Plans to Give You Hope
As we enter into this 2019 new year, God has a plan for each one of us, but we must be intentional about discovering it. Since this earth is not our final destination and we have eternity in heaven to look forward to, there's hope. There's hope...when bad things happen, when the world seems to be falling apart, when things don't seem to come together as we had planned. God has a plan, bigger than this moment in time, bigger than any plans we could dream up.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-13, "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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." To call, come, and pray to God is intentional living. Wanting, seeking, and engaging in communication with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then sets in motion His response which is to, "listen to you."
Some may say that this is just wishful thinking of a brainwashed people called Christians. I would have been one to say that as well some 30 plus years ago. But then a coworker asked me, "Do you want to go to church with me?" She was different then my other coworkers, she had something I wanted. She had hope, peace, and calm even though her husband had left her with a child still at home and another in college, a house payment, and prior to the minimum wage job she was doing now, no job at all.
Soon under her mentoring, church classes, the Bible studies, and even through single Christians I met, that lived so differently than I had ever lived, change began to take place in my life. She asked me one day if I wanted to ask Jesus Christ into my life and I said, "Yes!" She prayed with me and we prayed something like this (it was 31 years ago, so the exact words...I don't recall), "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know You died on the cross for my sins and rose again overcoming death. Please forgive me of my sins-past, present, and future-and come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen." And He did, I could feel the difference right away and most importantly, I could feel the hope.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-13, "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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." To call, come, and pray to God is intentional living. Wanting, seeking, and engaging in communication with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then sets in motion His response which is to, "listen to you."
Some may say that this is just wishful thinking of a brainwashed people called Christians. I would have been one to say that as well some 30 plus years ago. But then a coworker asked me, "Do you want to go to church with me?" She was different then my other coworkers, she had something I wanted. She had hope, peace, and calm even though her husband had left her with a child still at home and another in college, a house payment, and prior to the minimum wage job she was doing now, no job at all.
Soon under her mentoring, church classes, the Bible studies, and even through single Christians I met, that lived so differently than I had ever lived, change began to take place in my life. She asked me one day if I wanted to ask Jesus Christ into my life and I said, "Yes!" She prayed with me and we prayed something like this (it was 31 years ago, so the exact words...I don't recall), "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know You died on the cross for my sins and rose again overcoming death. Please forgive me of my sins-past, present, and future-and come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen." And He did, I could feel the difference right away and most importantly, I could feel the hope.
Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
This daisy was blooming between a rock and a log...all by itself.
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