For I Know the Plans...Jeremiah 29:11

 "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." Jeremiah 29:11

For me, this is one of the most amazing scriptures. The Lord declares He has a specific plan for you. How amazing is that?! We may occasionally deviate from the path, turn our backs on the Lord, or even go kicking and screaming in a different direction. But our God is patiently waiting to guide our steps back onto the path He has set us on.

I admit I am one of those who has tumbled off the path and right into the weeds or rolled down the hill and landed head-first into the creek. I have even listened to the Lord and flat-out told Him no. Yes, I admit to telling my Lord and Savior I wasn't going to do something He wanted me to do. Eventually, I stopped hiding from Him and accepted the task He laid at my feet but there were times I was not happy about it.

Currently, I am at a crossroads, questioning where things are going, and doing my best to
calm my life enough to sit quietly in the presence of the Lord and listen to what He is telling me. In today's hectic world where people are connected 24/7, it is sometimes difficult to hear the Lord's soft whisper. 

Take 10 or 15 minutes out of your day, close the laptop, turn off the phone, and tune into the Lord. Ask Him to give you peace, focus on the softness of His voice as He renews your spirit. Find a space where you can sit quietly, focus on your breathing, and ask the Lord to come for a visit. 

In the winter, I sit in my living room first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee and my Bible. I leave my phone and computer in a different room and invite the Lord to come sit with me as I tell Him my fears and my hopes, and ask Him for direction. I then sit quietly, taking deep, calming breaths and listening for His words. In the summer months, I head outside to my covered patio for my alone time with the Lord. No matter where I am, He comes for a visit and when the busyness of the day begins, I feel His touch and know He is still there, guiding my steps.

Rubbing My Nose In It -- 1 John 1:9

 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

When I was in my darkest hour I desperately searched for a hand to grab and someone or
something to hold onto. This was right after my daughter was born and depression had clouded
my reasoning. In a desperate attempt to crawl out of that fog, I began reading my Bible. I was
unable to feel Him near me while I read His word and I was so lost. I remember falling asleep
with my Bible open on my lap. When I woke up, I looked down at the open pages. The passage
from 1 John 1:9 leaped off the page at me and I felt as if I had been knocked over the head!

I was suffering from postpartum depression but my depression went deeper than that. I had
sinned against God and had never truly cried out to Him my sin, my shame. He was there,
waiting for me to call to Him and confess what I had done. Even though He knew what I had
done, He still waited patiently for me to tell Him. 

My own conscience and guilt were preventing me from opening up to my heavenly Father and allowing His grace to cover me and heal me. I remember thinking to myself, “What an idiot! I have been so stubborn!” I know when to admit I was wrong and seek a way to fix it. It was right there in front of me, 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just...” I finally brought myself to have a true heart-to-heart with Him.

“...and [He] will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” After having my
heart-to-heart, I could feel within my soul this peace and it was as if the sun started shining
outward from my soul. There was a radiance that I felt and I knew that He had taken my sin and
my depression away, made me feel whole and strong again.

Is it time for you to have a heart-to-heart with the Lord?

First Thing First -- Matthew 6:33

 “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33

How many times have you worried that telling someone the truth or being completely honest
with someone would just hurt their feelings too much so you have to tip-toe around the truth to
soften it for them. Being nice rather than being honest has become the norm in society but the
Lord teaches us that we should take a first-things-first approach. “Seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness.” By first going to the Lord and becoming more Christ-like we are seeking His
kingdom and His promises. Jesus during His time upon the Earth did not soften his words when
someone was seeking the truth. He delivered the hard truth even when those did not want to
hear it. How refreshing that would be to ask a question and know that you are going to get the
absolute truth, no sugar-coating, no half-truths, but the completely unbiased truth. Of course, our
feelings would be hurt from time to time but true friendships are built on truth and when it is
spoken in love we can learn and grow from it.

When we align ourselves with the Lord and seek Him in all we do He promises to take care of
us, walk beside us and never forsake us. That is an amazing promise and for us, being of
Earthly flesh, it is a little far-fetched to believe. Someone to always speak the truth to us and
never leave our side no matter what we have done or how far we pull away is an idyllic myth
and so foreign to what we know.

Growing up I had a sister who was a complete narcissist, everything had to revolve around her, 
and when it did not anyone in her path paid dearly for her unhappiness. She never sought the
truth; she desperately wanted you to sugar-coat the truth so it made her look good. When she
would ask me if she was a good sister, I would have to say that she was or she would get
vicious. I bear a slight scar on my face from telling her that she was a selfish person. She is still
the same way today – four children and fifty pounds later. Watching her children when they were
younger I saw the unhappiness they felt at having to compete with their mother’s ego for
attention and affection. Her love was always conditional and still is to this day. 

Now that I am an adult and able to see her clearly, I understand that she always put herself above anyone else; her husband, her children, and even the Lord. In her quest for self-love and self-satisfaction, she became a very jealous and unhappy person. Having her as a role model growing up – every little sister looks up to their big sister – I had the hardest time believing that Jesus sacrificed His life for my sins. There had to be some kind of ulterior motive, and there was, but it was a motive that
benefited me not Him. God loved His people so deeply that He sacrificed His son to a horrific
death so that we could draw closer to God. What a love that must be! Once I figured out that the Lord wanted me to seek Him and His word before all else, I understood the unhappiness that my sister felt. She put herself before the Lord – her wants and needs were her first priority, not her relationship with her Lord.

I have in the past several years since my daughter’s birth taken my wants and needs out of the
equation and focused on my relationship with my Lord first and my relationship with my
daughter second, all else in my life comes after and I know that He is here with me as He
promises in Matthew 6:33. By focusing on Him, He is there to pick me up and carry me if need
be. He promised to be there and provide for me but He did warn of trials and tribulations in this
life. My true reward will come after my journey has ended in this life.

Refreshments, Anyone?

 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

I had a good friend tell me one time that she had no clue how I did all the things I did and not be overwhelmed. I sat back and thought about what she had said. To me, this life – all my activities and chores; even my past excursions – have made me who I am today. I have been doing these things for so long, having daily routines that cover a myriad of activities so that I do not feel overwhelmed or weary. I liken myself to the farmer who rises every morning at 4:00 a.m. to tend his farm. Although I admit to not ever rising at 4:00 a.m. I do have a set time for doing things and all that I do, I enjoy and am at peace.

One of my other good friends told me she thought I was amazing because of all I do. I do not 

feel amazing, in fact, I feel wonderfully ordinary. When I was younger I was always told that it
was my responsibility to become someone extraordinary and forge a path for others to follow.
Where this path might lead I had no idea. Most of those expectations melted away when I
became pregnant just like an ordinary young woman acting out. As I matured, I found a wonderful new hobby – people-watching. There is nothing more entertaining to me than to sit in the local mall's food court and watch people rush here and there through the corridor of shops. You learn a lot about people that way. But now I have wandered off topic.

Back to refresh the weary and satisfy the faint; what an amazing promise! Even though
my daily life is routine to me, there are still times when I become so tired – when my daughter
turns into a stubborn mule and we butt heads all day long; or when a puppy is feeling under the
weather and I am up and down with her for several nights straight. Being weary can drag on my
immune system and after a time I start to feel the effects. I am getting much better at going to
the cross as soon as the first signs of weariness set in. I used to tell myself I could handle it, I
did not need to bother the Lord with every little thing. As I have grown in my faith and become
more comfortable in my place with Christ I have discovered that He encourages us to come to
Him with all trials and worries no matter how trivial.

Psalm 55:22 says just that, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never
let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV) When weariness starts to take over, everyone in my
household knows. No matter what I am doing, if I start to feel weighted down I will put my praise
and worship music on and start singing and dancing. My students are starting to realize I am not ignoring them when I pop an earbud in and go into my own zone for about five minutes. My player has a mix of music on it but my favorite playlist is my praise and worship music. It revives my soul and gives me the energy to keep going. Through His word and music that praises Him, I am renewed. His promise is fulfilled every time I ask for Him to help me and take care of me.

Fear Will Not Win!

 Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first inaugural speech, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” It seems that FDR is referring to the effects of fear on a person, not the actual fear that is felt. So how do you alleviate fear? Many turn to the Bible for comfort when fear creeps into their lives.

“Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod
and your staff comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4). This is probably one of the most well-known Scriptures quoted from the Bible. Its words provide such comfort and peacefulness to those who hear them. The fear that has built within your heart seems to just dissipate.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13) This Scripture evokes an image of a father lovingly extending his hand to a frightened child and lends his strength and comfort to that child. One of the most comforting things is to have someone sit beside you and just hold your hand. This comforting gesture gives you a feeling of safety, that you are not alone and that you just need to reach out and your heavenly Father will grab hold and walk you through your fears.

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” (Exodus 13:14-15). Even though Moses lived centuries ago, in a land so far removed from modern-day life, his words still ring out and hold the same conviction as they did all those years ago. The Lord will always wrap his arms around you and keep you safe from your adversaries. He will remove the fear from your heart and guide you towards a peacefulness that calms your spirit and gives you renewed hope and strength.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Stand firm, even when you are feeling defeated and the fear has seeped into your entire being. The Lord is there beside you through your trials and He will continue to lift you up and ease the fears that are entrenched in your heart. He knows every secret crevice of your heart and He knows the fear that is residing there, he will never leave you even though he knows your deepest terrors and secrets.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) The Lord gave us the power within ourselves to stand up to the fears that invade our beings. He has empowered us and given us the tools to not cower in the corner but to step forth and defeat those who are trying to intimidate us and make us cower in a corner and from the bullies of this world, whether these bullies be human or circumstance.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?...Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” (Psalm 27:1, 3) This is another very well-known Scripture that calms the fears of people and makes the fears recede to the background and empowers you to stand against the fear that is gnawing at your heart and soul. With the Lord standing beside you, there is no one or nothing that can embed fear into you. He will keep his arms around you and protect you from any fear that tries to invade your calmness.

Many more Scriptures address fear and how to help alleviate it before it becomes all-consuming, paralyzing fear. With the Lord standing guard over you and swatting all the enemies away before they can fully embed within your soul and cause you an uneasiness that alters the way you live your life. The enemy will try to force his way into your heart and cause you to doubt the love that the Lord has for you, but remember the promises that the Lord has given throughout the Bible to always stand with you. “The only thing to fear is fear itself”, fear is only a feeling that can be dispelled by grabbing hold of the Lord’s hand and keeping your eyes firmly focused upon the cross.

Satisfied

 “I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.” Psalm 132:15

When you first read through Psalm 132 verse 15 your immediate thought would be that the Lord is referring to food that you eat; and that is what I first thought as well. Throughout the Bible, the Lord speaks plenty of providing food, shelter, and clothing for His people but in this vers,e He is giving us His promise to fulfill our Spiritual needs. Though food for our bodies is essential to our survival, food for our souls through God’s word is essential for our relationship with the Lord.

Without growing in the Lord we, the church, and we, the individual Christian, become stagnant and stunted.

Without fulfillment of our Spiritual needs, we become distant from our heavenly Father. He wants to have a close relationship with us and promises that if we call out to Him he will be there for us. 

This promise is revisited in Matthew 5:3-6, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” How can you be “poor in spirit”?

When you do not feel the love of Jesus covering you in all you do you are poor in spirit. When you do not feel a peace within your soul that is when you are poor in spirit.

We are all hungry and thirsty for righteousness – believers and unbelievers alike. This is a righteousness that we can never earn through work or buy with money or jewels. It is righteousness offered to us through the promises of the Lord: “her poor I will satisfy with food”.

I know I am being fed the word of God and He is filling my soul with peace and love. Not long ago my soul was at poverty level as I was too stubborn to reach up to the cross and ask for Him to fill my hunger. I just knew I could go it alone, face any demon that crossed my path, and come out the victor. When I finally did an emotional face-plant into the mud and muck I came to the realization that He has been there all along waiting patiently for me, His stubborn daughter, to lift up my arms and ask to be carried.

Hope -- It's Such a Small Word

People have turned to the Scriptures for centuries for comfort and to find hope in dealing with situations that seem hopeless or buried in despair.  To have hope in an unseen entity takes a great belief. Through the Bible, there are so many instances of people standing against adversity with the hope that the Lord will deliver them from the situation in which they are being persecuted. 

There are so many scriptures in the Bible that pertain to hope.

Hebrews 11:1, Proverbs 24:20, Proverbs 24:14, and Jeremiah 29:11 cover hope for the future.

Proverbs 24:19-20 -- "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of wicked men for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out."

The hopes of a true believer do not lie in things of this world but in the promise of everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Evil or wicked men in this life are not to be envied for their Earthly possessions or what seems their good fortunes for those who are washed in the blood of Christ will be given the ultimate reward in heaven.

Proverbs 24:14 -- "Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off."

A righteous man when he walks with the Lord, listens to His words, and gains wisdom will always have hope for the future and peace in knowing that the Lord will continue to provide.

Jeremiah 29:11 -- "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."

The Lord will not forsake you when you walk with Him. He knows the paths He wants you to follow. He will provide you with the hope and future that He has arranged for you as you continue to grow and learn in your faith.

Titus 1:1-2, Titus 3:7, 1 Corinthians 4:16-18, and 1 Peter 1:3 relate to hope of Eternal Life and Salvation

Titus 1:1-2 -- "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies promised before the beginning of time,"

Before the Lord sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, He promised eternal life to those who believed in Him. After Jesus came to Earth and died for our sins, the Lord still promised eternal life for those who believed in Him and come to Him through His son.

Titus 3:7 -- "so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Once again we are reminded that the Lord has promised eternal life for those who have accepted Jesus into their hearts and live according to the word of God.

1 Corinthians 15:19 -- "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied by more than all men."

The covenant was given by the Lord that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. By having that hope and the expectation of eternal life, we know that we will always be sheltered by the Lord. We are not to be pitied for our hope but joyful in our knowledge that we will have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 -- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Even though these verses do not have the word hope, the meaning within them inspires hope. Although we are aging day by day and our bodies are becoming more and more frail, we still have the hope and the promise of eternal life. We know that as we walk through this fallen world, we will face pain, grief, and tribulation as well as love, joy, and contentment. But we also know that we do not truly belong in this world, we are called to a higher place once we have completed the tasks set before us here.

1 Peter 1:3 -- "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

This is another example of how the Lord has given us the promise of eternal life and that we will achieve perfection when we leave this world.

Throughout the Book of Romans, we are given uplifting words of hope.

Romans 5:2-5 -- "Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

The love of the Lord is so pure and we know that through our love and commitment to Him, we will obtain eternal life. It is this hope that sees us through the darkness of this fallen world and allows us to see the light and the path that He has chosen for us.

Romans 8:24-25 -- "For in this hope, we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

We cannot see or touch the Lord but we can see His hand in the blessings and miracles around us in this world. We have to have hope while moving through this world, even though we cannot see our Lord or the promise of eternal life.

Romans 15:4 -- "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope"

We are taught to learn from history and the Bible is a history book as well as a guidebook. Therefore, we must learn from the missteps of those who walked before us. We have a sense of hope as we read through the Bible and we know that through our hope and love for our Lord, we will obtain eternal life.

Romans 15:13 -- "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Many times we can see a light shining forth from a person and we know that they have hope in the Lord and peace in the promise of eternal life. The Holy Spirit resides within their heart and the hope that they feel shines from deep within their soul.

The Bible offers scriptures of hope when dealing with a crisis.

Psalm 27:4-5 -- "One thing I asked of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."

When facing tribulations or stumbling blocks, we must remember to keep our eyes securely fastened upon the Lord and He will protect us and keep our enemies at bay. The Lord will pick us up and dust us off when we fall into the dirt face first and he will heal our wounds when we are attacked.

Mark 5:35-36 -- "While Jesus was still speaking, some med came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why trouble the Teacher any more?” Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”"

Even though we cannot see the Lord or know His plans for us, we do know that He will always be there for us even when we doubt. Our faith will endure even through our missteps and our grief.

Scriptures were taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version.