Jeremiah 29: Finding Hope after Narcissistic Abuse

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you..."

When you've survived narcissistic abuse, you may feel like your life has been broken into fragments; your identity, your trust, your peace. You may feel emotionally and spiritually exiled, as if the life you were meant to live was stolen from you. This is what makes Jeremiah 29:11–14 such a powerful message for those in recovery: it reminds us that God sees the whole picture, even when we can't.

God speaks these words to the Israelites in exile; a people displaced, discouraged, and uncertain about their future. Yet He doesn’t shame them or demand they fix themselves first. Instead, He speaks promise and peace: "I know the plans I have for you... plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." He speaks hope into their exile.

And He does the same for you.

This passage is not a quick fix. It’s not a slogan to slap on suffering. It is a covenant of faithfulness. God is saying, "You are not lost to Me. Even in this season of darkness, I have not abandoned you. I will bring you back."

Many survivors of narcissistic abuse wonder: Will I ever feel normal again? Will I ever trust again? Can I still become who God made me to be?

Jeremiah 29 answers these questions not with certainty about outcomes, but with certainty about God’s presence. We must trust in Him and His promises. He invites you to seek Him with your whole heart, to call upon Him in prayer, and to trust that He is already moving to restore what was broken.

Notice, too, the tenderness in God’s promise: "When you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me." God doesn’t play hide and seek with your healing. He doesn’t dangle peace just out of reach. He is near. He is findable. He is gathering you back to your true self - the self who knows his/her worth, his/her dignity, and his/her place in His heart. This season may be messy, emotionally extremely difficult - do not lose hope.

Restoration may not look like going back to how things were. It might look like something new: a life no longer shaped by fear or manipulation, but by grace, clarity, and peace. A life rooted in truth.

If you're in a season of grief, confusion, or rebuilding, take comfort: God’s plan for your life is not destroyed. It is being rewritten in His mercy. The exile you’ve endured will not be wasted. He will bring you back. He will restore because it is through hope in HIM that restoration takes place.

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Prayer

Lord, You see the wounds I carry from the abuse I've endured. You see the ways I've been scattered—emotionally, spiritually, even physically. Help me believe Your promise, even when hope feels fragile. Restore the parts of me that have been silenced. Heal what has been broken. Lead me into the future You still hold for me. A future with hope. Amen.