Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Plan

"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)

Do you ever think about how different life is, as an adult, from what you had pictured it to be when you were a child?  Often times I look at my sweet daughter, and remember being her age and thinking that I had it all planned out.  As girls, we tend to have a romantic view of what being a "grown-up" is all about--and we can't wait!  As we grow into adulthood and mature, we are grateful for the many ways God blesses our lives.  But, along with that, we are often humbled by the very real hardships we must endure.  As Christians, we are encouraged by the words of Jeremiah in the Bible verse above.  We can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone; we can find hope in the fact that God has a plan for our welfare; and we can find peace in knowing that, when we seek to do His will in our lives, He will not only bless us but also use us to be a blessing to others.
In the above-mentioned verse, Jeremiah is writing to a group of people who are in exile from their homeland.  He's writing to let them know that although they're not where they would have expected, nor where they would have asked God to put them--God is with them and has a plan.  In verse 7 of the same chapter, Jeremiah urges the people to "seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."  God wants them to know that He is not removing them from their current situation, but is calling upon them to work and pray for their captors.  He is calling upon them to put their faith in Him--not only in the good times, but in the difficult ones as well.  They are reminded that He is faithful, and a God of justice and mercy.
Today, in whatever situation you find yourself, God wants you to know He has a plan.  As we look to His words in Jeremiah 29:11, we find hope.  Hope in the fact that, although our lives may not always work out the way "we" plan, God has a better plan and it will prevail.  So, may we focus on the Cross.  For it is there, upon the Cross, that our loving, faithful, and good God secured His plan for our future.
Dear Heavenly Father,   Thank-you for being  faithful and loving to us.  Forgive us when we doubt You.  May we, through the power of your Spirit,  continually trust in the plan you have for our lives and the lives of those we love.  In Your Son's name, Amen.

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