Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.”
This verse is perfect to cling to right now, in the midst of worldwide chaos. God used it in a big way a couple days ago when it came up in my devotions.
God has a plan for you and me! His plan will
Prosper you . . .
In spiritual wealth. He’s already given us so much: He’s forgiven us, granted restored fellowship, agreed to see us as represented by His Son, and promised us a home and inheritance in Heaven.
In spiritual insight. Whenever we read the Bible, it’s only by God’s grace that we understand anything. And yet He willingly grants us that ability if we only ask!
In relationships. Relationships must be built on a love for God; if they are, they will be blessed and grow! Some of the sweetest relationships I have are with fellow believers, friends whom I know I can seek spiritual advice or start up a conversation about their devotions.
In true joy. Joy is one of the most amazing things we can have. When we are finding it in God, NOTHING can stop us. Nothing can make us fall. Depression fades away, life is hard but doable.
Give you hope . . .
That life has meaning and purpose. The purpose of life is to find the purpose of life. When people don’t base their life on God, there’s no long-lasting, true purpose. Our purpose is the reason we accept the bad and search for the good. It’s why we wake up in the morning and keep trying: because we know it will be worth it.
That this isn’t all there is. Living for eternity gives us reason to be good. It gives us hope that there is a later existence without tears or pain, where we get to be with God for the rest of forever. That makes the pain in the here and now so, so doable.
That I can overcome my sin. I don’t know about you, but lately my sin has seemed absolutely unsurmountable. And yet the Bible tells us over and over again that we CAN overcome our sin through God’s strength.
Give you a future . . .
On earth. We can do today and tomorrow and every tomorrow after that because God is empowering us. When we fail to believe this, we aren’t good witnesses to God’s character. We’re telling people that He isn’t powerful enough to work in our lives. But when we do have stories of hardship but still manage to care for others and have a smile on our faces, people will notice that. They’ll want that too.
In Heaven. We already touched on this, but just a reminder: no matter how painful today is, there is a heaven waiting for you without evil people. Without sobs so hard and fast you can’t catch your breath. Without “impossible” sins, without not even wanting to get out of bed because your stomach hurts so badly. We live in hope of a heaven where we can cast our crowns before God’s feet and worship Him in bliss forever.
But there’s more! God’s plan WON’T . . .
Harm you.
God can only do good. I can know all He does is for my benefit. This is SO comforting. Because you know what? Whoever’s president next year, it’s for your benefit. Whatever failures and successes are coming up for you, it’s all for your benefit. The people that will walk in and out of your life . . . you guessed it! All for your good.
So, great, right? But what do we do with this?
Call on God. When we understand these three simple facts, we can’t help but be humbled. The fact is that we can’t do life by ourselves . . . and that’s okay! That moves us to call on God. And that’s what He wants.
Pray. Kind of the same thing as the previous point, but a bit more specific. Call on God. Pray. Ask Him for what you need. Engage in conversation. Prayer makes things happen.
Seek God with all your heart. There are so many other things we—I!!—am Seeking. Should I even bother listing these out? Healing, security, a job, victory over my sin, a successful business, thriving relationships. As long as these are our focus, we’re basically worshiping them . . . and we’re headed down a bad road. Even if you have to “fake it ’till you make it,” just keep repeating Psalm 73:25 to yourself: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
And God will . . .
Listen. He doesn’t just ask us to pray but leave us to fend for ourselves. He does His part and listens to us, lowly and simple and forever messing up and asking questions.
Bring us back and gather us. Maybe you feel like you’ve messed up too much, too hard. Maybe you KNOW you are off the beaten path right now. But, if we’re willing to confess and ask God to bring us back, He would love nothing more than to bring us back to the Promised Land.
I LOVE this take on Jeremiah 29:11! Great post!❤