For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
It is easy to trust that God is in charge of everything when all falls into place and there are no surprises. It is easy to trust God when there are no worries, or stuff to keep your mind distracted. There may not be any need to pray about what you already have in abundance, but there is a God who wants me to go to Him for everything and at all times, no matter what is going on in and around me. In days of abundance or lack, God wants to be involved in all areas of my life. Indeed, it is his heart that is laid bare in today's extract.
For the people of Israel, sin had put them in trouble. They were in exile in Babylon away from the land God had promised them. Sin has such a high price, yet the love of God is greater. These people were in exile because of sin, yet God was promising them a certain time when he would visit and bring them back to the land. I consistently rebel against God, thinking I can sort it out by myself, yet He does not let go or leave me alone. If this is not love, how else can you define it? How do I get to have this love?
By the simple fact that I am made by God, I am a candidate for this love. As we see from Israel, it wasn't because they were the best of people, but because God is the best of fathers. He gives us an insight into his heart here: 'I know the thoughts I think toward you.' That is confidence, from a place of power. It is one thing to have good thoughts toward a person, and it is a different thing to be able to translate these thoughts into actual action that aligns with the thoughts. This is the mercy, power and wisdom of God at work.
His words are backed up by His nature, which means that by the simple fact that He is God, he can do all that He promises. Sin does not and cannot stop his plan or his love; it can only delay it in the life of the one who refuses to forsake sin. God knows the end from the beginning, and He is always at work to bring that end to reality, if I will let Him. I have to trust Him totally, not rely on my own human schemes and machinations. I must avoid sin, as it is the cause of exile in the first place. I ask God for daily grace to trust His heart and plans for me, so that I can be all He wants and I can end up where He wants for me. That is the best use of my life. God's time of favour is here.
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