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[expand title=”Devotion Text”]Jeremiah 29:11-13
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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Think of it! God has great plans for our lives! He wants to prosper us, not to harm us. God is working to give us hope and a certain future. But do you know the context of this passage?
This promise was written to God’s people while in exile. Because of their sin, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to deport them from Jerusalem to Babylon. They were living in an unfamiliar land under the authority of a pagan king. The people of Israel were experiencing the results of rejecting God and following idols. They were living out the consequences of their sin. And yet, right in the middle of their exile, God gave this reminder that he wasn’t through with them. While banished from their country, the people would finally turn back to God. And when they did, God heard their prayers. When they sought him, they found him.
Maybe you are living with the results of your sins today. You are experiencing the self-inflicted wounds of rebellion. You feel alone and forgotten. You think that God is done with you. But he isn’t! Today’s passage teaches us that God never gives up on us. Right in the middle of sin’s consequences he has plans for us. His intent is never to harm, but to bring us back to the land of spiritual prosperity. He wants us to turn back to him. And he promises that when we seek him with a sincere heart, we will find him waiting for us with open arms. God is not finished with you!
Talking to God
Father, thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for disciplines that turn my heart back to you. Thank you for hearing my cries. Thank you for open arms of forgiveness and restoration. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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