Oh Jeremiah 29:11

If you ever go to a Christian Book store or attend a Christian high school grad party, you are almost guaranteed to find Jeremiah 29:11 on display.

"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."

Yet, if you google or read an Christian article on the verse, you will hear many many voices in outrage of how this verse is taken completely out of context, and isn't intended to make us feel all good inside. That these verses are only meant for the Jews in exile, and that is what God was saying specifically to them.

these articles have been out for years.

So I wonder, why do we still use Jeremiah 29:11 as our go-to graduation and home decor verse? 

Jeremiah is a hard book to read, but I really like reading the verses surrounding Jeremiah 29:11--- verse 10 says that after 70 years of God exiling his people He will come back for them after 70 years! That's a really really long time!

V.12-13 says 

"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 love these two verses--they are encouraging-- God is saying that He will listen to us and we can find Him when we fully go after Him (seek) 

-- but I just read all these articles saying that Jeremiah 29:11 only applies to Jews in exile, what does that say about the verses right after that? Who do these verses apply to? 

I want to be wise, I want to read a good book that helps me understand this book so much more.