Focus: 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.
The people of Israel are in exile in Babylon, and God promises to free them. If they seek and find Him, He has plans for them to prosper. He will restore them to their land physically and restore them to Him spiritually.
verse 11, Israel was given hope and a future in Him. Like Israel struggling through captivity in Babylon, our current circumstances can cause us to doubt He is with us. Yet after the people had spent some time in exile, God did rescue them and returned them back to the Promised Land. Today He treats us the same. At times we feel alone and like God is not listening to us. Yet we will find Him and be aware of His presence again, despite our circumstances.
Waiting in captivity is hard, and waiting on God to work can be long and hard. After I retired to deal with my Parkinson’s, (my third book), I thought about driving a school bus for some extra money. I do enjoy kids. Well, the doctors panicked when I mentioned this disease, so I needed to take a $400 driving test to qualify each school year. “Ok Lord what is the deal here?” I became very stubborn. We continued to pray about it and four months later I was qualified to substitute teach part time in the local schools. I enjoy junior high the best and this was worth the wait for God’s timing! Our challenge is to ensure we are seeking Him and obeying Him. Just like my bus driver plan, He was never in the plan due to the word “my”. This week spend some time in prayer regarding your current circumstances and future plans. Are they your plans or His plans? Be sure you are working on His plan and not on your plan. It took me almost four months for me to follow His plan.
Inspirational Books - Moving us through Life's Ups and Downs 