Jeremiah 29:11 states "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.”
I’ve always loved this verse. It was always easy to look at this scripture and smile when things are going perfect…when my day is bright and sunny and there’s nothing I can think of complaining about. But when I’m going through a storm filled with hurt, uncertainty, and fear, is this verse as easy to look at and trust? Not so much. In the midst of our dilemmas we often seek the natural way of getting through them. We scramble in fright, thinking of what we can do to fix our situation, to solve the hard issue, to plan ahead and reroute the course we’re facing. But this is not what God wants us to do. I’ve learned that the hard way many times. Why do we try to rely on our own strength to see us through storms? Often it’s the storms in our path God uses to grasp our attention, to get us to slow down and seek Him again. It’s the storms that tend to humble us, bring us to our knees and cry out to God. I have often heard pastors say when things go well we praise God and when they’re bad our praise ceases. I’ve always looked at it the opposite way personally. When things are great, how apt are you to slowing down, stopping in your tracks and praising Him? For me, I often don’t realize how massive, incredible and merciful He is until I’m stopped by a forceful storm that causes me to rely on no one and nothing else but Him. It’s unfortunate but true in the lives of so many Christians who look to God as their Lord and Savior.
The purpose of my words are not to discourage you if you are one who tends to forget about the Lord and first love of your life when things are good, but to encourage you to trust and seek Him ALWAYS. Through the good and the bad, praise Him. He’s worthy. And when times do get bad, as they will often in this life, be steadfast, unshaken and uplifted by His truth. When we’re uncertain of the outcome, when things seem grim and dark, remember that His p
lan is far greater than the plan you can ever imagine for yourself. He did not bring you to the storm to leave you in the midst of it. He brings us to storms to see us through them, to draw us closer to Him, to build character, hope, peace and joy in us that only He can give. Most importantly, He brings us through the storms to bring Him the glory.God Bless
yolee
