God's Plans for Hope
"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
Jeremiah 29:11
It is really easy to get caught up in our own plans. Our calendars, our to-do lists, our busy lives, and everything that is not going according to those plans seem to consume our minds all of the time.
In Jeremiah 29, the Israelite people were about to be exiled from their homes for 70 years because of their disobedience to God. Things were definitely not going according to plan for them, at least from the plans they had crafted. But in verse 11, God reassures them that He loves them and cares for them. Even though the Israelites have sinned against God, and they have to bear the consequences of that sin in their exile, God still has a plan for His people, just as He always has. These plans are for good, and to give them a future and a hope.
Just like the Israelite people, God cares for us, and wants to give us hope and a future. In fact, he has already given us both through the life, death, and powerful resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, we have become God’s people, and God promises to always take care of His people. Even when it feels like our plans are crashing down around us, God will be faithful to His promises, not because of anything we have done, but because of His love.
We can rest in the fact that our Father is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. Let go of your tight grip on your to-do list, and trust God, even when it does not feel easy. Give your burdens to the one who can bear them, and praise Him for His character and ability to do so.
In Jeremiah 29, the Israelite people were about to be exiled from their homes for 70 years because of their disobedience to God. Things were definitely not going according to plan for them, at least from the plans they had crafted. But in verse 11, God reassures them that He loves them and cares for them. Even though the Israelites have sinned against God, and they have to bear the consequences of that sin in their exile, God still has a plan for His people, just as He always has. These plans are for good, and to give them a future and a hope.
Just like the Israelite people, God cares for us, and wants to give us hope and a future. In fact, he has already given us both through the life, death, and powerful resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, we have become God’s people, and God promises to always take care of His people. Even when it feels like our plans are crashing down around us, God will be faithful to His promises, not because of anything we have done, but because of His love.
We can rest in the fact that our Father is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. Let go of your tight grip on your to-do list, and trust God, even when it does not feel easy. Give your burdens to the one who can bear them, and praise Him for His character and ability to do so.
Prayer: God, I thank you for your goodness and provision for me. Help me to remember to focus on you, rather than what plans I have for my life. You know what is best for me, and I can rest in that. Give me strength and encouragement when I forget that you are my Creator, and remind me to turn back to you instead of making my own plans. You have good, good plans because you are good!
In Jesus’ name, amen.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Posted in 40 Days of Prayer