November 19, 2023 - 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 NIV
Lord, we thank you for all the good that you have in store for us and that our future contains hope. We praise you that you want us to prosper, and you don’t want to bring harm to us. This verse is one that we often memorize and is often quoted. It is true, but sometimes we can look at our lives and not see the evidence. Help us to understand your plans don’t always feel lovely and you not harming us doesn’t mean that life doesn’t sometimes hurt.
When life is hard and we are hurting, remind us that things don’t have to feel good to be good for us. We will never get stronger without some pain. When we exercise, if we are building up muscle, we will be sore. Building up muscles and becoming stronger is hard work. It is in the hard work and the micro tearing of the muscle that causes it to rebuild itself stronger. It’s the same in our lives. The way we become who you designed us to be, requires that we grow. Growing isn’t typically easy. It requires some discomfort and sometimes pain.
You never promised that life would be easy and without pain. You promised that you have a plan and a future for us. You promise you don’t want to harm us. The pain you allow in our lives isn’t there because you want to harm us. And you are there with us as we go through it. You are our hope through the hard seasons. You have amazing plans, and you are taking us somewhere great. Help us learn to trust you more. Help us not give up on you in the pain and when things don’t feel good. Help us trust in you when we can’t see how the “tears” are possibly helping us grow - when it just feels like we are being ripped apart. Because, Lord, you love us and your plans for us are always good. We can trust in that promise!
In Jesus name, amen.
