The Day An Out Of Context Bible Verse Gave Me Hope

And what it taught me about taking verses out of context.

So there I was…

Curled over, weeping.

My wife was at work and I was spending another afternoon in our prayer closet trying to figure out what the heck was going on in my life.

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After retiring from professional baseball I hit rock bottom.

Not only had I lost my idol, each and every skill I had became valueless.

There is simply no other profession that requires a person to throw a baseball and get people out for a living. Trust me, I’ve done my research. My world and professional life was shattered. But honestly, shattered would have been better. When things are shattered there’s at least a chance to pick up the pieces.

Because my skills were so niche, there were no pieces to pick up. I had zero qualifications for any other skill. It’s like my professional life had turned to dust and I didn’t know where to look. So I did what any other respectable person would do — I turned to random internet surveys to determine my future.

I took every personality and passion based quiz I could find.

One quiz I took tested personality, passions, and giftings. This one encompassed everything so I was hopeful for some results that would propel me into the future.

It was 60 questions long. My anticipation building with each page of questions.

The results loaded…

…

…

Midwife

…Midwife

…

…Midwife?!

Now, with all due respect to midwives… that wasn’t the result I was looking for.

I closed my computer, and cried.

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Which is why I was curled over in my closet, crying.

I literally couldn’t see a future. I didn’t know where to turn, what to do, or how to move forward. At 25 years old I thought I had missed the mark and had no hope for a better — or even survivable — future.

That’s when God met me.

I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit read Jeremiah 29:11. Now, I know what you’re thinking… because I was thinking it too.

Doesn’t that seem a bit shallow? Wouldn’t I be taking that verse out of context? Aren’t I missing the point of what God was doing then, with those people? Isn’t this like name it and claim it type stuff?

I pressed forward and read the verse anyway.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

‭‭—Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As I sat there telling God I didn’t want to take His Word out of context, He stopped me. He said, “Notice what it doesn’t say.”

“It doesn’t say, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, but if you don’t figure that out by 25, good luck.””

“It says, I know the plans I have for you.. to give you a future and a hope.”

And I just sat with that a moment. I sat there with an out of context Bible Verse that God just spoke very clearly through… and rejoiced.

Because for the first time in months I wasn’t hopeless.

It was the first time I seriously considered and started to be okay with the fact that God’s plan for my life didn’t include baseball. Why is that? Because He had plans for me. I had a future. My life wasn’t over at 25.

And trust me, I know what you’re thinking. But He’s talking to the Israelites in a foreign land!

I know. I know.

But here’s what I learned about taking verses out of context.

I may not be an Israelite in a foreign and pagan land feeling hopeless that I’ll ever be able to go back to Jerusalem again…

But God is still the God who knows the future and has plans for an abundant life for His people.

Just because the immediate context isn’t the same, doesn’t mean the general principle isn’t true.

Let’s take Philippians 4:13 for example.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

‭‭—Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul was in prison when he penned that sentence. If I can only apply that verse to my life when I’m in prison then I’ll never trust God for the strength to:

• Have a hard conversation with a boss

• Say no to a glaring and blatant temptation

• Endure a difficult season with kids

• Deal with and process all the baggage in my heart and mind

Instead, if my immediate context wasn’t prison, I would go on about my day relying on my own strength and wisdom to make it.

That can’t be true. The principle — that God gives strength to His people through Christ — is true in every situation.

So do I want to go throughout the Bible naming and claiming everything I see? Of course not.

But if God wants to reveal His character and purposes to me through a verse that doesn’t apply to my immediate context then I will let Him. Because contexts change, but God doesn’t. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever more.

He may be doing something different in our lives than in Jeremiah’s or Paul’s, but He’s still the sovereign God who gives strength and vision to His people.

And on that day in the prayer closet.. I needed vision. I needed hope that God even had a future for me. And He gave me just that. Hope. It changed the trajectory of my life.

Maybe you need vision too. Maybe you need some hope. God can give that to you. Let Him.

—Brandon

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Cover Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash