God says in the Bible that He wants to prosper us and make the lives of Christians better. But I know of Christians who have terrible lives. Is God forgetting His promise?

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.

Jeremiah 29:11

Whenever you read a Bible passage you need to understand something; all of scripture is useful for us but not all is written to us. Jeremiah 29:11 was written to Israel at a time when God’s people were not honoring God. Jeremiah was pleading to the people to come back to God so that God can, once again, bless His people. This passage reminds us that we serve a loving God, but that verse was written to the people of Israel. Today God is more concerned about our spiritual walk with Him, than worldly possessions. Most of all, whether rich or poor, sick or healthy we need to make sure that God is glorified in our lives.

…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:6b-7