God has ultimate plans and purposes in mind for us. He hopes and desires that we come to the place where we can and will participate in His plans. It takes eyes of faith to grasp hold of this truth. Even more, sometimes it takes real reminders from God.
RELEVANCE
On one particular trip from Dallas to Atlanta I decided to drive rather than fly. At a critical point on the return part of the trip, I found myself heading the wrong way. I missed the signs at a juncture of two Interstate highways. Long story short, God spoke wonders to me on the detour back to the right path!
The children of Israel got off track in their relationship with God. They lost hope of realizing God’s promises. God sent the prophet, Jeremiah, to remind them of His promises and give them hope for their future. Embrace this as God’s promise to you!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Thank God for second chances! Thank God for erasers on pencils! Thank God for a reset button! Thank God for grace!
REFLECT AND RELATE
Notice God’s purpose in allowing the people to get off track: “Then you will call upon Me…” He wants us to earnestly call upon Him and seek Him for His ways and solutions, which are not like the world’s.
Notice also: He promises to bring us back to the place where we can come into His blessings! What would God have you do more than anything? Ask, seek and knock…
REFERENCES
Matthew 7:7