God's plans for you are bigger than the stretches of your imagination. You've got to be willing to walk in faith, step by step and let the journey unfold.
Trials and turmoil is the refining fire that can strengthen our faith to return at all times to God's mercy or let us burn in anger and bitterness. Many Christians, including myself often straddle these two lines from complete despair in uncertain times to complete hope - there is a balance of fear and anticipation, trust and 'I'll go my way' doubt. I never doubted God's salvation through Christ, but daily I doubt HIS care for my daily life when it comes to food, work, accomplishing my goals. I took it as a sign that I was supposed to use my God-given talents such as reason, logic and analyzing skills to come up with a solution.
While I believe God does expect us to use our brains and encourages us to use discernment and to balance faith in perspective (i.e. it is okay to look at something scientifically - as long as you don't lose sight of the spiritual truth). I have always trusted God's love for me, but instead of trusting his insight and provision - I ruminated on my failures and the temporal frustrations of unanswered prayers - especially in regards to my career and my goals in music and writing - I saw those as a condemnation of my life's goals - I started listening to the abusive people and situations of the world around me. I assumed God cares, but unless it is a spiritual need or life health crisis - no use bothering to expect it from HIM.
I do think that God does not want us to be lazy and just sit around and wait for miracles - he gives miracles but we are called to co-create. Co-create means humility, grace and ingenuity - God wants us to delight in the talents he has given us and use them to serve HIM and HIS children. What God doesn't want is for us to get so bent on one idea or goal we lose sight of the plans he has for us - have you ever just rushed into a project of passion and gotten burnt out? I have - it took years to go back and finish what I started - this time with God's hand. I spent my time in college so frustrated I couldn't get a record deal that I gave up - now I see that God wanted me to hone my own style and to make music from the roots of my soul - it took desert years to cultivate the gift.
We have work to do in our lives and with free will - we have to learn some lessons on our own volition, but when we get so caught up in anxiety, details and the spinning world we forget to ask God for HIS advice, HIS help we'll always be drowning against the current. God wants us to be self-reliant against the world - in being self-reliant we are selfless and ready to serve, but this self-reliance also calls us to rely fully on HIM. Self-reliant against the world, reliant fully on God. Sounds like a wacky paradox, but it is a balance in maintaining a spiritual and material independence found in Christ.
We are not alone, even in the darkest hours of our lives God is there - even if we cannot see him. God is at work - it is our job to release anxiety, stress, fear, regret and sin - to CHRIST and be washed clean. When we are clean of the toxic negative energy we can hear HIS voice and are able to think more clearly and perceive circumstances from a non-emotional more mindful state.
Throughout my life - the trials and struggles - hardships and pitfalls I have often questioned God's intent on leading me into turbulent situations - the truth is I let fear guide me half the time and God allowed me to stay in the atmosphere of fear so I would learn lessons and call out to HIM for help. There is suffering in the world and sometimes it seems God is silent. God is never silent, he cries for his people and wipes our tears. So when something bad happens - know God can heal the soul, which to use seems immaterial when we don't have the money for a mortgage payment - but until our soul is healed we cannot trust and accept God for the other blessings of hope and perseverance he wants to give us. God's blessings are often things we might see as unimportant - but God's blessings never falter.
I had a car that died on the side of the road in South Dakota in 2009, my car had been stolen and my mother's car had been stolen a year before. We wound up with a clunker family car and were forced to leave Nashville TN on a hope and a prayer. The car died in Hot Springs SD and Triple AAA was unavailable for 24 hours - we were broke until my mom's next direct deposit. All seemed lost. Then out of the blue a stranger came - who happened to have ten full jugs of water for a camping trip and he agreed to fix the coolant and add the much needed water to our clunker - it worked. We were safe.
Our car died in Gillette WY and we inherited another bad news clunker from the mechanic - that I later found out had faulty brakes. We made it to Bozeman MT and I had a nightmare about the brakes - I had them checked out and as told it was a miracle we made it across the Bighorn Mountains in the vehicle - the brakes were so shoddy! Once again we were without a car - forced into a desperate situation - but every time God pulled us through through small but pivotal miracles.
I am continuously led to Jeremiah 29:11. It is one of the most quoted verse in the Bible. Many scholars say that it is always misquoted - 'don't take heart in this verse because it refers to the Babylonian Captivity and was not really a message of hope - Jeremiah said it would take 70 years for the Jewish to be released from Babylon.'
As a historian - I understand the historical context and I do think it is important to consider context in studying the Bible. Too many sinners misuse Bible verses for nefarious purposes through taking a verse out of context. That being said - I strongly believe that God's WORD never passes away and scripture retells human truths time and again - guided by the Holy Spirit - we can often find spiritual truths even in historical scripture.
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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
While this verse is not a cure all pill saying that God is going to instantly make you a millionaire - I also think it is too close minded to assume this scripture has no bearing on our lives. IT is a living testimony - historically God did deliver HIS people from Babylon and he will continue to help his people realize their purpose in Christ.
This scripture was not received well in the time of Jeremiah because the people of Judah wanted instant answers and freedom from the bonds of Babylon - but God needed to help refine them through testing and humility - so when he returned them home it was with a new clean heart set on God's will not their short-sighted selfish goals. God new the plans for them would be great and GRACE would come - they in turn would have to be patient.
No one likes to be patient, but God wants us to learn patience because he will not rush our spiritual growth and life for the sake of quick gain - he wants us to have a strong foundation of character.
If you are someone seeking instant gratification in God - you will receive it in HIS Holy Spirit - which is always with you and the knowledge of constant love and forgiveness of sins (if asked you will receive grace), but if your instant gratification has stipulations about instant financial blessings, instant popularity, losing ten pounds and eating brownies - well God is far deeper than that.
I read an article about a young college grad who nearly lost her faith because in the Great Recession she could not find a job - she felt that Jeremiah 29:11 lied to her - she had not prospered in her mind.
I graduated in 2009 and am still recovering from the poor job market - but I know that every lost job opportunity turned out to be a blessing - because when I got a job - it was the right time/right place.
Jeremiah 29:11 is not a wish fulfillment verse, rather it is a call to faith and trust verse in spite of seemingly impossible odds - it is turning over all anxiety to God and knowing if you trust in HIS Spirit you will be full of HIS life giving waters and God will show you the plans he has for you.
The biggest disappointment with this verse is we often have our own plans that do not line up with God's. Sometimes our plans are not evil, but they are not the best God has for us.
There is evil in this world - it works against us at every step to manipulate and confound. This evil is not of God, but is of the flesh - it is a condition of the brokenness of sin, God heals sin - but evil persists because of free will and the time of judgment has not come. God destroyed Sodom, yet Abraham protested hoping it could be saved - not because he condoned the actions of Sodom and Gomorrah - but he believed if there is but a light of good to permeate hate then it deserves to be saved. Christ is the light that guides us God's love for all mankind and hope to save his children is why he allows the world to keep turning. There is pure evil in this world - it comes from the temporal powers of hell, but God's love is far deeper than the depths of the abyss - HIS LIGHT in CHRIST is enough to make even the darkest days worth living. This life has far more goodness and love in it than hate.
We are also called as Christians to be part of God's kingdom now through SERVICE - helping others and working to stop evil with joy, gratitude, love, compassion...love your neighbor with the heart of Christ - this means flipping the world upside down. Until we do that it is hard to hear God's voice as we walk in the desolate wilderness of doubt.
Trust in God and when you fall into doubt - pray for faith and discernment - God is not a God of confusion - he will guide you - if you let HIM...Letting go of the reins is the hardest part.
We only need but a mustard seed of faith, and even something so small is hard for the human ego - so remember to pray for help and God will hear you - even when he is silent - his unanswered prayers will transform into open doors for something better - even if those doors seem risky - God calls us to trust in him - his protection in grace is absolute.
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