Future and Hope

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you, says 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, I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

It could be tempting to look at other people’s lives and wish that our own lives had turned out like theirs. Perhaps we envy their seemingly perfect life, their fortune, their large families, their world travels, or how everything works out for them. We might feel that our own lives are a mess, imperfect, falling apart, or far from interesting.

The words of the Lord to His children is that He knows the plans He has for them. While we think our own life could go better, He knows what He plans for us and that is to give us a future and a hope in Him. We need to remember that our chaotic lives - which can feel like it’s falling apart - are an opportunity to seek the Lord.

We may lose our jobs. We may have quarrels with our loved ones. Our children may disobey us. Friends may betray our trust. Our health may take a turn for the worse. In all of these situations and more, it should remind us to draw closer to the Lord. When we seek Him with all of our heart, He will be found by us. When we come to Him completely, and pray to Him, He will hear us.

Let us not envy the lives of ease or blessings that others enjoy for a season. The struggles and hardships we face give are an opportunity to seek Him more earnestly than ever before. He knows what He is doing. We should always trust the Lord.