“When you look for me, you will find me.” –Jer 29:13
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God says to His people, “I know well the plans I have in mind for you.” Now if you’re like most of us, and have ever been anxious or curious about your future, this is great news! God has a plan for you. Your life isn’t left to random cosmic events. There is a God of the universe who loves us as individuals, and we matter to Him. He has a plan to give you a “future of hope,” no matter how desperate or unfortunate your current life situation may seem.
But then things get a bit disappointing. Jeremiah doesn’t have the details of God’s plan for us. Instead he gives these promises:
1. When we pray to God, He will listen
2. When we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him
3. If we’re in an exile of sorts—cut off from God or those around us—He will bring us back and “change our lot.”
While God is our loving creator, He doesn’t force any of us into a relationship with Him. Each of us must seek God with all our heart to find the future of hope He has for each of us. Seeking God requires our whole heart and personal prayer—moral behavior, church attendance, or being “religious” are all good, but none of these is a substitute for seeking God.
Seek the Lord, and begin to know the plans God has for you today.
Colleen Vermeulen
Colleen Reiss Vermeulen, M.Div., M.N.A., blogs, ministers in parish life and lay/deacon formation, and serves as a U.S. Army Reserve officer. She and her husband, Luke, have been married since 2011 and live in Ypsilanti, MI with their two young sons.
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