope” (תִּקְוָה – tiqvāh, v.11)
Literally, tiqvāh means “cord” or “expectation.” It comes from the idea of something stretched out—like a cord tied to a secure anchor. When God says He will give His people “a future and a hope,” He’s describing a confident expectation tethered to His promises, not just wishful thinking.
Lesson for Me
When I face trials, I often just want them to end. But the Lord is showing me that true surrender means more than enduring hardship—it means choosing to thrive where He has placed me. Instead of shrinking back in survival mode, I am called to keep building, keep planting, keep seeking peace, and keep trusting His plan.
Application Questions
- Am I only surviving in my trial, or am I choosing to live fully in it by trusting God’s plan?
- What “gardens” can I plant today—steps of faith, acts of love, investments in others—that will bear fruit even in a hard season?
- Where do I need to shift from resisting to truly surrendering, so I can experience the peace and joy God promises?
- How can I guard myself from false voices and remain firmly rooted in God’s Word?
🙏 Prayer
Father, thank You that even in seasons of hardship, Your plans for me are filled with hope and a future. Teach me to surrender—not just by yielding, but by truly living where You’ve placed me. Help me to build, to plant, to seek peace, and to trust Your purposes. Guard my heart from false voices, and anchor me in Your Word. May my life reflect the joy and flourishing You intended, even in the midst of trials. In Jesus’ name, Amen.