Jeremiah 29:11

4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 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.”
8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 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. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 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.”
15 You claim that the Lord has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. 16 But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. 17 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. 18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’ 23 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.”

we often look to Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise for our lives.. I personally feel this has been one of the promises for my own life.. but too many times.. people choose promises.. but don't read the entire relevant scripture... God was telling them that yes, He would give them a hope and a future.. AFTER 70 YEARS... He told them to marry and to multiply.. to not dwindle down in number.. that they would be there for a long time... how many of the people would no longer be alive after that time? I think that many times we go through periods of waiting because of our own lack of commitment to God... you see further down in the scripture that the so called prophets were giving messages that were not from God at all.. and they were living in sin... committing adultery.. lying... how often do we determine to do things our own way because God's way is too hard.. it costs too much... it takes too long... and probably most upsetting of all.. it was God who sent their enemies to destroy them.. God who sent them into exile.. and they would not be restored until GOD restores them...

but look at what happened to these men.. first of all.. God called them out by name.. that by itself is about horrifying... then.. He uses them as an example for generations to come.. their lives would be used in calling out curses on others...

what is our purpose? what is the outcome of our walk? will our name be used in calling out blessing.. or calling out curse... will we even be remembered? let us strive to walk worthy of the call upon our lives.. someone.. somewhere is watching us... what is our living testimony.. our walking sacrifice... what are we revealing about ourselves in our day to day walk....